Neal Cassady Denver Years, image provided by CPT12
was more than a Denver original. He drove the bus for Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. He was the model for Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road.” He was a muse for Hunter S. Thompson. The guy to whom Allen Ginsberg dedicated his landmark poem “Howl,” the man who inspired the Grateful Dead… He remains the poster child of the Beat generation.
“Neal Cassady: The Denver Years” will premiere Monday at 8 p.m. on CPT12. The documentary was directed by Heather Dalton and produced by Joshua Hassel in association with CPT12.
Back when Larimer Street was populated by skid row hotels, Cassady grew up there, raised by an alcoholic father. The film features interviews with prominent and historical figures including Carolyn Cassady, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, David Amram, John Allen Cassady, Jami Cassady Ratto, Cathy Cassady Sylvia, Jerry Cimino, Tom Noel, Ed White and Al Hinkle.
