Charles Manson is one of America’s most prolific criminals. Leader of the cult known as the Manson Family, Manson is known for organizing the murders of the famous actress, Sharon Tate, and grocery store executive Leno LaBianca. These notable and gruesome murders transpired on August 9 and 10 of 1969. Subsequently, Manson was sentenced to life in prison in 1972 and died years later at 83 years old after serving 45 years behind bars. Manson was a criminal, and a vicious one at that. And he was also almost a successful musician.
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Prior to orchestrating the Manson Family murders, Charles Manson fervently pursued a music career. As a matter of fact, he kept pursuing this career after the murders, as he released his album, Lie: The Love And Terror Cult, in 1970. However, before the harrowing day, Charles Manson nearly signed a record deal. A record deal with the critically acclaimed pair of brothers, Brian and Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys.
How Dennis Wilson Incorporated Charles Manson Into The Beach Boys
Charles Manson became involved with The Beach Boys through Dennis Wilson, as the two were roommates. In fact, Dennis Wilson tried to get the rest of The Beach Boys to join the Manson Family, according to Mike Love in an interview with AXS TV. In that same interview, Love divulged that Dennis had become acquainted with Manson after he picked up two of the family’s members who were hitchhiking.
Charles Manson and Dennis Wilson remained close after that. Consequently, Dennis was able to convince Brian to record some of his music. Before the famous Manson Family murders, Brian and Denis Wilson recorded several of Manson’s singles. Furthermore, they also considered signing him to their record label, Brother Records.
Evidently, this deal did not come to fruition. However, that was not the end of The Beach Boys’ relationship with Manson. In 1968, The Beach Boys actually covered Manson’s single “Cease To Exist” and changed the title to “Never Learn Not To Love”, per the New Yorker.
After the Manson Family Murders, Dennis Wilson never publicly acknowledged his relationship with Manson. However, in his 1978 biography The Beach Boys and the California Myth, he cryptically wrote something about Manson.
“I know why [Manson] did what he did,” he said. “Someday, I’ll tell the world. I’ll write a book and explain why he did it.”
Dennis Wilson passed away in 1983. He never revealed his answer.
Photo of Charles Manson in Court via Getty Images
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