It's well known that Charles Manson drew ideas and often referenced the Beatles White Album when describing the war on race and his involvement in 'Helter Skelter.' A copy of the 1968 LP has surfaced for sale, allegedly signed by Charles Manson and his fellow criminal confidants Susan Atkins, Leslie Van Houten, Charles 'Tex' Watson and Pat Krenwinkel.
Manson was charged with the involvement of a sequence of grisly murders in 1969, including pregnant actress Sharon Tate, wife of director Roman Polanski. Manson currently resides behind bars in a California State Prison, Corcoran, where he develops deep-seeded relationships with Manson murder fanatics around the world. The White Album prominently influenced the Manson cult known as The Manson Family, as its members decoded the album's lyrics for buried messages. A signed copy of the vinyl is being auctioned off on an online website iOffer for a Buy-It-Now price of nearly $50,000—bids are also being accepted by the seller.
The front cover is adorned with multiple criminal signatures as the seller explains "The signatures were obtained by a gentleman who was at one time associated with the Manson family at the Spahn Ranch, I choose not to post his name here. He acquired them at the respective prisons where they are incarcerated in California, including Corcoran State Prison, and the California Correctional Institution for Women."
The item description further details that Manson's autograph includes a swastika next to it and that the seams of the album have been sliced with a knife. The authenticity of the vinyl has yet to be confirmed but the seller assures potential buyers that they "would always refund an item if shown not to be genuine".
Hitting the auction block at the same time is John Lennon's J-160E Gibson acoustic guitar, presumed to be missing since 1963. The instrument used to record "She Loves You," has resurfaced and will be sold at Julien's Auctions for an estimated price of $800,000.
