‘He loved when we did burnouts’ Hundreds honor Suck Bang Blow fallen co-owner at vigil
Sniffles, back-pats and words of comfort took the place of revving engines and bike burnouts Wednesday night at Suck Bang Blow as family, friends and patrons of the famous biker bar gathered to honor the life of a fallen employee.
The bar’s parking lot looked similar to bike rallies frequently hosted at the bar. Motorcycle clubs, some from as far as Charleston, donned their colors, smoked cigarettes and drank beer while staff set up the stage in back with hundreds of candles for a vigil honoring Stephen Pease. Pease worked his way up at the bar for 11 years, from barback to co-owner at the time of his death.
Pease died Saturday night in a motorcycle crash in Garden City Beach. He was 34 and left behind a wife and two daughters.
The hundreds that attended the vigil on Wednesday night filed out from the bar to the back lot and lit candles for Pease. The tone changed, music quieted, silent embraces were exchanged and tears started rolling down cheeks. The outdoor venue was lit only by candlelight except for the spotlight on stage which fell on Bill Barber, Suck Bang Blow events coordinator.
Barber was the only one to speak, battling a knot in his throat and encouraged by friends in attendance.
“I loved him,” Barber told the crowd.
“We all did,” a few shouted back.
Barber announced funeral plans for Pease and said the bar is planning a celebration of life party “bigger than anything anyone’s ever seen.”
The service will be held this Friday at Burroughs Funeral Home from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Barber said. He invited those in attendance back to the bar to reminisce about Pease afterwards.
“Maybe you can do a couple of burnouts for him because he loved when we did burnouts,” Barber said to a cheering crowd.
This story was originally published October 28, 2021 at 11:59 AM.
