One day, while hitchhiking, a couple of Manson’s followers were picked up by Dennis Wilson, a member of the Beach Boys. Wilson was known to hang out on the fringes of the Los Angeles counterculture, looking for a good time. Taking the girls back to his beach house, they called Charlie, who showed up with drugs, his guitar, and a few more willing young women.
Wilson was fascinated by Charlie, as much for his Svengali skills as for the music he composed. He allowed the Family to live at the house for a while, even though things got a little too intense even for Wilson and he soon left to stay at another house he owned. But on one visit he brought over his friend, music producer Terry Melcher.
Melcher, producer of hits like the Byrds’ “Turn, Turn, Turn,” was genuine Hollywood royalty, the live-in boyfriend of actress Candice Bergen and the only son of screen legend Doris Day. Melcher was unimpressed by Charlie’s music, although he was mildly intrigued by the idea of making a documentary about Charlie, his tribe, and their whole weird scene. Melcher strung Manson along for a bit, then backed off completely when he started to suspect Charlie was more than a little unhinged.
Not long afterward, he and Bergen moved out of their house on 10050 Cielo Drive, and it was leased to Hollywood director Roman Polanski and his wife, Sharon Tate.
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