Hunter S. Thompson was born and raised in America.
Hunter Stockton Thompson ( July 18 , 1937 -- February 20 , 2005 ) was an American journalist and author , and the founder of the gonzo journalism movement . Born in Louisville , Kentucky , to a middle-class family , Thompson had a turbulent youth after the death of his father left the family in poverty . He traveled frequently , including stints in California , Puerto Rico , and Brazil , before settling in Aspen , Colorado , in the early 1960s .