Charles Manson and Helter Skelter | The Beatles Bible Charles Manson and Helter Skelter Charles Manson and Helter Skelter 1 2 3 Next One of the darkest aspects of The Beatles' career was the misguided belief, by the psychopathic murderer Charles Manson and his 'Family' of followers, that the group's songs incited violence and depicted armageddon. Look at the songs: songs sung all over the world by the young love. It ain't nothin' new... It's written in... Revelation, all about the four angels programming the holocaust... the four angels looking for the fifth angel to lead the people into the pit of fire... right out to Death Valley. It's all in black and white, in the White Album - white, so there ain't no mistakin' the color. Charles Manson Charles Milles Manson was born on 12 November 1934. He became leader of the "Manson Family" - a collection of followers - towards the end of the 1960s. The members of this group carried out a number of murders, which included the killing of film director Roman Polanski's actress wife Sharon Tate, under the instruction of Manson. It was upsetting.

I mean, I knew Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate and - God! - it was a rough time. It stopped everyone in their tracks because suddenly all this violence came out in the midst of all this love and peace and psychedelia. It was pretty miserable, actually, and everyone got really insecure - not just us, not just the rockers, but everyone in LA felt: 'Oh, God, it can happen to anybody.' Thank God they caught the bugger. Ringo Starr Anthology Manson first heard The Beatles during their first visit to the United States in February 1964. At the time he was serving a prison sentence for attempting to cash a forged US Treasury check. He was taught to play the guitar by a fellow inmate, and quickly became obsessed with The Beatles. He was released in March 1967 at the age of 32, and in the summer left the San Francisco area with a group of followers in an old school bus. After The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour was released in November that year, Manson adopted the name to refer to the Family's geographical and psychological movements in the bus.

In later years Manson became inspired by a belief in " Helter Skelter ," a term taken from The Beatles' song of the same name, which signified an apocalyptic race war he believed would arise between blacks and whites. As well as the music of The Beatles, Manson's scenario was also inspired by the New Testament's Book of Revelation. His first known use of the term was at a campfire gathering of the Family on New Year's Eve 1968, at their base at Myers Ranch near California's Death Valley. By February 1969, Helter Skelter had developed into a scenario in which Manson and the Family would create an album which they believed would trigger the conflict and inspire America's white youths to join the Family. He believed that black men, deprived of white women, would commit violent crimes in frustration, resulting in murderous rampages and a swiftly-escalating conflict between racial groups. Although The Beatles' song Helter Skelter referred to a harmless funfair slide, for Manson it encapsulated the chaos which he foretold. He also found references to the imagined apocalypse in a number of other songs, many of which appeared on the White Album.

In Manson's mind, The Beatles's songs included a number of coded messages and hidden meanings. Manson wasn't alone in finding hidden - often non-intended or non-existent - meanings in The Beatles' songs. After all, John Lennon 's Glass Onion had positively encouraged them. However, Manson's interpretations had abhorrent and devastating consequences way beyond the intentions of the songs' creators. Like, Helter Skelter is a nightclub. Helter Skelter means confusion. Literally. It doesn't mean any war with anyone. It doesn't mean that those people are going to kill other people. It only means what it means. Helter Skelter is confusion. Confusion is coming down fast. If you don't see the confusion coming down fast, you can call it what you wish. It's not my conspiracy. It is not my music. I hear what it relates. It says 'Rise!' It says 'Kill!' Why blame it on me? I didn't write the music. I am not the person who projected it into your social consciousness. Charles Manson, November 1970 On 10 January 1969 Manson announced that the Family were to move from the desert into a house in Canoga Park.

The canary-yellow house, where the Family temporarily settled to develop their plans for Helter Skelter, was dubbed the Yellow Submarine . On 27 July a dispute over money arose within the Family. Bobby Beausoleil murdered fellow member Gary Hinman, at Manson's instruction. Afterwards Beausoleil daubed the words "Political piggy" on a wall in Hinman's blood. Beausoleil was arrested on 6 August. Two days later Manson told the Family that Helter Skelter was to begin. The following night, 9 August, three members murdered Sharon Tate and four others. One of the killers, Susan Atkins, wrote "Pig" on the front door of the murder scene, 10050 Cielo Drive, in Tate's blood. The next night three Family members, again acting on Manson's instruction, murdered Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary at their Los Feliz home. One of the killers wrote "Rise" and "Death to Pigs" on the walls of the living room, and "Healter [sic] Skelter" on the refrigerator.

Abbey Road was released in September 1969, after the murders took place. By this time the Family were living at a camp in the Death Valley area of California. In October, after the Family had acquired a copy of the album, several members - including Manson - were arrested. On 25 November police raided the Spahn Ranch used as a base by the Family. They confiscated a door on which was written "Helter Skelter is coming down fast", and the words "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, all good children (go to heaven?)" - the latter words are heard in You Never Give Me Your Money . While Manson stood trial for the Tate-LaBianca murders in late July 1970, two people were murdered and one injured in an attack on a beach near Santa Barbara, California. A female member of the Family later referred to this incident as " Maxwell's Silver Hammer ". Helter Skelter Beatles nicholasdifabbio.com In May 1967, Paul McCartney read an interview in Guitar Player magazine that featured Pete Townsend from the rock group The Who.

Townsend was describing their new single I Can See For Miles as the loudest rawest song that they had recorded to that date. Paul was inspired to write something even more loud and raucous. [Interview] Paul began by working out the song in the studio on acoustic guitar, here is clip. The group began recording on July 18, 1968 at Abbey Road, it then had a slower feel. On September 9 they came back to it, by some accounts ‘out of their minds’. Engineer Chris Thomas who was present on that day said that while Paul was doing his vocal, George lit an ash tray on fire and was running around the studio with it on his head doing an Arthur Brown imitation. Brown was an English musician known for his flamboyant style. By the time recording for the White Album began in early 1968, things had changed with The Beatles, as Recording Engineer Geoff Emerick recalls; [Interview] As Paul and Ringo recall; [Interview] In Britain, Helter Skelter not only means 'in disorderly haste or confusion', but also is the name of a spiraling fairground slide. Paul envisioned and fashioned the sound going from top to bottom.

But the song would later be connected to a much darker interpretation. When American cult leader Charles Manson heard the White album in 1968, he interpreted Helter Skelter to be a call to arms against the racial conflict in America that was ‘coming down fast’, which was a lyric in the song. He envisioned the four Beatles as the four angels mentioned in the New Testament, who through song were telling them to prepare for the holocaust. He and some of his followers were later convicted of murder in California. The prosecutor at his trial, Vincent Bulgiosi wrote a book about the whole incident titled, ‘Helter Skelter’. This Is Susan Kreutzer for the Beatles, Song By Song. Helter Skelter A Helter Skelter ride - England Charles Manson Beatles Recording Engineer Geoff Emerick Book Paul McCartney The Beatles' White Album autographed by cult criminal leader Charles Manson and his 'Family' is on sale - The Vinyl Factory 0 0 0 When music met murder. What might be a contender for strangest record ever has popped up on online market place iOffer .

A seller who specialises in pop culture signatures has listed a copy of The Beatles White Album, autographed on the front cover by mass murderer Charles Manson and his ‘Family’ members Susan Atkins, Leslie Van Houten, Charles “Tex” Watson and Patricia Krenwinkel. This criminal record is on sale for £31,000 ($49,000), not quite a steal, but if you’re familiar with the Manson story, you’ll understand the significance of the item. For the initiated, rewind to 1969 when terror swept through Los Angeles after actress Sharon Tate and four other people where brutally murdered at Tate’s home. The next day, more murders were carried out by the Family at Manson’s instruction. In a bizarre twist, the Beatles‘ ‘White Album‘ was played in court during the subsequent murder trial of Charles Manson because Manson believed the lyrics from certain Beatles songs — notably ‘Helter Skelter,’ ‘Revolution 1,’ ‘Revolution 9,’ ‘Blackbird’ and ‘Piggies,’ all from the ‘White Album’ — alluded to an impending racial war.

He was confident that the songs were calling upon him to stir up a race riot to topple the existing order, creating a situation in which he would emerge a Christ-like figure and his Family would be installed as the new hierarchy. The White Album is crucial to understanding the warped ideology that led Manson to commit the crimes he did, making this item a curious object in the saga or as the seller puts it “the ultimate signed Manson relic.” Have a look at the signed record sleeve below and scroll down for more information about the sale: The listing provides details on the autographs: “All are signed in blue ballpoint or biro pen except Leslie Van Houten, who is signed in black. Manson added the inscription: “Can you live in sin or in it LAST WORD-NO easy, Charles Manson” and added a swastika through his signature. The signatures were obtained by a gentleman who was at one time associated with the Manson family at the Spahn Ranch, I choose not to post his name here The top and bottom seams are cut through with a knife, as the album was checked for possible contraband as it was brought into the prison.

Because the seams were cut, the cover is now separate from the inner gatefold… The album cover shows other signs of wear, including a water stain in the lower left corner, the result of a fire in the previous owner’s home. Both vinyl records are included. There are a number of scratches on both which I expect would affect play.” The sale also includes a signed copy of the Bible which along with the White Album was one of the biggest influences on Manson, and a copy of Life Magazine, autographed by Charles: “As further provenance, I have two additional items from the same source: a bible from the prison chapel signed by the same five individuals, and a Life Magazine signed by Charles, see other photos. I am currently offering the bible here also. An iconic image of the sixties, and perhaps the ultimate signed Manson relic. I will also issue a certificate of authenticity with a photo of the item, the signing details, and will have it notarized as I sign it.” The seller is an experienced seller in signed memorabilia that will issue a certificate of authenticity with a photo of the item, the signing details, and will have the item notarized once a sale is agreed. Head here to check out the listing.

Charles Manson prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi dies at 80 | Fox News Charles Manson prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi dies at 80 Published June 09, 2015 Facebook 0 Twitter 0 Email Print LOS ANGELES – Vincent Bugliosi, a prosecutor who parlayed his handling of the Charles Manson trial into a career as a bestselling author, has died, his son said Monday night. He was 80 years old. Bugliosi, who had struggled with cancer in recent years, died Saturday night at a hospital in Los Angeles, his son, Vincent Bugliosi Jr., told The Associated Press. Bugliosi Jr. said his father had "an unflagging dedication to justice" in everything he did. As an author, Bugliosi Sr. was best known for "Helter Skelter," which was his account of the Manson Family and the killings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others by followers of the cult leader, Charles Manson. Bugliosi had prosecuted Manson and his female followers, winning convictions in one of America's most sensational trials. He was an unknown Los Angeles deputy district attorney on Aug.

9, 1969, when the bodies of Tate, the beautiful actress wife of Roman Polanski, and four others were discovered butchered by unknown assailants who left bloody scrawlings on the door of her elegant home. The victims included members of Hollywood's glitterati: celebrity hairdresser Jay Sebring; coffee heiress Abigail Folger; Polish film director Voityck Frykowksi; Tate, who was 8 1/2-months pregnant; and Steven Parent, the friend of a caretaker. A night later, two more mutilated bodies were found across town in another upscale neighborhood. The crime scene was marked with the same bloody scrawlings of words including, "Pigs" and "Rise" and "Helter Skelter." The victims were grocers Rosemary and Leno LaBianca, who had no connection to Tate and her glamorous friends. Bugliosi was one of those assigned to the team of prosecutors while the case was being investigated. When members of the rag tag Manson Family were caught and charged with the crimes months later, a more veteran prosecutor, Aaron Stovitz, was named head of the district attorney's team and Bugliosi was assigned the second chair.

But before long, a dispute arose between Stovitz and his boss over a remark he made to the media. He was summarily removed from the case and the intense, ambitious Bugliosi stepped into the role of a lifetime. The trial of Manson and three female followers, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten, lasted 9 1/2 months and became a courtroom drama that rivaled any cinematic trial. It cost Los Angeles County $1 million. Bugliosi set the tone in his opening statement and closing argument, denouncing Manson as a murderous cult leader and his followers as young killers willing to do his bidding. He called the women "robots" and "zombies," manipulated by Manson -- "a dictatorial maharajah of a tribe of bootlicking slaves." He first proposed the theory that Manson was inspired to violence by the Beatles song "Helter Skelter," which the cult leader thought predicted a race war that Manson and his followers would foment. Determined to show the breadth of the Manson Family's reach, Bugliosi called 84 witnesses, most of them a parade of disaffected young people who joined up with Manson and fell under his sway.

The trial became an exploration of the cult and its drug and sex fueled adoration of Manson whom members venerated as Jesus. He introduced 290 pieces of evidence. At times, the defendants sought to taunt the prosecutor, jumping up and singing in court or grabbing at his papers on his lectern. The trial went on for so long that a defense lawyer disappeared and was found dead in the woods. Bugliosi maintained there was foul play but none was found. Bugliosi was born in 1934 in Hibbing, Minn. He attended the University of Miami at Coral Gables, Fla., on a tennis scholarship and graduated from the law school of the University of California, Los Angeles. After the Manson trial, he wrote "Helter Skelter" with collaborator Curt Gentry, and it became one of the bestselling crime books of all time. He tried running for public office and lost, tried his hand on practicing defense law but ultimately returned to writing books. He wrote a dozen books, including the true-crime books, "Till Death Do Us Part," and "And The Sea Will Tell." His non-fiction efforts, which took on controversial subjects, included "Outrage: The Five Reasons Why O. J.

Simpson Got Away With Murder," and "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder." Bugliosi Jr. said his father was most proud of his nearly 2,000-page examination of the Kennedy Assassination, "Reclaiming History," which took over 20 years to write. But Bugliosi remained most associated with the Manson case for the rest of his life. Reflecting on it 40 years later, he said, "These murders were probably the most bizarre in the recorded annals of American crime. ... Evil has its lure and Manson has become a metaphor for evil." Bugliosi and his wife of 59 years, Gail, had two children, Wendy and Vince Jr.

Advertisement Vincent Bugliosi, Manson prosecutor and bestselling writer, dies - CSMonitor.com Vincent Bugliosi, Manson prosecutor and bestselling writer, dies Latest News Bugliosi prosecuted Charles Manson and his female followers and later wrote books that included 'Helter Skelter,' his account of the Manson Family, as well as 'Till Death Do Us Part' and 'And The Sea Will Tell.' By Andrew Dalton, Associated Press June 9, 2015 Vincent Bugliosi speaks at a news conference in Burlington, Vt. in 2008. Toby Talbot/AP View Caption of Vincent Bugliosi, a prosecutor who parlayed his handling of the Charles Manson trial into a career as a bestselling author, has died, his son said Monday night. He was 80 years old. Vincent Bugliosi Jr. said his father had "an unflagging dedication to justice" in everything he did. As an author, Bugliosi Sr. was best known for "Helter Skelter," which was his account of the Manson Family and the killings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others by followers of the cult leader Charles Manson.

Photos of the Day Photos of the Day 01/17 He was an unknown Los Angeles deputy district attorney on Aug. 9, 1969, when the bodies of Tate, the beautiful actress wife of Roman Polanski, and four others were discovered butchered by unknown assailants who left bloody scrawlings on the door of her elegant home. The victims included members of Hollywood's glitterati: celebrity hairdresser Jay Sebring; coffee heiress Abigail Folger; Polish film director Voityck Frykowksi; Tate, who was eight-and-a-half months pregnant; and Steven Parent, the friend of a caretaker. A night later, two more mutilated bodies were found across town in another upscale neighborhood. The crime scene was marked with the same bloody scrawlings of words including, "Pigs" and "Rise" and "Helter Skelter." The victims were grocers Rosemary and Leno LaBianca, who had no connection to Tate and her glamorous friends. Bugliosi was one of those assigned to the team of prosecutors while the case was being investigated.

When members of the ragtag Manson Family were caught and charged with the crimes months later, a more veteran prosecutor, Aaron Stovitz, was named head of the district attorney's team and Bugliosi was assigned the second chair. But before long, a dispute arose between Stovitz and his boss over a remark he made to the media. He was summarily removed from the case and the intense, ambitious Bugliosi stepped into the role of a lifetime. The trial of Manson and three female followers, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten, lasted nine-and-a-half months and became a courtroom drama that rivaled any cinematic trial. It cost Los Angeles County $1 million. Bugliosi set the tone in his opening statement and closing argument, denouncing Manson as a murderous cult leader and his followers as young killers willing to do his bidding. He called the women "robots" and "zombies," manipulated by Manson – "a dictatorial maharajah of a tribe of bootlicking slaves." He first proposed the theory that Manson was inspired to violence by the Beatles song "Helter Skelter," which the cult leader thought predicted a race war that Manson and his followers would foment.

Determined to show the breadth of the Manson Family's reach, Bugliosi called 84 witnesses, most of them a parade of disaffected young people who joined up with Manson and fell under his sway. He introduced 290 pieces of evidence. At times, the defendants sought to taunt the prosecutor, jumping up and singing in court or grabbing at his papers on his lectern. The trial went on for so long that a defense lawyer disappeared and was found dead in the woods. Bugliosi maintained there was foul play, but none was found. Bugliosi's death was first reported Monday night by KNBC-TV. Bugliosi was born in 1934 in Hibbing, Minn. He attended the University of Miami at Coral Gables, Fla., on a tennis scholarship and graduated from the law school of the University of California, Los Angeles. After the Manson trial, he wrote "Helter Skelter" with collaborator Curt Gentry, and it became one of the bestselling crime books of all time. He tried running for public office and lost, tried his hand on practicing defense law, but ultimately returned to writing books.

He wrote a dozen books, including the true crime books "Till Death Do Us Part" and "And The Sea Will Tell." His nonfiction efforts, which took on controversial subjects, included "Outrage: The Five Reasons Why O. J. Simpson Got Away With Murder" and "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder." Bugliosi Jr. said his father was most proud of his nearly 2,000-page examination of the Kennedy Assassination, "Reclaiming History," which took over 20 years to write. But Bugliosi remained most associated with the Manson case for the rest of his life. Reflecting on it 40 years later, he said, "These murders were probably the most bizarre in the recorded annals of American crime... Evil has its lure and Manson has become a metaphor for evil." Bugliosi and his wife of 59 years, Gail, had two children, Wendy and Vince Jr. Next up Get the Monitor stories you care about delivered to your inbox.

Daily Song Facts: The Beatles — "Helter Skelter" | WholeNote Song Facts: The Beatles — "Helter Skelter" Search Guitar News Song Facts: The Beatles — "Helter Skelter" by Chris Gill Print Posted Nov 25, 2013 at 6:16am Paul McCartney was generally known for writing "silly love songs" like "Yesterday" or cheeky whimsy like "When I'm Sixty-Four," but occasionally he could rock every bit as hard as John Lennon. While The Beatles recorded numerous violent rockers, few were more fiery, savage and controversial than McCartney's "Helter Skelter." In this case, McCartney was attempting to outdo not Lennon but rather The Who. After reading an interview with Pete Townshend, who claimed that "I Can See for Miles" was the loudest rock and roll record ever made, McCartney decided to outdo The Who in the most outrageous manner he could conceive. "Helter Skelter" was the second song, after "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," to be recorded on one of Abbey Road's new 3M eight-track recorders.

George Martin was on vacation at the time, leaving his assistant, Chris Thomas, behind to oversee the increasingly rebellious band. Of the instruments initially recorded for "Helter Skelter," The Beatles kept only the bass and drum tracks, alongside which they overdubbed a new electric guitar part and a lead vocal track. Ringo Starr recorded two drum overdubs, including a part featuring a snare drum processed with repeat echo that was recorded on a single track along with Harrison and McCartney's descending guitar riff, which they played in unison. Lennon and Mal Evans laid down dissonant horns, and Starr added the finishing touch, screaming "I've got blisters on my fingers!" at the song's cacophonous conclusion. McCartney's lyrics were essentially nonsense ramblings about an amusement park slide and a loose metaphor for the rise and fall of the Roman empire. Cult leader Charles Manson, however, thought the song prophesized Armageddon, and it inspired him to mastermind several horrific murders.

His act transformed "Helter Skelter" into the most controversial song in The Beatles' catalog, a million miles removed from the youthful innocence of "I Want to Hold Your Hand." RECORDED: September 9 and 10,1968, at Abbey Road Studio Two Vincent Bugliosi, prosecutor in Charles Manson trial, dies FacebookEmail Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest Vincent Bugliosi, prosecutor in Charles Manson trial, dies Vincent Bugliosi, a prosecutor who parlayed his handling of the Charles Manson trial into a career as a bestselling author, has died, his son said Monday night. He was 80 years old. Post to Facebook Vincent Bugliosi, prosecutor in Charles Manson trial, dies Vincent Bugliosi, a prosecutor who parlayed his handling of the Charles Manson trial into a career as a bestselling author, has died, his son said Monday night. He was 80 years old. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

6 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Vincent Bugliosi, prosecutor in Charles Manson trial, dies USA Today Network AP 8:46 a.m. ET June 9, 2015 Vincent Bugliosi speaking at a news conference in Burlington, Vt., in 2008. (Photo: Toby Talbot, AP) 316 CONNECT TWEET 1 LINKEDIN 6 COMMENTEMAILMORE Vincent Bugliosi, a prosecutor who parlayed his handling of the Charles Manson trial into a career as a bestselling author, has died, his son said Monday night. He was 80 years old. Bugliosi, who had struggled with cancer in recent years, died Saturday night at a hospital in Los Angeles, his son, Vincent Bugliosi Jr., told The Associated Press. Bugliosi Jr. said his father had "an unflagging dedication to justice" in everything he did. As an author, Bugliosi Sr. was best known for "Helter Skelter," which was his account of the Manson Family and the killings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others by followers of the cult leader, Charles Manson.

Bugliosi had prosecuted Manson and his female followers, winning convictions in one of America's most sensational trials. He was an unknown Los Angeles deputy district attorney on Aug. 9, 1969, when the bodies of Tate, the beautiful actress wife of Roman Polanski, and four others were discovered butchered by unknown assailants who left bloody scrawlings on the door of her elegant home. The victims included members of Hollywood's glitterati: celebrity hairdresser Jay Sebring; coffee heiress Abigail Folger; Polish film director Voityck Frykowksi; Tate, who was 8½-months pregnant; and Steven Parent, the friend of a caretaker. A night later, two more mutilated bodies were found across town in another upscale neighborhood. The crime scene was marked with the same bloody scrawlings of words including, "Pigs" and "Rise" and "Helter Skelter." The victims were grocers Rosemary and Leno LaBianca, who had no connection to Tate and her glamorous friends. Bugliosi was one of those assigned to the team of prosecutors while the case was being investigated.

When members of the rag tag Manson Family were caught and charged with the crimes months later, a more veteran prosecutor, Aaron Stovitz, was named head of the district attorney's team and Bugliosi was assigned the second chair. But before long, a dispute arose between Stovitz and his boss over a remark he made to the media. He was summarily removed from the case and the intense, ambitious Bugliosi stepped into the role of a lifetime. The trial of Manson and three female followers, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten, lasted 9½ months and became a courtroom drama that rivaled any cinematic trial. It cost Los Angeles County $1 million. Bugliosi set the tone in his opening statement and closing argument, denouncing Manson as a murderous cult leader and his followers as young killers willing to do his bidding. He called the women "robots" and "zombies," manipulated by Manson — "a dictatorial maharajah of a tribe of bootlicking slaves." He first proposed the theory that Manson was inspired to violence by the Beatles song "Helter Skelter," which the cult leader thought predicted a race war that Manson and his followers would foment.

Determined to show the breadth of the Manson Family's reach, Bugliosi called 84 witnesses, most of them a parade of disaffected young people who joined up with Manson and fell under his sway. The trial became an exploration of the cult and its drug and sex fueled adoration of Manson whom members venerated as Jesus. He introduced 290 pieces of evidence. At times, the defendants sought to taunt the prosecutor, jumping up and singing in court or grabbing at his papers on his lectern. The trial went on for so long that a defense lawyer disappeared and was found dead in the woods. Bugliosi maintained there was foul play but none was found. Bugliosi's death was first reported Monday night by KNBC-TV. Bugliosi was born in 1934 in Hibbing, Minn. He attended the University of Miami at Coral Gables, Fla., on a tennis scholarship and graduated from the law school of the University of California, Los Angeles. After the Manson trial, he wrote "Helter Skelter" with collaborator Curt Gentry, and it became one of the bestselling crime books of all time.

He tried running for public office and lost, tried his hand on practicing defense law but ultimately returned to writing books. He wrote a dozen books, including the true-crime books, "Till Death Do Us Part," and "And The Sea Will Tell." His non-fiction efforts, which took on controversial subjects, included "Outrage: The Five Reasons Why O. J. Simpson Got Away With Murder," and "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder." Bugliosi Jr. said his father was most proud of his nearly 2,000-page examination of the Kennedy Assassination, "Reclaiming History," which took over 20 years to write. But Bugliosi remained most associated with the Manson case for the rest of his life. Reflecting on it 40 years later, he said, "These murders were probably the most bizarre in the recorded annals of American crime...Evil has its lure and Manson has become a metaphor for evil." Bugliosi and his wife of 59 years, Gail, had two children, Wendy and Vince Jr. 316 CONNECT TWEET 1 LINKEDIN 6 COMMENTEMAILMORE Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.

All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read or Share this story: NEVER MISS OUT The Short List Let us bring the headlines to you every night. Stay current and catch up on the biggest stories of the day. Vincent Bugliosi, Manson trial prosecutor who wrote 'Helter Skelter' based on case, dies at 80 | Fox News Vincent Bugliosi, Manson trial prosecutor who wrote 'Helter Skelter' based on case, dies at 80 Published June 09, 2015 Facebook 0 Twitter 0 Email Print File-This Sept. 18, 2008, file photo shows Vincent Bugliosi speaking at a news conference in Burlington, Vt. The prosecutor in the Charles Manson trial who went on to write the best-selling true-crime book, “Helter Skelter,” has died. Bugliosi was 80 years old. His son Vincent Bugliosi Jr. tells the Associated Press Monday, June 8, 2015, that Bugliosi died of cancer Saturday at a hospital in Los Angeles.

(AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File) (The Associated Press) LOS ANGELES – Vincent Bugliosi, a prosecutor who parlayed his handling of the Charles Manson trial into a career as a bestselling author, has died, his son said Monday night. He was 80 years old. Bugliosi, who had struggled with cancer in recent years, died Saturday night at a hospital in Los Angeles, his son, Vincent Bugliosi Jr., told The Associated Press. Bugliosi Jr. said his father had "an unflagging dedication to justice" in everything he did. As an author, Bugliosi Sr. was best known for "Helter Skelter," which was his account of the Manson Family and the killings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others by followers of the cult leader, Charles Manson. Bugliosi had prosecuted Manson and his female followers, winning convictions in one of America's most sensational trials. He was an unknown Los Angeles deputy district attorney on Aug. 9, 1969, when the bodies of Tate, the beautiful actress wife of Roman Polanski, and four others were discovered butchered by unknown assailants who left bloody scrawlings on the door of her elegant home.

The victims included members of Hollywood's glitterati: celebrity hairdresser Jay Sebring; coffee heiress Abigail Folger; Polish film director Voityck Frykowksi; Tate, who was 8½-months pregnant; and Steven Parent, the friend of a caretaker. A night later, two more mutilated bodies were found across town in another upscale neighborhood. The crime scene was marked with the same bloody scrawlings of words including, "Pigs" and "Rise" and "Helter Skelter." The victims were grocers Rosemary and Leno LaBianca, who had no connection to Tate and her glamorous friends. Bugliosi was one of those assigned to the team of prosecutors while the case was being investigated. When members of the rag tag Manson Family were caught and charged with the crimes months later, a more veteran prosecutor, Aaron Stovitz, was named head of the district attorney's team and Bugliosi was assigned the second chair. But before long, a dispute arose between Stovitz and his boss over a remark he made to the media. He was summarily removed from the case and the intense, ambitious Bugliosi stepped into the role of a lifetime.

The trial of Manson and three female followers, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten, lasted 9½ months and became a courtroom drama that rivaled any cinematic trial. It cost Los Angeles County $1 million. Bugliosi set the tone in his opening statement and closing argument, denouncing Manson as a murderous cult leader and his followers as young killers willing to do his bidding. He called the women "robots" and "zombies," manipulated by Manson — "a dictatorial maharajah of a tribe of bootlicking slaves." He first proposed the theory that Manson was inspired to violence by the Beatles song "Helter Skelter," which the cult leader thought predicted a race war that Manson and his followers would foment. Determined to show the breadth of the Manson Family's reach, Bugliosi called 84 witnesses, most of them a parade of disaffected young people who joined up with Manson and fell under his sway. The trial became an exploration of the cult and its drug and sex fueled adoration of Manson whom members venerated as Jesus. He introduced 290 pieces of evidence.

At times, the defendants sought to taunt the prosecutor, jumping up and singing in court or grabbing at his papers on his lectern. The trial went on for so long that a defense lawyer disappeared and was found dead in the woods. Bugliosi maintained there was foul play but none was found. Bugliosi's death was first reported Monday night by KNBC-TV. Bugliosi was born in 1934 in Hibbing, Minn. He attended the University of Miami at Coral Gables, Fla., on a tennis scholarship and graduated from the law school of the University of California, Los Angeles. After the Manson trial, he wrote "Helter Skelter" with collaborator Curt Gentry, and it became one of the bestselling crime books of all time. He tried running for public office and lost, tried his hand on practicing defense law but ultimately returned to writing books. He wrote a dozen books, including the true-crime books, "Till Death Do Us Part," and "And The Sea Will Tell." His non-fiction efforts, which took on controversial subjects, included "Outrage: The Five Reasons Why O. J. Simpson Got Away With Murder," and "The Prosecution of George W.

Bush for Murder." Bugliosi Jr. said his father was most proud of his nearly 2,000-page examination of the Kennedy Assassination, "Reclaiming History," which took over 20 years to write. But Bugliosi remained most associated with the Manson case for the rest of his life. Reflecting on it 40 years later, he said, "These murders were probably the most bizarre in the recorded annals of American crime...Evil has its lure and Manson has become a metaphor for evil." Bugliosi and his wife of 59 years, Gail, had two children, Wendy and Vince Jr. ___ Vincent Bugliosi Obituary | Vincent Bugliosi Funeral | Legacy.com Vincent Bugliosi Obituary 8/18/1934 - 6/6/2015| Visit Guest Book Vincent Bugliosi (David Livingston / Getty Images) LOS ANGELES (AP) - Vincent Bugliosi, a prosecutor who parlayed his handling of the Charles Manson trial into a career as a bestselling author , has died, his son said Monday night. He was 80 years old.

Bugliosi, who had struggled with cancer in recent years, died Saturday night at a hospital in Los Angeles, his son, Vincent Bugliosi Jr., told The Associated Press. Bugliosi Jr. said his father had "an unflagging dedication to justice" in everything he did. As an author, Bugliosi Sr. was best known for "Helter Skelter," which was his account of the Manson Family and the killings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others by followers of the cult leader, Charles Manson. Bugliosi had prosecuted Manson and his female followers, winning convictions in one of America's most sensational trials. He was an unknown Los Angeles deputy district attorney on Aug. 9, 1969, when the bodies of Tate, the beautiful actress wife of Roman Polanski, and four others were discovered butchered by unknown assailants who left bloody scrawlings on the door of her elegant home. The victims included members of Hollywood's glitterati: celebrity hairdresser Jay Sebring; coffee heiress Abigail Folger; Polish film director Voityck Frykowksi; Tate, who was 8½-months pregnant; and Steven Parent, the friend of a caretaker.

A night later, two more mutilated bodies were found across town in another upscale neighborhood. The crime scene was marked with the same bloody scrawlings of words including, "Pigs" and "Rise" and "Helter Skelter." The victims were grocers Rosemary and Leno LaBianca, who had no connection to Tate and her glamorous friends. Bugliosi was one of those assigned to the team of prosecutors while the case was being investigated. When members of the rag tag Manson Family were caught and charged with the crimes months later, a more veteran prosecutor, Aaron Stovitz, was named head of the district attorney's team and Bugliosi was assigned the second chair. But before long, a dispute arose between Stovitz and his boss over a remark he made to the media. He was summarily removed from the case and the intense, ambitious Bugliosi stepped into the role of a lifetime. The trial of Manson and three female followers, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten, lasted 9½ months and became a courtroom drama that rivaled any cinematic trial. It cost Los Angeles County $1 million.

Bugliosi set the tone in his opening statement and closing argument, denouncing Manson as a murderous cult leader and his followers as young killers willing to do his bidding. He called the women "robots" and "zombies," manipulated by Manson - "a dictatorial maharajah of a tribe of bootlicking slaves." He first proposed the theory that Manson was inspired to violence by the Beatles song "Helter Skelter," which the cult leader thought predicted a race war that Manson and his followers would foment. Determined to show the breadth of the Manson Family's reach, Bugliosi called 84 witnesses, most of them a parade of disaffected young people who joined up with Manson and fell under his sway. The trial became an exploration of the cult and its drug and sex fueled adoration of Manson whom members venerated as Jesus. He introduced 290 pieces of evidence. At times, the defendants sought to taunt the prosecutor, jumping up and singing in court or grabbing at his papers on his lectern. The trial went on for so long that a defense lawyer disappeared and was found dead in the woods. Bugliosi maintained there was foul play but none was found.

Bugliosi's death was first reported Monday night by KNBC-TV. Bugliosi was born in 1934 in Hibbing, Minn. He attended the University of Miami at Coral Gables, Fla., on a tennis scholarship and graduated from the law school of the University of California, Los Angeles . After the Manson trial, he wrote "Helter Skelter" with collaborator Curt Gentry, and it became one of the bestselling crime books of all time. He tried running for public office and lost, tried his hand on practicing defense law but ultimately returned to writing books. He wrote a dozen books, including the true-crime books, "Till Death Do Us Part," and "And The Sea Will Tell." His non-fiction efforts, which took on controversial subjects, included "Outrage: The Five Reasons Why O. J. Simpson Got Away With Murder," and "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder." Bugliosi Jr. said his father was most proud of his nearly 2,000-page examination of the Kennedy Assassination, "Reclaiming History," which took over 20 years to write.

But Bugliosi remained most associated with the Manson case for the rest of his life. Reflecting on it 40 years later, he said, "These murders were probably the most bizarre in the recorded annals of American crime...Evil has its lure and Manson has become a metaphor for evil." Bugliosi and his wife of 59 years, Gail, had two children, Wendy and Vince Jr. ___ LINDA DEUTSCH, Associated Press Special correspondent Linda Deutsch recently retired after a 48-year AP career, during which she covered the Manson trial and many other high-profile cases. Copyright © 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Vincent Bugliosi (David Livingston / Getty Images) LOS ANGELES (AP) - Vincent Bugliosi, a prosecutor who parlayed his handling of the Charles Manson trial into a career as a bestselling author , has died, his son said Monday night. He was 80 years old. Bugliosi, who had struggled with cancer in recent years, died Saturday night at a hospital in Los Angeles, his son, Vincent Bugliosi Jr., told The Associated Press.

Bugliosi Jr. said his father had "an unflagging dedication to justice" in everything he did. As an author, Bugliosi Sr. was best known for "Helter Skelter," which was his account of the Manson Family and the killings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others by followers of the cult leader, Charles Manson. Bugliosi had prosecuted Manson and his female followers, winning convictions in one of America's most sensational trials. He was an unknown Los Angeles deputy district attorney on Aug. 9, 1969, when the bodies of Tate, the beautiful actress wife of Roman Polanski, and four others were discovered butchered by unknown assailants who left bloody scrawlings on the door of her elegant home. The victims included members of Hollywood's glitterati: celebrity hairdresser Jay Sebring; coffee heiress Abigail Folger; Polish film director Voityck Frykowksi; Tate, who was 8½-months pregnant; and Steven Parent, the friend of a caretaker. A night later, two more mutilated bodies were found across town in another upscale neighborhood.

The crime scene was marked with the same bloody scrawlings of words including, "Pigs" and "Rise" and "Helter Skelter." The victims were grocers Rosemary and Leno LaBianca, who had no connection to Tate and her glamorous friends. Bugliosi was one of those assigned to the team of prosecutors while the case was being investigated. When members of the rag tag Manson Family were caught and charged with the crimes months later, a more veteran prosecutor, Aaron Stovitz, was named head of the district attorney's team and Bugliosi was assigned the second chair. But before long, a dispute arose between Stovitz and his boss over a remark he made to the media. He was summarily removed from the case and the intense, ambitious Bugliosi stepped into the role of a lifetime. The trial of Manson and three female followers, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten, lasted 9½ months and became a courtroom drama that rivaled any cinematic trial. It cost Los Angeles County $1 million. Bugliosi set the tone in his opening statement and closing argument, denouncing Manson as a murderous cult leader and his followers as young killers willing to do his bidding.

He called the women "robots" and "zombies," manipulated by Manson - "a dictatorial maharajah of a tribe of bootlicking slaves." He first proposed the theory that Manson was inspired to violence by the Beatles song "Helter Skelter," which the cult leader thought predicted a race war that Manson and his followers would foment. Determined to show the breadth of the Manson Family's reach, Bugliosi called 84 witnesses, most of them a parade of disaffected young people who joined up with Manson and fell under his sway. The trial became an exploration of the cult and its drug and sex fueled adoration of Manson whom members venerated as Jesus. He introduced 290 pieces of evidence. At times, the defendants sought to taunt the prosecutor, jumping up and singing in court or grabbing at his papers on his lectern. The trial went on for so long that a defense lawyer disappeared and was found dead in the woods. Bugliosi maintained there was foul play but none was found. Bugliosi's death was first reported Monday night by KNBC-TV. Bugliosi was born in 1934 in Hibbing, Minn.

He attended the University of Miami at Coral Gables, Fla., on a tennis scholarship and graduated from the law school of the University of California, Los Angeles . After the Manson trial, he wrote "Helter Skelter" with collaborator Curt Gentry, and it became one of the bestselling crime books of all time. He tried running for public office and lost, tried his hand on practicing defense law but ultimately returned to writing books. He wrote a dozen books, including the true-crime books, "Till Death Do Us Part," and "And The Sea Will Tell." His non-fiction efforts, which took on controversial subjects, included "Outrage: The Five Reasons Why O. J. Simpson Got Away With Murder," and "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder." Bugliosi Jr. said his father was most proud of his nearly 2,000-page examination of the Kennedy Assassination, "Reclaiming History," which took over 20 years to write. But Bugliosi remained most associated with the Manson case for the rest of his life.

Reflecting on it 40 years later, he said, "These murders were probably the most bizarre in the recorded annals of American crime...Evil has its lure and Manson has become a metaphor for evil." Bugliosi and his wife of 59 years, Gail, had two children, Wendy and Vince Jr. ___ LINDA DEUTSCH, Associated Press Special correspondent Linda Deutsch recently retired after a 48-year AP career, during which she covered the Manson trial and many other high-profile cases. Copyright © 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Question: What cult leader was inspired by the Beatles' song "Helter Skelter"?
Answer: Charles Manson