Before the murders, Manson had spent more than half of his life in correctional institutions. When he began gathering his cult following, he was a singer-songwriter on the fringe of the L.A. Music industry, chiefly through a chance association with Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys, who introduced Manson to record producer Terry Melcher. In 1968, the Beach Boys recorded Manson's song "Cease to Exist", retitled "Never Learn Not to Love" as the B-side on one of their singles, but without credit to Manson. Wilson and Melcher severed ties with Manson around early 1969.