How Brian Wilson Narrowly Dodged Bloodbath Death at Hands of Demented Charles Manson — After Psycho's Music Failure Fueled Nightmarish Kill Spree
Brian Wilson and Charles Manson were once housemates.
July 3 2025, Published 4:15 p.m. ET
Brian Wilson died last month after a lengthy battle with dementia. But RadarOnline.com can reveal his life almost took a tragic turn decades earlier.
The legendary Beach Boys singer survived a chilling encounter with rock star wannabe turned bloodthirsty cult leader Charles Manson.
Manson was convicted of organizing the murder of nine people.
Wilson, who was 82 when died on June 11, was introduced to serial killer in 1968, after his drug-taking bandmate brother Dennis Wilson began associating with his followers, known as the Manson Family.
Experts believe Manson’s failed music career led him to order the 1969 slaughter of nine people — including actress Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of acclaimed director Roman Polanski.
But a year earlier, Manson and some of his girls moved into Dennis’ Los Angeles pad for LSD-fueled parties — and the wild-eyed maniac convinced the drummer to give him a shot inside Brian’s home recording studio.
Manson Moves In
Wilson passed away at age 82.
As authors Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett explain in their book, The Last Charles Manson Tapes: Evil Lives Beyond the Grave, it didn't take long for Manson and his brood to blend in with the family.
"Manson easily won Wilson over," they wrote. "They bonded over music and girls, and Manson’s ability to say what others wanted to hear convinced Wilson he had found a spiritual leader, someone through whom he could achieve a certain level of enlightenment.
"Furthermore, the girls were more than willing to cook, clean… or do anything else the men at the mansion wanted."
Music Endeavors
Manson dreamed of becoming a musician.
For Manson, taking up residence at Dennis' luxury pad wasn’t just about free room and lodging. He had grander plans and saw in the pop star a chance to fulfill his own dreams of making it as a successful musician.
At first, Dennis was happy to play along.
"Wilson indulged Manson’s musical grandiosity," write Howard and Tillett. "He and Manson jammed together and made a few attempts at collaboration. He arranged for recording time in a Santa Monica, California, studio (which did not end well because Manson refused to take suggestions from people in the control booth)."
Manson Leaves the Band
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He died in prison in 2017.
The recording sessions didn't last long, however, after Manson reportedly became infuriated when Brian and his fellow producers changed his tunes to reflect the Beach Boys’ "surf sound."
Manson apparently lashed out by pulling a knife on one of the producers, giving Dennis all the reason he needed to cut ties with the madman.
The brothers may have narrowly avoided their own grisly fate. In 1971, Manson was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of seven people. He served his time in prison and died from complications from colon cancer in 2017.
Dennis and Brian’s bandmate cousin Mike Love suggested in his 2016 memoir that Manson’s musical flop ignited his killer instincts, describing: "Consumed by rage ... he convinced his followers that the apocalypse was coming in a bloody race war, at the end of which, he and his disciples would take over."
