The Disturbing Connection Between Charlie Manson & Jim Morrison
- by Justin Beckner
The voice and influence of Charlie Manson echoed through the ages of rock and roll. Manson had fancied himself a musician and, of course, he did record some music, so it's no secret that he weaved himself into the musical fabric of the California hippy community.
As we all know, Manson's behavior took a dark turn in the late 1960s and the shock and chaos sent powerful waves through the industry and beyond. He sent blood-soaked letters to John Lennon, he sent a bullet to Beach Boy Dennis Wilson, and a hit list was known to have existed that included artists, actors, and musicians such as Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix. Manson had many friends in the music industry—everyone knew everyone in that community, he was especially close with Dennis Wilson. But Manson and his family had often-understated ties to another prominent figure in the recording industry, The Lizard King—Mr. Mojo Rising—Jim Morrison.
The Doors got signed by Elektra Records rep Jack Holzman in 1966. The Doors were brought to Holzman's attention by Arthur Lee of the band LOVE—formerly they had been called The Grass Roots and contained a member named Bobby Beausoleil. Bobby B [as he was often known] was also a member of the Manson Family and Charlie Manson's short-lived band The Milky Way. Bobby Beausoleil is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of Gary Hinman.
