Charles Manson

Charles Milles Manson (born November 12, 1934) was the leader of a group of young followers of both sexes, known collectively as "The Family", in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Manson convinced the youths of his apocalyptic visi

Charles Milles Manson (born November 12, 1934) was the leader of a group of young followers of both sexes, known collectively as "The Family", in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Manson convinced the youths of his apocalyptic vision and still has a considerable amount of control over some of the former family members who are still alive. He planned and ordered the family to commit several brutal murders, most notably the movie actress Sharon Tate who was pregnant at the time. He was convicted of murder in what came to be known as the "Tate-La Bianca case", named after the victims, although he was not accused of committing the murders in person. He is currently serving a life sentence in a California prison and is up for parole in 2007; due to his erratic and arguably dangerous and insane behavior, it is highly unlikely he will ever be released.

Since his trial and conviction, Manson's name and image have been integrated into American pop culture generally as a symbol of ultimate evil. Both have been used by many artists (mostly musicians). He was also friends with several notable musicians before the murders were commited, including Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys, and is a relatively unsuccessful musician himself whose songs have been covered by many artists.