According to Chaos: The Manson Murders, Charles Manson has an odd connection to the Beach Boys, and here is what it is, explained. The Manson Family murders are some of the most famous crime stories in American history, with the drug usage and cult status of the Manson Family making the case incredibly intriguing. This is why all kinds of documentaries have tackled Charles Manson and his followers, with Chaos: The Manson Murders being the most recent one. While Chaos: The Manson Murders spends a lot of time looking at Charles Manson conspiracy theories, the Netflix crime documentary also lays out the facts.

While Charles Manson was a cult leader and convicted murderer, this isn’t all that he did before his arrest. As it turns out, Charles Manson was actually a musician. Chaos: The Manson Murders features the music of Charles Manson, with several of his songs playing in the background of the documentary. The documentary speculates that Charles Manson’s murder spree may have been inspired by his failed musical pursuits, with several musicians and music producers being involved in the story. Interestingly, this cast of musicians includes the Beach Boys.

Charles Manson’s Connection To The Beach Boys’ Dennis Wilson

How He Met The Beach Boys Member

Dennis Wilson was the drummer for the Beach Boys, a popular American rock band that was formed in the 1960s. However, Wilson also had a connection to Charles Manson. According to Wilson, he found two females hitchhiking in April 1968, with him picking them up the first time before seeing them again a few days later. On their second trip, the girls told him about Charles Manson. When Wilson got home later that night, he found Manson and several members of the Manson Family at his home.

Wilson became friends with Charles Manson, with him having members of the Manson Family over at his house frequently. He gave Charles Manson connections to several prominent members of the music industry, including Terry Melcher, another figure who is prominently featured in Chaos: The Manson Murders. Melcher was a prominent music producer, with him and Dennis Wilson allowing Charles Manson to do recording sessions in the home studio of fellow Beach Boys member Brian Wilson.

Did The Beach Boys Record One Of Charles Manson’s Songs?

“Never Learn Not To Love”

Throughout Chaos: The Manson Murders, the documentary speculates that Manson’s friendship with Dennis Wilson and Terry Melcher was a major motivating factor behind the Manson Family murders. The Netflix documentary features a clip of an interview with Charles Manson in which he is ranting about the Beach Boys, claiming that they recorded and stole one of his songs. The documentary also points out that Charles Manson believed that Terry Melcher lived in the house that Sharon Tate occupied at the time of the murder, with him potentially sending the Manson Family after him.

The Beach Boys song “Never Learn Not to Love” was released in December 1968 and recorded in September 1968, only a few months after Dennis Wilson began his friendship with Charles Manson in April 1968. “Never Learn Not to Love” was actually written by Charles Manson, although it was originally тιтled “Cease to Exist.” Terry Melcher was credited as the songwriter despite it being Manson’s song, with him claiming that Manson gave up the song rights in exchange for $100,000 worth of stuff.

According to Chaos: The Manson Murders, Charles Manson didn’t agree with this story. Not long after “Never Learn Not to Love” was released, members of the Manson Family destroyed two of Dennis Wilson’s cars, signaling that there was some tension between the Beach Boys and the Manson Family. This was the end of Charles Manson’s musical ᴀssociation with the Beach Boys, with things souring even further in the lead-up to the murders at the Sharon Tate house.

What Happened To Dennis Wilson After The Tate-LaBianca Murders

He Was Terrified Of The Manson Family

Dennis Wilson grew afraid of the Manson Family, with their increasing drug use and violence causing him to disᴀssociate with the Family. After the Tate-LaBianca murders in August 1969, Manson returned to Wilson’s home, demanding money. Wilson paid this money, and Manson and his co-conspirators were arrested in November. Wilson was publically interviewed after refusing to testify in Manson’s trial out of fear of the remaining Manson Family members. Wilson claimed that he received death threats from the Manson Family throughout the 1970s, with this adding evidence to Chaos: The Manson Murders‘ Beach Boys theories.