Charles Manson, Infamous Cult Leader and Mass Murderer Mastermind, Dead at 83
Charles Manson, the notorious cult leader who ordered the deaths of multiple people, died Sunday (November 19) at the age of 83 in a Bakersfield, California hospital, TMZ reports.
Manson, who died of natural causes, was serving multiple life sentences in a state prison after being convicted of conspiracy to commit a number of infamous murders in 1971.
In the summer of 1969, Manson ordered his followers to kill actress Sharon Tate, who was eight-and-a-half months pregnant with her and husband Roman Polanski's baby. Tate, who was staying at a suburban Los Angeles home she was renting, was stabbed 16 times while Polanski was out of town.
Four other people were murdered and the next night, Manson's followers murdered two people in L.A., as well.
Manson would cast a large shadow over pop culture for decades. A book about him, Helter Skelter, became the basis for a popular 1976 TV-movie (see clip below). The title of that book, of course, comes from Manson's interpretation of a Beatles' song of the same name. Manson would continue to be portrayed in a series of other lesser-known TV movies over the years.
He was also recently portrayed by Evan Peters on American Horror Story: Cult.
Manson, who would also go on to be parodied on South Park, would record his own album of songs in 1970 to help pay legal costs for his trial. He even counted the Beach Boys' Dennis Wilson among his friends at one time before the murders took place.
In 1968, the Beach Boys recorded a song called "Never Learn Not to Love" that Manson had written for his followers, although Wilson reportedly changed some lyrics.
Guns N' Roses would also do a song about Manson in 1993, called "Look at Your Game, Girl."
Stars We Lost in 2017