What was the connection between Brian Wilson and Charles Manson? Family link explored in wake of The Beach Boys star's death

American singer, songwriter, and record producer Brian Wilson, who is best known as the co-founder of the rock band The Beach Boys, passed away recently at the age of 82.

Brian Wilson's family announced his demise on June 11, 2025, via his official Instagram account (@brianwilsonlive) but did not provide further details regarding where, when, or how he died.

“We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father, Brian Wilson, has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy,” the post, accompanying a picture of Wilson, read.

In the wake of his demise, his connection with late cult leader Charles Manson is being revisited. According to The Mirror, Brian’s brother, Dennis, best known as the drummer for The Beach Boys, once shared his home with Manson and members of his cult, whom he referred to as his “family,” in the summer of 1968.

It was there that Brian Wilson met Charles Manson and nearly had to escape being part of the cult. While Manson and his “family” moved out by the end of that year, in late 1968, The Beach Boys recorded the song Never Learn Not to Love. It was a rendition of the single, Cease to Exist, originally penned by Manson. However, for reasons unknown, the songwriting credit went entirely to Dennis.

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Exploring further The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson link to Charles Manson

According to various sources, including The Mirror and Business Insider, Brian Wilson’s brother, Dennis Wilson, met two female hitchhikers in April 1968 while driving through Sunset Boulevard, California. These women turned out to be members of Charles Manson’s “family.”

Eventually, they moved into Dennis’ Pacific Palisades property, and soon Manson arrived with other members of his cult. As per The Washington Post reports, the group also practiced in orgies and dropped acid, and soon tried to take over Dennis’ property.

Meanwhile, according to Cracked, Brian Wilson arrived at his brother’s residence one night for dinner. However, he was seemingly shocked to discover Dennis participating in illicit activities with Charles Manson and his “family.”

Following the dinner, there were reportedly drug-based orgies, which Brian refused to partake in and was allegedly threatened by Manson, until he fled the scene. However, Dennis continued to entertain the cult leader and his followers at his home for months and reportedly spent millions on their alleged STD treatments.

According to The Mirror, Dennis even allowed Charles Manson into The Beach Boys’ home recording studio and almost signed a record deal with him for their Brother Records.

americansongwriter.com reported that initially, the band recorded several of Manson’s singles. However, during a recording session, Manson seemingly pulled a knife on a producer after discovering that the band was trying to recreate his song.

In the aftermath of the incident, Brian Wilson and other band members urged Dennis to part ways with Charles Manson and his “family.” But before cutting ties, Dennis made a seemingly reckless move when he renamed Charles’ Cease to Exist as Never Learn to Love, and recorded it on the B-side of The Beach Boys’ hit single, Bluebirds Over the Mountain. He even took sole credit for the lyrics.

However, Manson did not back down. He threatened Dennis by leaving a bullet in his bed. Months later, Charles and his “family” finally moved out of Dennis’ home and shifted to Spahn Ranch.

A year later, the cult leader orchestrated the seven murders at 10050 Cielo Drive, after Dennis’ friend and music producer, Terry Melcher, rejected Manson’s music in mid-1969. Manson reportedly saw Dennis drop off Melcher one day. Subsequently, Manson was arrested for the murder of actress Sharon Tate, who also lived at 10050 Cielo Drive, alongside several of her friends.

According to the Daily Mail, Dennis was asked to testify against Charles Manson, but he refused. Later, he was privately interviewed before authorities deemed his testimony unnecessary.

At the time, Dennis was asked about his connection to Charles Manson. However, he never spoke of it. He broke his silence during the 1976 interview with Rolling Stone.

Brian Wilson’s brother told the outlet, “As long as I live, I’ll never talk about that.” Meanwhile, as per The Mirror, Dennis had to leave his property and belongings behind to entirely cut ties with Manson and his cult. Later, in his 1978 biography, The Beach Boys and the California Myth, Dennis had written knowing why Manson “did what he did.”

“Someday, I’ll tell the world. I’ll write a book and explain why he did it,” he wrote.

However, Dennis Wilson missed the chance as he died from accidental drowning in Marina del Rey waters in California in 1983 at the age of 39.

Notably, according to the memoir of Manson’s former “family” member Dianne Lake, Dennis and Charles got along well.

“Dennis and Charlie hit it off right away, which is not surprising, given Charlie’s skills at ingratiating himself with strangers. Dennis, in no rush to leave, hung out for a while, smoked some pot with Charlie, and listened a bit to [Manson’s music],” part of the memoir read.

Lake continued by writing,

"We made sure Dennis saw how much we idolized Charlie — we knew that was our job, without Charlie even having to tell us."

According to Dianne’s biography, Dennis even introduced Manson and his “family” to his circle as “Charlie” and described him as a “wizard.”

Charles Manson passed away in prison in November 2017, at the age of 83. By then, he had served over 45 years' sentence.

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Brian Wilson, along with his brothers Dennis and Carl, their cousin Love, and friend Al Jardine, formed The Beach Boys in Hawthorne, California, in 1961, and went on to achieve global fame.