Monday, August 1, 2022

(You Are My) Sunshine Pearce

Howdy. I hope everything is groovy with you. At the time of this missive, we await the dropping of potentially big news in Mansonland. When you find out, you're gonna be like no freakin way but I'll just nod and smile like a sage. I might even shoot you a quick wink if no one is watching. 

We're also waiting to hear back from other people on other funny and not so funny things. But you know how that one goes. Everybody and their brother has secrets waiting on the other side of Gmail until they disappear back into the ether that spawned them. 

Never once do you receive the photos you craved when you first received this bag of curses btw. Ever.

Anyway, several posts are half done and I was struggling for a post over the weekend. In desperation, I turned to Didion.

Thankfully, Sir Buntline Heskey of Airportshire swooped in and saved everyone from a Greenwhite lecture about old people in prison with young people. Please thank him below. 

This post can also be considered part of the Trafficking series brought to you by a shadowy group known as The Scholars. If you're (like me) a fan of seeing the background puzzle pieces filled in, this quick workup is for you. 

Without further ado...

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(via Buntline. My comments will be in parenthesis when necessary.) 

Sorry but Sanders has led me down another rabbit hole. This time with Charles "Sunshine" Pierce.

"In the middle of April of 1969, a young Texan named Charles Pierce, aka Sunshine, was hanging out on the Sunset Strip when he met Ella Sinder, aka Yeller, and Sadie. Charles Pierce was a young man from Midland, Texas who had come to California in order to surf and hang out in the sun and just enjoy himself. Sadie and Ella persuaded Charles "Sunshine" Pierce to visit the Spahn Ranch, where Sunshine gave up everything — his money, his I.D. and his silver 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner, which Manson gladly received and used for a while, and then gave it away to Randy Starr."

Here is every time Sunshine is mentioned in Ed Sanders' The Family. (You can also read the book free of charge there if you wish.)

Long story short, Sunshine Pierce scampered back to Texas on June 4th, 1969, after Manson asked him to kill someone, most likely Terry Melcher.

Considering I have heard of Sunshine quite a bit, and have him on my list of family members, little about him exists online. And he often called Edward "Sunshine" Pierce. Thankfully, our pal Earl mentions a friend of Ella Jo Bailey...


I believe Sunshine is Charles Grant Pearce, born May 27, 1949, in Clarksville, Texas.

Here's Sunshine at Lee High School in Midland, Texas.


(Pearce was an Army Ranger in Vietnam. He died too early at fifty-three.) 

From Pearce's obit:

Grant was a talented musician and loved to sing and play the guitar, playing in several bands. He loved to fish and spend time with his family and friends. His outgoing, fun-loving personality made him a favorite of many. He will be greatly missed by all those who loved him.

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Three cheers for Sir Buntline. He's unrivaled in this thing right now. Looking ahead, Manson Blog has something from Starviego in the works, and I will be sure to hop in with any breaking, awesome news if anything jumps off. Until then, high five me. 

12 comments:

Doug said...

Ain't no Sunshine when she's gone...

https://youtu.be/sW_4r3p6a0k

Gorodish said...

There's a picture that's been floating around forever, with Susan Atkins and Sunshine Pearce. Most of you have probably seen it. I believe it was taken by Michael Deasy:
Susan Atkins and Charles Sunshine Pearce

Dan S said...

"'Turn Turn Turn' wins out every time over 'Cease to Exist'." lol no shit.

How about the plan to kidnap school girls and take em to the desert?

I've read sanders before but there's so many details it all kind of becomes background noise

Doug said...

Seems that Ella Jo was very successful in recruitment of potential additions to the MF as well as being crucial in reeling in key MF associate Dennis Wilson, which benefted them all (especially Charlie) with $$$ plus a fancy new home, much needed dentistry, treatment for multiple cases of gonorrhea, expensive and FREE RECORDING TIME in state-of-the art facilities with some of the most talented engineers and producers of all-time! And, fancy/expensive vehicles to wreck...a grift further worked on our boy Sunshine. (Check out the vid I linked above to see how magnificent that 1968 Silver Plymouth Roadrunner was).

I also did a brief Google search for "1968 Plymouth Roadrunner price" and found current prices ranging from approx $49,500 -$208,900. I saw only a solitary silver one - far from Ex+ condition priced at around $53,500!

Like I remarked above, "Ain't no sunshine when she's gone.."

At lease Pearce got out alive and, as a free man. Although he died at a horribly young age - which seems to occur quite a bit with many we've found in our search to fill in some of the puzzle pieces left to fill in in the massive Mansonsphere Puzzle [tm].

Kinda sad who gets to live the longest from this cast of reprobates, grifters, trust fund debutantes, ex-cons, lovers, runaways, musicians and, bikers.

Ugh

Doug said...

PS - Google "Betsy Aardsma"

Like Ella Jo, a resident of Holland. Holland being a small enough town that a 1965 newspaper acknowledges a five year old kid's birthday party - including prize winners and, the names of each of the guests! Also, in that very same May 27, 1965 newspaper, our very own Ella Joe (sic) is acknowledged as a "team leader" in some kind of church organized social event!

But, yeah, do that search....two very similar young ladies of a similar vintage, at fork in a road, in the wee hamlet of Holland. One goes left, the other goes right...trace each one's journey through to late 1969...

beauders said...

What year did Pierce die? Its covered up in the picture.

Gorodish said...

January 12, 2003

Amanda said...

Charles Pearce was my father. I'm his youngest daughter, Amanda Pearce. I know the whole story if anyone is interested in his accounting. When he passed away, he was writing a tell-all book about his days at the Ranch and I was his transcriber for the book, typing it out as he spoke it to me. I know that he would want his story known.

Amanda said...

I'm the daughter of Charles Pearce. I have quite a bit more information I would really love to share.

Unknown said...

This man is my biological dad if anyone is wanting to know more about him you can email me at mooncabbage@outlook.com Grant is what I called him because I was adopted and raised by his sister. Grant was really a good guy. Funny, Charismatic, talented, and honest. at least he was always honest with me. he told me quite a bit about his time there with Manson.

Unknown said...

Grant was my bio father you want any info on him reach out to me id be glad to answer. Also his las name was Pearce not pierce as i see a few post

Unknown said...

He died in 2003.