In 1966, Frank Zappa let an unknown 17-year-old sing on his album. Years later, he murdered his music teacher
Before he became known for his links to Charles Manson, Bobby Beausoleil pursued acting and music, including a brief connection with Frank Zappa. At 17, he sang on Zappa’s 1966 album *Freak Out!*; years later, Beausoleil was convicted of murdering his former music teacher, Gary Hinman.
Beausoleil said he had known Zappa casually and had followed the Mothers of Invention’s early recording sessions. Zappa let him contribute to the album but later refused his request to join the band, saying Beausoleil could not read music. Beausoleil was arrested and sentenced to life in prison in 1969 for Hinman’s murder.
In short
- Bobby Beausoleil sang on Zappa’s *Freak Out!* at 17.
- Zappa later turned down his request to join the band.
- Beausoleil was sentenced to life for Gary Hinman’s murder.
Explained simply
In the mid-1960s, Frank Zappa led the Mothers of Invention, an experimental American rock band. Their debut album, Freak Out!, was released in 1966, when Zappa was recording in Los Angeles.
Bobby Beausoleil was a teenager pursuing music and acting who knew Zappa casually. He sang on the album, then asked to join the band, but Zappa turned him down.
Beausoleil later became associated with Charles Manson and was convicted of murdering his former music teacher, Gary Hinman. The case brought together two parts of his life: his early connections to the Los Angeles music scene and the crime for which he was sentenced to life in prison.