Not strictly speaking music news - but definitely of interest to the music world - American counterculture writer **Hunter S
Thompson** has been found dead in his Colorado home - it seems the 67 year old shot himself.
Best known for ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’, of course,
Thompson pioneered so called "gonzo journalism", factual writing where the writer is an essential part of the story.
His other books included ‘Hells Angels’ and ‘Generation of Swine’.
In a statement to the Aspen Daily News, Thompson’s son Juan said: "On February 20, Dr Hunter S Thompson took his life with a gunshot to the head at his fortified compound in Woody
Creek, Colorado. Hunter prized his privacy and we ask that his friends and admirers respect that privacy as well as that of his family."
Confirming the suicide reports a spokesman for the Pitkin County Sheriff's
Office told reporters: "We do have confirmation that Hunter
Thompson was found dead this evening of an apparent self-inflicted wound”.
Author
Martin A Lee, who met and interviewed Thompson on a number of occasions, told Radio 4’s Today programme that Thompson's suicide was "sad" but "not surprising", adding that the writer "lived on the edge". He added:
"[Thompson] did bequeath a very significant body of literature and journalism. It is wonderful and exuberant writing that opened a cultural space for other writers to follow".