John "JT" Teller
Among the most important of the First Nine in Sons of Anarchy is John 'JT' Teller. Though he doesn't physically show up in the program outside of flashbacks and, in the first season, voiceovers (when Nicholas Guest voices him instead of Victor Newmark, who plays him in the season 4 flashback), he is a somewhat powerful presence. JT is Jax Teller's father; his vision for SAMCRO sends Jax on the aggressive road to transform the organization across Sons of Anarchy.
Understandably, JT's passing marked a turning point in Jax's life, and crops up often in Sons of Anarchy. JT died in a traffic accident in 1993 while riding his motorbike and was struck by a semi-truck; Sons of Anarchy stated that his wife, Gemma (Katey Sagal), and Clay destroyed his bike. JT still had just as much impact on SAMCRO posthumously because to Jax, even although other First 9 members are still alive by the episode starts.
Piermont Winston's Piney
Though all of the First Nine are important to SAMCRO's past, Piermont "Piney" Wilson founded the club with JT. The two fought together in Vietnam; without him, SAMCRO most certainly wouldn't exist. Piney was alive when Sons of Anarchy started and appeared often on the program until he passed away—as so many SAMCRO members do.
Piney, like JT, had family ties to the future of SAMCRO since his sone Opie attended the club with Jax Teller. Sadly for the Winston family, although at a far younger age, Opie met just as terrible an end as his father. None other than Clay killed Piney in the fourth Sons of Anarchy season "Call of Duty". Piney tried to extort Clay and disagreed with his chosen location for the club; in retaliation, Clay shot Piney in the chest.
Clarence "Clay' Morrow
Arguably the most deadly and vicious member of the First 9 was Clay, who turned on many other SAMCRO members both on the show and before it started. Apart from Piney, Ron also had bearing on the deaths of Keith McGee and John Teller. Given his background, it is hardly surprising that he exited the show on a violent note. Though he oddly served as a SAMCRO member during the club's early years, Clay was a Vietnam veteran, like Piney and JT.
After all of Clay's misdeeds against the club and members were exposed, a Mayhem vote decided he had to die and Jax executed him in Sons of Anarchy season 6. The lack of attendance at Clay's funeral, which only Wayne Unser showed up to, and his burial in a prison since nobody claimed his body revealed his mentality and just how much others hated him.
Lenny Janowitz "The Pimp"
Among the few members of the SAMCRO First 9 standing by the end of Sons of Anarchy was Lenny 'The Pimp' Janowitz, who is serving a life sentence at Stockton State Prison following allegedly killing three ATF agents many years ago. Lenny only appears three times throughout the whole Sons of Anarchy, being introduced in the season 3 episode "NS" and then returning twice more in season four and season five respectively, even though he is a regular member of the club in its early years.
Sonny Barger, among the actual Hells Angels in the Sons of Anarchy cast, plays Lenny. Lenny met JT and Piney in the Vietnam War and is shown as one of the most intellectual individuals ever to occupy SAMCRO's ranks as well as its first Sergeant-At-Arms given his remarkable weight and power. His nickname "The Pimp" arises, somewhat naturally given his reputation with ladies. Cancer has caused his vocal cord to be severed by the time of his entrance in Sons of Anarchy; yet, he still supports SAMCRO in his own capacity by fostering relationships in prison with the Russian Mafia.
Anarchy's Sons
One of the most fascinating stories of lore is what happened to the initial members of SAMCRO, sometimes called as the First 9. Sons of Anarchy concentrated on the path of Jax Teller and the title club under his and Clay Morrow's leadership. Jackson "Jax" Teller ( Charlie Hunnam), VP of the namesake motorcycle gang as well as the son of one of its founders, leads Sons of Anarchy. The story starts when Jax discovers the manifesto his father penned in which he outlines his ideas and vision for the club—the reverse of those of the current President (and Jax's stepfather, Clay Morrow).
Though Sons of Anarchy centers on Clay and Jax's leadership, some of the surviving First 9 members periodically turn up and provide a brief window into SAMCRO's beginnings. Returning from the Vietnam War, John Teller and Piermont "Piney" Winston (William Lucking) started the Sons of Anarchy MC in 1967. Along with seven others, JT and Piney created the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club upon returning to Charming, California, in order to recapture the fraternity they discovered while in Vietnam.
McGee, Keith
Though he doesn't show until season 3, Keith McGee is another First 9 surviving member that starts Sons of Anarchy. From the moment Keith first appears on the show, he is positioned as an anagonist unlike some of the other First 9 members. Though his plot gives some fascinating historical information for SAMCRO and their worldwide connections, he is only seen in six episodes of the program before he is finally murdered off.
Originally from Ireland, Keith joined SAMCRO when he was visiting the US in the 1960s and met JT, Piney, and Lenny Janowitz soon after they got back from Vietnam. He was essential in establishing connections between SAMCRO and the IRA, which turned out to be quite beneficial for the team because of operations linked to weapon smuggling. In Sons of Anarchy season 3, Keith McGee was also killed by Clay after Keith was shown to be a traitor and Clay pushed him off a roof.
Otto "Lil' Killer" Moran, Chico Villanueva, Thomas "Uncle Tom" Whitney, and Wally Grazer
Only seen in pictures and via talks, the last three of the First 9 had been dead a fair bit before the start of Sons of Anarchy. JT, Piney, Lenny "The Pimp," Sonny Barger, Keith McGee, Wally Grazer, Thomas "Uncle Tom," Chico Villanueva, Otto "Lil' Killer," Moran, and Clay constituted SAMCRO's First 9.
Before Sons of Anarchy, Wally, Thomas, Chico, and Otto passed away in separate circumstances— Wally killed himself in 1986 while suffering from cirrhosis, Thomas was stabbed to death in prison, Chico died in 1976, and Otto was discovered dead floating on the Sacramento River.
Look at Sons of Anarchy.
Though the show's excellent ensemble makes the characters nuanced and even appealing, Motorcycle Drama Sons of Anarchy is about violent criminals. With a heavy focus on family, this complicated, dramatic series featuring lots of action is also really hilarious at times. Viewers of all ages can also enjoy this program provided they are comfortable with some violence.
Kurt Sutter's Sons of Anarchy chronicles a well-known outlaw Motorcycle Club as it confronts drug dealers, corporate developers, and law enforcement to defend their livelihoods and hometown of Charming, California. Inspired largely by William Shakespeare's "Hamlet," Sons of Anarchy investigates what happens when family is sacrificed for the quest of money and power. With Jackson 'Jax' Teller managing his responsibilities as the V.P. of the club while handling the new president - his stepfather - Clay Morrow, the show chronicles the Teller and Morrow family histories.
