Long before the fear, the media fixation, and cult of personality surrounding what we've come to know publicly as CHARLES MANSON, a 27-year old inmate at McNeil Island Penitentiary, dubbed "Little Charlie" by those on the inside, found true respite and solace in the form of a six string guitar. Late-blooming aside, MANSON took to the guitar like a fish to water. This initially came much to the surprise of his first guitar teacher, fellow inmate and legendary Ma Barker Gang heavy Alvin "Creepy" Karpis. Sympathetic to MANSON's tumultuous, institutionalized upbringing (which saw him in countless orphanages, reformatories, and prisons all throughout his young life), Karpis would later pen "it (was) time someone did something for him." And as Karpis would stick to his pledge, Charlie would not disappoint. By the time of his release in 1967 (some 6 years after his first lesson from Karpis), MANSON wandered into the streets of San Francisco already quite the accomplished singer and songwriter.