- Never blinks when speaking. This was used by Anthony Hopkins in his Hannibal
Lecter movies after he watched videos of Manson interviews. - He misinterpreted The Beatles' songs "Helter Skelter" and "Blackbird" to
have hidden messages of an impending race war that would destroy the
world and leave Manson and his "Family" to inherit the earth. In reality, "Helter Skelter" referred to a fairground
ride. - His mother, Kathleen Maddox, was age 15 when he was born. His father is unknown, but believed to be Colonel Scott, possibly a light-skinned African-American. She won a child-support order against Scott, but collected almost no money from him.
- A failed folksinger and songwriter, several recordings of his works
are commercially available, most of which were recorded in prison (as
a convicted felon, he receives no money from the sale of these
recordings. Any royalties are paid into a victims-rights fund; among
its recipients are Voytek Frykowski's son Bartek Frykowski (Bartlomiej Frykowski)). - Though only charged with two murders, he claims to have committed 35 and
some authorities think even that may be an understatement. - Was found to have an IQ of 121 (above average/superior) while at McNeil
Island Penitentiary, while his IQ, on a previous occasion, had been
measured at 109 (average/above average). - Was present at the Leno LaBianca and Rosemary LaBianca murder scene, the night after
Sharon Tate's death, but left before the murders were committed, leaving
them up to his followers. His charges were for masterminding the
murders. - Met record producer Terry Melcher, famous for his work with The Byrds and other
groups, through Dennis Wilson. Melcher recorded Manson once in a studio and
once at Spahn Ranch (Simi Valley, CA) with a mobile unit, and considered signing him to a contract,
but lost interest when he saw Manson lose his temper with a Family
member. Manson and Tex Watson (Charles 'Tex' Watson) had visited Melcher's rented house on
Cielo Drive (where Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski were later tenants) and, contrary to popular opinion, Manson knew that Melcher had
moved out when he sent his Family members there to murder its residents; the house was picked because the Family
knew the layout of the place, and Manson wanted to "send a message" to Melcher. - When he was nine he was caught stealing and sent to reform school. Later, at age 12, he was caught stealing again and sent to
the Gibault School for Boys in Terre Haute, IN, in 1947, where he claimed that he was repeatedly beaten, abused and raped by both staff and inmates. He spent
nearly a decade in prison (1958-66), and returned again in 1971 to serve his life sentence. - During the trial following the Tate-LaBianca murders, then-President Richard Nixon publicly called Manson "obviously guilty". When the papers printed this, Manson held the paper up in front of the jury, hoping that it would necessitate a retrial. It didn't.
- His mother was an alcoholic and sometime prostitute who once left him with a barmaid for a
pitcher of beer. - While he is one of the most famous and despised criminals of the 20th
century, he is not known to have ever personally killed anyone. - When Brian Warner became a rock star, he adopted a stage name consisting of the first name of iconic screen star Marilyn Monroe and that and Manson's last name, and became "Marilyn Manson". Ironically, Monroe and Manson were also aliases--Manson's real name is
Charles Maddox, and Monroe's real name was Norma Jean Mortensen. - Son Valentine Michael Manson (nicknamed "Pooh Bear"), with Manson
Family member Mary Brunner, born circa 1969. The child was placed with an
adoptive family upon Manson's arrest. - Did not audition for a role on The Monkees (1965) in 1965, despite stories to the contrary (and also did not meet comedian Mike Warnke that year, as was later claimed). Manson was in prison serving a ten-year sentence for forgery and mail theft in 1965, and was not paroled until 1967.
- Was denied parole each time his hearing came up.
- Created the "Land Armada", a fleet of armored dune buggies that was
meant to protect his "Family" at Spahn Ranch (Simi Valley, CA) during the race war he was trying to instigate, "Helter
Skelter". - Two of his songs were recorded by other artists. "Cease to Exist",
retitled "Never Learn Not to Love", was recorded by The Beach Boys prior
to the infamous murders, appearing on their album "20/20" (Manson sold
the song outright to drummer Dennis Wilson on the condition that the lyrics
not be changed, and was furious enough to threaten Wilson's life when he
heard the changes). "Look At Your Game, Girl" appeared later
(unindexed) on the Guns N' Roses CD "The Spaghetti
Incident?". - Convicted in 1971 of seven murders in the late summer of 1969,
including that of eight-month-pregnant actress Sharon Tate (wife of
director Roman Polanski) and their friends Voytek Frykowski, Jay Sebring and Abigail Folger, as
well as Steve Parent, who was visiting Tate's groundskeeper, William
Garretson. Tate's unborn baby boy was buried as Paul Richard
Polanski. - Was taught how to play guitar by Alvin Karpis while they were both in
prison. - Started an organization called ATWA (Air, Trees, Water, Animals). It
is not an environment conservation society. - By age 32 he had served more than half his life either in reform school or prison. Altogether he spent almost 60 of his 83 years behind bars.
- Manson received his last name from William Manson, who was briefly
married to his mother. - Portrayed by Steve Railsback in Helter Skelter (1976), Jeremy Davies in Helter Skelter (2004), Ryan Kiser in House of Manson (2014), and Damon Herriman in Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019).
- In July 1969 he was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of musician Gary Hinman and Donald Jerome ("Shorty") Shea.
- It's theorized that much of Manson's behavior was a defense mechanism developed during his youth as a way to ward off physical altercations where his smaller size would put him at a considerable disadvantage.
- Other artists recording or quoting Manson compositions include GG Allin
("Garbage Dump"), Scramblehead ("The Fires Are Burning"), The Lemonheads ("Home Is Where You're Happy" and a quotation from "Big Iron
Door" in their song "Clang Bang Clang"), and Marilyn Manson (a quotation from
"Mechanical Man" in their song "My Monkey"). - His "Family' has rubbed shoulders with "Church of Satan", the "Process
Church of Final Judgment", the "Circe Order of Dog Blood" and even the
"Foue Pi Movement". - Buried in a cemetery in Porterville, CA, a small city between Fresno and Bakersfield (he was in a hospital there when he died). The state had intended to bury him on the grounds of Corcoran State Prison in Corcoran (where he had been incarcerated). However, his son, who lived in Porterville, successfully sued to be allowed to bury his father there.
- He was portrayed by Matt Smith in Charlie Says (2018).
- He was portrayed twice by Damon Herrimann in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) and Mindhunter (2017-2019).
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