Bobby Beausoleil
Bobby Beausoleil (November 6, 1947) is an American murderer who became an associate of the Charles Manson cult near the end of the 1960s. He received a life sentence for the murder of music teacher Gary Hinman in 1969.
Biography
Before his criminal career Beausoleil was active as an amateur actor and singer. He was a member of Arthur Lee's band The Grass Roots, which later changed its name to Love. He can be briefly seen as Cupid in the film Mondo Hollywood (1967). Later Beausoleil performed in some low budget films and obscure rock bands. In the late 1970s he recorded the soundtrack for Kenneth Anger’s movie "Lucifer Rising" (1980).
He was one of the backup singers on Zappa’s album Freak Out!. On a blog on his official site Beausoleil gave the following statement about this collaboration:
“I knew Frank on a casual basis. When I was 16-17 I used to follow him around, haunting his early recording sessions with the Mothers and, when he would let me, hanging out at his apartment listening to the wild-ass tapes he made. I was in awe of his musical talent, ability to lead unruly musicians, and his musical vision as a composer. He also made me laugh a lot. As you note, I found a guitar and taught myself to play. When I first knew Frank, he was just beginning to pick up the guitar. At that point, I was a better guitar player, but his musical knowledge was miles beyond what I knew. He wouldn't let me join the band - he said, because I didn't know how to read music.” [1]
