Some say the 1960s died in the overnight hours of August 9, 1969, when the Manson Family forced their way into the home of actress Sharon Tate, killing her, her unborn baby, and four others. They left the words "helter skelter" on the walls of the Tate home.
The next night Charles Manson, who had ordered the murders at the Tate home, went along as they randomly killed Rosemary and Leno Bianca in their home. Manson said the murders would help nudge along the start of a race war that would destroy Los Angeles. He and his followers would hide in the desert until it was over and then rule Los Angeles.
Manson and the five followers who committed the killings were arrested on December 1, 1969. Manson was tried and found guilty in 1971.
Manson died in prison in 2017. He was 83.
Manson was a failed singer-songwriter. Beach Boy Dennis Wilson allowed some Manson Family members to live at his home for a year.
Wilson rewrote Manson’s song “Cease to Exist,” and turned it into the Beach Boys song “Never Learn Not to Love. He didn’t give Manson a writing credit. Instead, he gave him a motorcycle and a one-time payment.
Manson was obsessed with the Beatles’ “White Album” and told his followers that our Song of the Day, “Helter Skelter,” was filled with subliminal messages about rising up to kill.
Paul McCartney wrote the song after the Who’s Peter Townsend said their new song “I Can See for Mile” was their loudest, rawest song. McCartney decided to write one louder and rawer. It’s considered one of the first heavy metal songs.
Song of the Day is created by Sheldon Zoldan, and produced by Pam James for WGCU. To receive the Song of the Day in your inbox every day, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.
