‘We tried to levitate the Pentagon’: the almost unbelievable life of Ed Sanders, trickster god of the US counterculture

Ed Sanders, now 87, discusses his extraordinary life in a rare interview as a documentary about his band, the Fugs, is released. He supplied Jimi Hendrix with equipment, unsettled Frank Sinatra, influenced Norman Mailer, and attempted to undermine the American military establishment.

"Charles Manson once sent me a note saying, 'If I was as powerful as you claim then you wouldn’t be here,'" Sanders recounts during a video conversation, emphasizing the threatening tone of the message.

Sanders stands as a nonconformist figure in America—a musician, poet, activist, journalist, and author. His most notable achievement remains the 1971 bestseller The Family, which detailed the lives, crimes, and trials of Manson and his followers. Having been instrumental in shaping the US counterculture, Sanders was ideally positioned to report on the radical hippie movement, though he consistently promoted peace, love, and awareness, in stark contrast to Manson's apocalyptic vision. 爱游戏在线登录