EP07: BO BUSHNELL

This week I’m speaking with Bo Bushnell. Bo has had many titles throughout the course of his career, but it’s his latest that has certainly brought him the most attention. As the creator of the Outlaw Archive and the Research Institute for Contemporary Outlaws, he has made it his mission to document and record as many living members of the outlaw biker gangs that roamed Southern California in the late 50’s and early 60’s, as he can manage to track down.

It was an unsolicited email that set Bo on this path, which has been his singular focus for nearly a decade. A pursuit that has at times left him significantly in debt, homeless, and in direct odds with modern day clubs, including the Hells Angels. Not one who easily deterred, Bo has approached his task with a tenacity that may defy logic to some, but has also executed it with an intelligence that commands respect by all.

Much like the bikers he is chasing, Bo has remained committed to living life on his terms. We discuss his passion for the past, the cost of his obsession, and how a twist of fate has thus far managed to keep him out of harm’s way. Bob Dylan once wrote, ‘to live outside the law, you must be honest’ and whether intentionally or not, it appears as though Bo has taken that line to heart. But I’ll let you decide that for yourself..

Here’s Bo Bushnell on The Days Between.