cassady was born in salt lake city, literally "on the road", as his mother gave birth to him while his parents rode in a car. they later separated, with his father raising young cassady in denver, colorado. he got into trouble often as a boy, and spent part of his teen years in a juvenile facility. while locked up, he began to write letters back and forth with hal chase, another member of the (then-future) beat generation. chase told his friends kerouac and ginsberg about cassady, who wanted to meet him.