Bobby Beausoleil
Encyclopedia
Robert Kenneth "Bobby" Beausoleil (born November 6, 1947, in Santa Barbara, California
) is a convicted American
murderer and associate of the Charles Manson
"Family" who is serving a life sentence. He killed music teacher and fellow associate Gary Hinman on July 27, 1969, and has been imprisoned since his arrest for that crime. He was an aspiring musician and actor at the time that he murdered Hinman.
, Hinman was killed for money and property that Manson claimed Hinman owed the Family. Accompanying Beausoleil that night were Susan Atkins
and Mary Brunner
, both later involved in other murders. Beausoleil claims that Hinman supplied him with a batch of bad mescaline
that Beausoleil in turn sold to the Straight Satans motorcycle gang
. When the bikers demanded their money back, Beausoleil went to Hinman, who refused to pay. Beausoleil, Atkins, and Brunner held him captive in his own home in an attempt to convince him to refund the money. Beausoleil stabbed Hinman to death the next day. Afterwards, he wrote "Political piggy" on a wall in Hinman's blood in a failed attempt to lead police to believe the murder was done by a group of radicals. On August 6, 1969, Beausoleil was arrested while stalled along side the highway in Hinman's Fiat
with the Toyota engine.
At Beausoleil's two trials for the murder, the defense mentioned nothing about the murder being the result of a drug transaction gone wrong. His first revelation of this came in 1981, 12 years after the murders, in an interview published in Oui magazine
. In that interview, he denied that Manson had come to the Hinman residence during the event that led to the murder, although he later reversed himself on this detail. This is the version that Beausoleil currently maintains as truth. Also, conspirator Susan Atkins had stated before her death that she never heard any mention by Beausoleil indicating that the reason they went to Hinman's residence had anything to do with a drug transaction. See Helter Skelter (Manson scenario)
for more details on the murders perpetrated by Charles Manson and members of his Family.
when the California
Supreme Court ruled the then-prevailing death penalty statutes unconstitutional in 1972. He is currently serving his sentence in Oregon State Penitentiary
.
Beausoleil's 2010 parole bid was denied, with the next scheduled hearing in 2015.
's Lucifer Rising
, but little was shot before Beausoleil and Anger had a falling out and the project was abandoned. Some of the footage later appeared in Invocation of My Demon Brother
(and again in the resurrected Lucifer Rising film). He also appeared in a softcore porn film titled The Ramrodder (a.k.a. Savage Passion), which also featured his friend Catherine Share
— who went on to become a full-fledged member of the Manson Family. This film was shot, in part, at the infamous Spahn Ranch
. Beausoleil had a brief appearance as Cupid
in the 1967 film Mondo Hollywood
, a documentary about the social, political and cultural climate of Los Angeles featuring a wide cast of Hollywood figures, including hair stylist Jay Sebring
.
's band The Grass Roots, which later changed its name to Love
. Lee claimed to have bestowed the nickname "Bummer Bob" on Beausoleil due to a drug burn. Beausoleil claims that Lee named his band Love in reference to another of his many nicknames — "Cupid
." Circa 1966, Beausoleil joined a band called The Orkustra
; bandmate David LaFlamme
went on to greater success with It's a Beautiful Day
. Following his stint in The Orkustra, Beausoleil put together the band he called The Magick Powerhouse of Oz.
In the late 1970s, with the permission of the prison, he composed and recorded the soundtrack
for Kenneth Anger
's movie Lucifer Rising
after Anger's first choice, Jimmy Page
, couldn't manage to deliver enough music for the film after three years of waiting, according to Anger. The official Beausoleil soundtrack was released on CD (along with archival material from The Orkustra and The Magick Powerhouse of Oz) in 2004. He's also recorded and released two albums of instrumental material (Orb and Mantra).
In 2005, a selection of his artwork exhibited in Clair Obscur Gallery, Los Angeles. Just prior to the exhibition, the gallery exhibited photos of Sharon Tate. The parole board, in denying parole in 2005, stated that this display and marketing of Beausoleil's artwork was exploitative of the victims and showed a lapse of judgment by Beausoleil.
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
) is a convicted American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
murderer and associate of the Charles Manson
Charles Manson
Charles Milles Manson is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders carried out by members of the group at his instruction...
"Family" who is serving a life sentence. He killed music teacher and fellow associate Gary Hinman on July 27, 1969, and has been imprisoned since his arrest for that crime. He was an aspiring musician and actor at the time that he murdered Hinman.
The Hinman murder
As described in the book Helter SkelterHelter Skelter (book)
Helter Skelter is a true crime book by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry. The subject of the book is the 1969 Manson Family murders and Bugliosi's own prosecution of Charles Manson and his followers....
, Hinman was killed for money and property that Manson claimed Hinman owed the Family. Accompanying Beausoleil that night were Susan Atkins
Susan Atkins
Susan Denise Atkins was a convicted American murderer who was a member of the "Manson family", led by Charles Manson. Manson and his followers committed a series of nine murders at four locations in California, over a period of five weeks in the summer of 1969...
and Mary Brunner
Mary Brunner
Mary Theresa Brunner is a former member of the Manson Family who was present during the 1969 murder of Gary Allen Hinman, a California musician and UCLA Ph.D. candidate in sociology...
, both later involved in other murders. Beausoleil claims that Hinman supplied him with a batch of bad mescaline
Mescaline
Mescaline or 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine is a naturally occurring psychedelic alkaloid of the phenethylamine class used mainly as an entheogen....
that Beausoleil in turn sold to the Straight Satans motorcycle gang
Outlaw motorcycle club
An outlaw motorcycle club is a type of motorcycle club that is part of a subculture with roots in the post-World War II USA, centered on cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals celebrating freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, and loyalty to the...
. When the bikers demanded their money back, Beausoleil went to Hinman, who refused to pay. Beausoleil, Atkins, and Brunner held him captive in his own home in an attempt to convince him to refund the money. Beausoleil stabbed Hinman to death the next day. Afterwards, he wrote "Political piggy" on a wall in Hinman's blood in a failed attempt to lead police to believe the murder was done by a group of radicals. On August 6, 1969, Beausoleil was arrested while stalled along side the highway in Hinman's Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
with the Toyota engine.
At Beausoleil's two trials for the murder, the defense mentioned nothing about the murder being the result of a drug transaction gone wrong. His first revelation of this came in 1981, 12 years after the murders, in an interview published in Oui magazine
Oui (magazine)
Oui is a men's adult pornographic magazine published in the USA and featuring explicit nude photographs of models, with full page pin-ups, centerfolds, interviews and other articles, and cartoons.- Playboy years :...
. In that interview, he denied that Manson had come to the Hinman residence during the event that led to the murder, although he later reversed himself on this detail. This is the version that Beausoleil currently maintains as truth. Also, conspirator Susan Atkins had stated before her death that she never heard any mention by Beausoleil indicating that the reason they went to Hinman's residence had anything to do with a drug transaction. See Helter Skelter (Manson scenario)
Helter Skelter (Manson scenario)
The murders perpetrated by members of Charles Manson's "Family" were inspired in part by Manson's prediction of Helter Skelter, an apocalyptic war he believed would arise from tension over racial relations between blacks and whites...
for more details on the murders perpetrated by Charles Manson and members of his Family.
Imprisonment
On April 18, 1970, a Superior Court jury in Los Angeles found Beausoleil, aged 22, guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced him to death. His sentence was commuted to life imprisonmentLife imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
when the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Supreme Court ruled the then-prevailing death penalty statutes unconstitutional in 1972. He is currently serving his sentence in Oregon State Penitentiary
Oregon State Penitentiary
Oregon State Penitentiary , the first state prison in Oregon, United States, was originally located in Portland in 1851. In 1866 it was moved to a site in Salem and enclosed by a reinforced concrete wall averaging in height...
.
Beausoleil's 2010 parole bid was denied, with the next scheduled hearing in 2015.
Film roles
Beausoleil was to star in Kenneth AngerKenneth Anger
Kenneth Anger is an American underground experimental filmmaker, occasional actor and author...
's Lucifer Rising
Lucifer Rising (film)
"Lucifer Rising" is a short film by director Kenneth Anger. The film was completed in 1972 but was only widely distributed in 1980.-History:Anger began filming around 1966, hiring a young musician named Bobby Beausoleil to act and compose the soundtrack. The film was abandoned in 1967 because Anger...
, but little was shot before Beausoleil and Anger had a falling out and the project was abandoned. Some of the footage later appeared in Invocation of My Demon Brother
Invocation of My Demon Brother
Invocation of My Demon Brother is an 11 minute film directed, edited and photographed by Kenneth Anger. The music was composed by Mick Jagger playing a Moog Synthesizer. It was filmed in San Francisco at the Straight theater and the Russian Embassy.According to Kenneth Anger, the film was...
(and again in the resurrected Lucifer Rising film). He also appeared in a softcore porn film titled The Ramrodder (a.k.a. Savage Passion), which also featured his friend Catherine Share
Catherine Share
Catherine Louise "Gypsy" Share is a former member of Charles Manson's "Family".-Early life:She was born in Paris to a Hungarian violinist father and a German mother. Her parents were both members of the French underground movement during World War II, and both committed suicide when their daughter...
— who went on to become a full-fledged member of the Manson Family. This film was shot, in part, at the infamous Spahn Ranch
Spahn Ranch
Spahn Ranch, also known as the Spahn Movie Ranch, was a movie ranch used for filming generally Western-themed movies and television programs. With mountainous terrain, boulder-strewn scenery, and an 'old Western town' set, Spahn Ranch was a versatile filming site for many scripts...
. Beausoleil had a brief appearance as Cupid
Cupid
In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
in the 1967 film Mondo Hollywood
Mondo Hollywood
Mondo Hollywood is a documentary "mondo movie" by Robert Carl Cohen, released in 1967. Filmed over the preceding two years, it was described by Variety as a "flippy, trippy psychedelic guide to Hollywood".-Description:...
, a documentary about the social, political and cultural climate of Los Angeles featuring a wide cast of Hollywood figures, including hair stylist Jay Sebring
Jay Sebring
Jay Sebring was an American hair stylist for celebrities, and the founder of the hairstyling corporation Sebring International. He is also known as one of the murder victims of the Manson Family.-Early life:...
.
Music career
Circa 1965, Beausoleil was a member of Arthur LeeArthur Lee (musician)
Arthur Lee was the frontman, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of the Los Angeles rock band Love, best known for the critically acclaimed 1967 album, Forever Changes.-Early years:...
's band The Grass Roots, which later changed its name to Love
Love (band)
Love was an American rock group of the late 1960s and early 1970s. They were led by singer/songwriter Arthur Lee and lead guitarist Johnny Echols...
. Lee claimed to have bestowed the nickname "Bummer Bob" on Beausoleil due to a drug burn. Beausoleil claims that Lee named his band Love in reference to another of his many nicknames — "Cupid
Cupid
In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
." Circa 1966, Beausoleil joined a band called The Orkustra
Orkustra
Orkustra was a band that tried a synthesis between symphonic orchestra and psychedelic band. The result was a sort of freeform psychedelia. According to member Bobby Beausoleil, the group was originally known as "The Electric Chamber Orchestra." The name was changed to avoiding limiting bookings...
; bandmate David LaFlamme
David LaFlamme
David LaFlamme is a virtuoso violinist in both classical and rock music.David's mother was from a Mormon family in Salt Lake City, and when he was eight years old, the family moved there to be near her family...
went on to greater success with It's a Beautiful Day
It's a Beautiful Day
It's a Beautiful Day is a band formed in San Francisco, California in 1967, the brainchild of violinist David LaFlamme.LaFlamme, a former soloist with the Utah Symphony Orchestra, had previously been in the band Orkustra, and unusually, played a five-string violin...
. Following his stint in The Orkustra, Beausoleil put together the band he called The Magick Powerhouse of Oz.
In the late 1970s, with the permission of the prison, he composed and recorded the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
for Kenneth Anger
Kenneth Anger
Kenneth Anger is an American underground experimental filmmaker, occasional actor and author...
's movie Lucifer Rising
Lucifer Rising (film)
"Lucifer Rising" is a short film by director Kenneth Anger. The film was completed in 1972 but was only widely distributed in 1980.-History:Anger began filming around 1966, hiring a young musician named Bobby Beausoleil to act and compose the soundtrack. The film was abandoned in 1967 because Anger...
after Anger's first choice, Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
, couldn't manage to deliver enough music for the film after three years of waiting, according to Anger. The official Beausoleil soundtrack was released on CD (along with archival material from The Orkustra and The Magick Powerhouse of Oz) in 2004. He's also recorded and released two albums of instrumental material (Orb and Mantra).
In 2005, a selection of his artwork exhibited in Clair Obscur Gallery, Los Angeles. Just prior to the exhibition, the gallery exhibited photos of Sharon Tate. The parole board, in denying parole in 2005, stated that this display and marketing of Beausoleil's artwork was exploitative of the victims and showed a lapse of judgment by Beausoleil.
Filmography
- 1967: Mondo Hollywood
- 1969: The Ramrodder
- 1969: Invocation of My Demon BrotherInvocation of My Demon BrotherInvocation of My Demon Brother is an 11 minute film directed, edited and photographed by Kenneth Anger. The music was composed by Mick Jagger playing a Moog Synthesizer. It was filmed in San Francisco at the Straight theater and the Russian Embassy.According to Kenneth Anger, the film was...
- 1972: Lucifer RisingLucifer Rising (film)"Lucifer Rising" is a short film by director Kenneth Anger. The film was completed in 1972 but was only widely distributed in 1980.-History:Anger began filming around 1966, hiring a young musician named Bobby Beausoleil to act and compose the soundtrack. The film was abandoned in 1967 because Anger...
(released 1980)
Studio albums
- 1981: Lucifer Rising (reissued in 2005)
- 2006: 7
- 2006: Orb
- 2006: Running with the White Wolf
Compilations
- 2005: Dreamways of the Mystic
- 2007: Dreamways of the Mystic, Vol. 1
- 2007: Dreamways of the Mystic, Vol. 2
- 2009: The Lucifer Rising Suite (4xLP Boxed Set)