Plans In Place For 'Gonzo' Thompson's Memorial Blast

WOODY CREEK, Colo. -- Family and friends are wrapping up plans to blast the ashes of writer Hunter S. Thompson out of a 150-foot-tall monument.
The sendoff is scheduled to take place behind the house at Owl Farm this Saturday. Thompson's widow, Anita, said it's what the Louisville, Ky., native wanted.

The monument towers over a field between the home and a tree-covered red rock canyon wall.
It is shrouded in gray and blue tarpaulins that ripple in the wind and it will not be unveiled until Saturday. It is modeled after Thompson's Gonzo logo: a clenched fist, made symmetrical with the addition of a second thumb, perched atop a dagger.

Anita Thompson said Saturday will include some reminiscence, readings from Thompson's work and performances by both Lyle Lovett and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

About 250 people are invited, including Thompson's longtime illustrator, Ralph Steadman, and actors Sean Penn and Johnny Depp, who were close friends of the writer.