■Murderous Minds■

Charles Manson

Charles Manson

Who Was Charles Manson?

Charles Manson was an American criminal who spearheaded a murderous campaign with his followers, the Manson Family Cult , that would make him one of the most infamous figures in criminal history.

Notorious for his connection to brutal slaying of pregnant actress Sharon Tate the and other Hollywood residents, Manson received the death penalty in 1971, a sentence that was commuted to life in prison the following year.

Early Life

Manson was born Charles Milles Maddox on November 12, 1934, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Kathleen Maddox, a 16-year-old girl who was both an alcoholic and a prostitute.

Kathleen later married William Manson, but the marriage ended quickly and Charles was placed in a boys school at age 12. Rejected in his attempts to return to his mother, Charles was soon living on the streets and getting by through petty crime.

Over the next 20 years, Manson spent time in and out of reform schools and prisons for various crimes. He was released from prison on March 21, 1967, and moved to San Francisco.

The Manson Family Cult

"The Family" was a group of around 100 followers of Manson who shared his passion for an unconventional lifestyle and habitual use of hallucinogenic drugs, such as LSD and magic mushrooms. The Manson Family eventually moved from San Francisco to a deserted ranch in the San Fernando Valley.

Manson's followers also included a small, hard-core unit of impressionable young girls. They began to believe, without question, Manson's claims that he was Jesus and his prophecies of a race war.

Charles Manson and "Helter Skelter"

Manson was influenced not only by drugs, such as LSD, but by art works and music of the time, most notably The Beatles song "Helter Skelter," from their 1968 White Album. Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders was later the title of a best-selling book about Manson and his crimes written by Vincent Bugliosi.

Paul McCartney has said that the playground slide in "Helter Skelter" was a metaphor for the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Manson, however, interpreted the lyrics of "Helter Skelter" as incitation to begin a race war. He turned to the album and lyrics to justify his scheme and guide his followers to murder.

Manson had a strong belief and interest in the notion of Armageddon from the Book of Revelations, and also explored the teachings of Scientology  and more obscure cult churches, such as the Church of the Final Judgment.

In many ways, Manson reflected personality traits and obsessions that were associated with gurus of cult-quasi-religious groups that began to emerge in the 1960s. He was pathologically deluded into believing that he was the harbinger of doom regarding the planet's future.

The Manson-Beach Boys Connection

Before Manson's famous murderous spree, Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys had allowed Manson and several members of his Family to stay at his home after picking up two female members of the Family who had been hitchhiking.

It was through this association that Manson got the opportunity to audition for Terry Melcher, son of Doris Day  and friend/producer of the popular 1960s band the Beach Boys, who was living at Polanski's house at the time. Melcher wasn't interested in signing a contract with Manson.

Manson allegedly did record some music at Dennis's brother Brian Wilson's home studio. The Beach Boys released a song written by Manson entitled "Cease to Exist" (renamed "Never Learn Not to Love") on their 1969 album, 20/20, as a single B-side.