How Did the Beatles Feel About Charles Manson?

The Beatles had no personal connection to Charles Manson, but they were deeply disturbed by his actions and the horrific crimes committed by Manson and his followers in 1969. Manson, a cult leader, ordered his followers to commit a series of brutal murders, including the infamous Tate-LaBianca killings, which claimed the lives of actress Sharon Tate and several others.

Manson's twisted interpretation of The Beatles' music, particularly songs from the "White Album" such as "Helter Skelter" and "Piggies," played a disturbing role in his delusional belief in an impending race war he called "Helter Skelter." Despite Manson's claims that The Beatles' music inspired his actions, the band was quick to denounce Manson and his cult.

The Beatles were horrified by the association of their music with Manson's crimes:

[Manson]'s barmy, he's like any other Beatle fan who reads mysticism into it. I mean, we used to have a laugh putting this, that or the other in, in a light-hearted way. Some intellectual would read us, some symbolic youth generation wants it, but we also took seriously some parts of the role. But I don't know, what's 'Helter Skelter' got to do with knifing somebody?  

-John Lennon, 1970

Everybody was getting on the big Beatle bandwagon. The police and the promoters and the Lord Mayors - and murderers, too. The Beatles were topical and they were the main thing that was written about in the world, so everybody attached themselves to us, whether it was our fault or not. It was upsetting to be associated with something as sleazy as Charles Manson.

Another thing I found offensive was that Manson suddenly portrayed the long hair, beard and mustache kind of image, as well as that of a murderer. Up until then, the long hair and the beard were more to do with not having your hair cut and not having a shave - a case of just being a scruff or something.

-George Harrison, 2000

Then it got over to America - the land of interpretative people...Charles Manson interpreted that 'Helter Skelter' was something to do with the four horsemen of the apocalypse. I still don't know what all that stuff is, it's from the Bible, 'Revelations' - I haven't read it so I wouldn't know. But he interpreted the whole thing - that we were the four horsemen, 'Helter Skelter' the song - and arrived at having to go out and kill everyone.

It was terrible. You can't associate yourself with a thing like that. Some guy in the States had done it - but I've no idea why. It was frightening, because you don't write songs for those reasons...it all went wrong at that point but it was nothing to do with us. What can you do?

-Paul McCartney (2000)

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. 

-Ringo Starr (2000)