Childhood is often viewed as the most innocent period of people’s lives, and it is scientifically known to be a huge checkpoint heavily impacting the brain’s development. While a stress-free and healthy childhood usually helps a person form a ‘good’ and stable personality, traumatic experiences may have the opposite effect. In other words, a tragic past can act as a dark cloud, hovering over a person’s present and casting a shadow on their ability to make sound decisions.
There are several examples of traumatic childhood events triggering bad decisions in the rock world. In fact, only a few rockstars have had a peaceful past and are currently leading mentally and physically healthy lives. Childhood trauma and the sense of alienation were partially the reasons many ‘outcasts’ came together and established the rock and roll lifestyle. The tragic childhood of The Beach Boys co-founder and drummer Dennis Wilson serves as an example.
Dennis Wilson lived a life full of adrenaline and extraordinary experiences but passed away only at 39, living on his own in a small room ‘with a single candle.’ The musician’s life ended when he drowned at Marina Del Rey after a day of abusing alcohol and said goodbye to a future life full of music. But before that, he was involved with the infamous Charles Manson. Not just him but his cult as well.
He befriended Manson after he was tricked by two hitchhikers who he had stumbled upon twice. The women told him about Manson, whom they considered a guru. Charles Manson then found Wilson on his driveway and included him in his ‘family.’ It wasn’t long before Dennis Wilson felt good with the vibes in Manson’s mansion, as the many women who lived there served them day and night.
Wilson also looked up to Manson musically, and they composed music together. The drummer lived with him by ignoring his ‘crazy’ sayings and ideas, possibly disregarding the fact that he had indeed become a part of a cult. However, it may be hard to blame him since Dennis did not have a healthy childhood or grow up in a happy environment. The drummer was known to be the black sheep of his family, unlike his brothers, with whom he later formed The Beach Boys.
He had never hesitated to talk about his childhood to the press. Dennis had revealed that his childhood was ‘shitty’ as his father was a ‘tyrant.’ He spoke of being physically abused and even encouraged to be violent when he was given a BB gun at the age of nine to hunt. Wilson had also admitted that he enjoyed killing animals as he would take his anger out on them.
The late musician had said:
“We had a shitty childhood… my dad was a tyrant. He used to whale on us, and physically beat the crap out of us. I don’t know kids who got it like we did.
If my dad hadn’t given me a BB gun when I was nine years old, my life would have been completely different. With that gun, I had something I could take my anger out on. Hunting, fishing, and racing have been my preoccupations ever since.”
Later on, he formed The Beach Boys with his brothers Brian and Carl but didn’t share the same ideas about life with them. Hence he felt better with Charles Manson when he joined him in 1968. He was given prosperity, attention, and most of all, a sense of belonging in his cult.
He talked about Manson in 1968 and said:
“When I met [Charlie], I found he had great musical ideas. We’re writing together now. He’s dumb, in some ways, but I accept his approach and have [learned] from him.”
Charles Manson was known to be a cult leader in the late ’60s and was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, while his cult members were accused of more murders. He spent most of his life in correctional institutions and eventually died in prison in 2017.
He was also a musician who was known for his music, but his actions got the best of him and made him earn the title ‘criminal musician.’ Just like we’ve mentioned in the beginning, the musician’s childhood was also filled with traumatic events, and unsurprisingly, this led to his future bad decisions in life.
