San Francisco Examiner
December 26, 1969 - pg. 18
LOS
ANGELES — (UPI) — Hippie cult leader Charles Manson
hopes to finance his legal defense against seven counts of murder
in the Sharon Tate slayings by selling a record album.
George E. Shibley, the lawyer who is
handling Sirhan B. Sirhan's appeal and who has identified himself
as an old friend of Manson, says the defendant is conducting
negotiations with a record company.
Shibley said the negotiations are in
connection with tapes Manson recorded prior to his arrest.
The attorney said the bearded, long-haired
Manson learned to play the guitar while in federal prison several
years ago and is considered an excellent guitarist and "an
adequate vocalist." He said the album will contain a number
of protest songs and numbers Manson improvised.
Manson was known as a musician in the
Haight-Ashbury District of San Francisco where he lived after
his release from prison, before he and his followers known as
"The Manson Family" moved to Southern California.
Susan Atkins, a defendant turned informer
on the Tate killings last August and the slayings two days later
of Leno LaBianca and his wife, has indicated Manson bore a grudge
against Terry Melcher, son of Doris Day. The grudge came about,
Miss Atkins said, when the young producer was not interested
in recording Manson's songs.
Miss Atkins, 21, claimed Melcher's home
became a "symbol of rejection" to Manson and he later
sent his followers to the Benedict Canyon house, by that time
occupied by Miss Tate.