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Time Magazine
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
The True Story Behind Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes
Nearly 50 years after the arrest of David Berkowitz, the serial killer who terrorized New York City between 1976 and 1977, a new documentary series, Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes, explores that chilling period in history. Out July 30, the three-part series features audio of past interviews Berkowitz did with Rochester Democrat and Chronicle journalist Jack Jones, plus a new interview with Berkowitz, who is serving a life sentence in upstate New York. Berkowitz, now 72, has never shied away from media attention. Before he was caught—a parking ticket traced his getaway car to his home address—he sent letters to police detectives and even the New York City tabloid columnist Jimmy Breslin encouraging them to keep up the search for him. Conversations with a Killer also features interviews with the victims' loved ones, researchers, and former law enforcement assigned to the case. Here's how the series explores what drove Berkowitz to murder. Childhood resentment The series traces the origins of Berkowitz's discontent to his adoption in 1953. While the Bronx native was adopted by a couple that loved to dote on him, one day, his father told Berkowitz that he was adopted, his mother died in childbirth, and his biological father didn't want him. 'I thought there was a man out there that hated me and was possibly going to try to kill me for causing the death of his wife,' Berkowitz tells Jones. He wasn't the same after that moment, and though his adoptive mother loved him, he began to lash out at her, tearing her blouses and ripping her lipstick out of its container. When he graduated high school, he found out that his biological mother was actually alive and visited her. He learned that he was born out of wedlock, and his father didn't want to stick around. As he wrote in a letter, he felt like an 'outsider' who was on a 'different wave length than everybody.' In the recordings, Berkowitz says: 'It brings me back to the idea of women, young girls having sex in a car with guys. Carelessness, you know? It was kind of degrading to me to see that I was an accident…Anger took over to replace the guilt.' He describes himself as a 'loner' who felt 'stigmatized for adoption' and got to a point where 'I was so angry, I blamed others, and I started committing my crimes to make people pay attention to me.' When Berkowitz realized he was the product of an affair, he began 'targeting young lovers having illicit sex in their cars, producing unwanted children, so that there wouldn't be another child born with this level of alienation and resentment,' director Joe Berlinger says. 'But obviously lots of children discover that they're adopted, and lots of children have traumatic childhoods, and they don't turn into killers. So that's what endlessly fascinates me: Where is that line where somebody will go off the deep end versus somebody who will just soldier on?' Reign of terror There wasn't initially a clear trend in his targets, so New Yorkers were paralyzed with fear. Women with long brown hair were advised to get shorter haircuts or wear their long locks in a ponytail. Some even bleached their hair blond and donned baggy clothing on a night out. Many parents begged their daughters to have their dates at home or put off dating until the killer was caught. As TIME reported in the Aug. 15, 1977, issue of the magazine, 'If terrorists might well pose a greater potential danger to more people, there was much more apprehension of the threat of random shots in the dark from the lone gunman. He has haunted lovers' lanes, attacked couples coming from strobe-lighted discotheques, even opened fire at a pair of girls on a house porch and shot another as he passed her on a street.' Several of the victims were couples. Berkowitz was always disappointed that he struggled to have a romantic relationship with a woman. He sought out women who reminded him of what his birth mother might have been like at a young age. 'I felt like this is what I had to do, like I felt I was getting revenge,' he can be heard saying in a recording in the doc. His first target, Wendy Savino, appears in Conversations of a Killer. The New York Police Department confirmed in 2024 that she was the first 'Son of Sam' victim. He shot her on April 9, 1976, with a different revolver than the one he used to kill the other victims, so that was one reason authorities missed the connection initially. Now 88, she pulls out a sketch of Berkowitz in the doc and says, 'I've been carrying this around in my handbag for 47 years.' Lessons from 'Son of Sam' for today 'I actually think this case is a foundational case in our current and ever-growing obsession with crime,' Berlinger says. 'The way Berkowitz interacted with the media, the way the media willingly cooperated, I mean, everyone in New York couldn't wait for the next headline and next newspaper to buy. This is obviously before the 24-hour news cycle, before social media.' Berlinger notes that back in the 1970s, police departments weren't readily sharing computerized data with one another the way they do today. As he puts it, 'the '70s and early '80s was kind of the golden age of serial killers going on for a long time before they were caught.' Despite conspiracy theories that suggest 'Son of Sam' refers to multiple killers, Conversations with a Killer makes clear that Berkowitz was the sole perpetrator, arguing that when Berkowitz was arrested, the killings stopped. The series ends with Berlinger asking Berkowitz two questions in a 2024 phone interview. When Berlinger asks Berkowitz what he wants people to know about his story, Berkowitz emphasizes that he's very sorry for the murders, that he was in a 'dark space' in his life, and that his life 'spun out of control, and I just couldn't get on that right path.' Then, when Berlinger asks Berkowitz what advice he'd give to his younger self, he says that he should have gotten help sooner, stating, ''Dave, run for your life. Get help.' I could have gone to my dad. I could have gone to my sister. But I kept everything to myself…I wish I could start all over again and take a better path in life.' While Berlinger wrestled with whether to give the serial killer a platform, he thought viewers could learn from this answer. 'That just touched me so deeply,' he says. 'Putting that message out there can help somebody realize, 'I'm feeling some of this rage. I need to get help,' or empower people to encourage someone with a lot of pent-up anger to seek help."
The Guardian
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Chuck Mangione, Grammy-winning jazz musician and composer, dies aged 84
The Grammy-winning jazz musician and composer Chuck Mangione died on Tuesday, according to a statement from his family. He was 84. 'The family of Chuck Mangione is deeply saddened to share that Chuck peacefully passed away in his sleep at his home in Rochester, New York on July 22, 2025,' his family said in a statement released on Thursday to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. A spokesperson for the celebrated flugelhorn and trumpet player also confirmed the news to People Magazine, and a message on Mangione's official website reads: 'We are very sorry. Chuck Mangione has passed.' Mangione was born on 29 November 1940, in Rochester, New York. According to his Rochester Music Hall of Fame biography, his father introduced him and his brother, pianist Gap Mangione, to jazz early on. 'Growing up in a home steeped in jazz, Chuck and his brother Gap would listen to their father's jazz albums while other kids their age were listening to Elvis or Jerry Lee Louis [sic],' the biography states. 'Their father encouraged the boys' appreciation for jazz and would take them to Sunday afternoon matinees at jazz clubs around the city.' The biography also states that their father would 'invite these amazing artists to come home with them for a good home-cooked Italian meal' and that Mangione 'grew up thinking everyone had Carmen McRae and Art Blakey over for dinner'. Mangione got his start in high school playing trumpet in a jazz band with his brother called the Jazz Brothers, per his website. He later studied at the Eastman School of Music, graduating in 1963 with a bachelor's degree in music. According to his music hall of fame biography, he later returned to the school in 1968 to direct the school's jazz ensemble and to help expand the school's jazz program until 1972. Mangione then launched a successful solo career, releasing more than 30 albums, and selling millions of records. He received 13 Grammy nominations, according to this biography, and won two Grammy Awards, one in 1977 for Bellavia, and the other in 1979 for The Children of Sanchez. His 1977 album Feels So Good became one of the most successful jazz records ever produced, according to the Rochester Music Hall of Fame. And in 1980, he performed at the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. In 2009, Mangione donated some of his music memorabilia to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington DC. He was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame in 2012. In their statement announcing his death on Thursday, Mangione's family said: 'Chuck's love affair with music has been characterized by his boundless energy, unabashed enthusiasm, and pure joy that radiated from the stage.' They added: 'His appreciation for his loyal worldwide fans was genuine as evidenced by how often he would sit at the edge of the stage after a concert for however long it took to sign autographs for the fans who stayed to meet him and the band.'
The Guardian
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Chuck Mangione, Grammy-winning jazz musician and composer, dies aged 84
Grammy-winning jazz musician and composer Chuck Mangione died on Tuesday, according to a statement from his family. He was 84. 'The family of Chuck Mangione is deeply saddened to share that Chuck peacefully passed away in his sleep at his home in Rochester, New York on July 22, 2025,' his family said in a statement released on Thursday to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. A spokesperson for the celebrated flugelhorn and trumpet player also confirmed the news to People Magazine, and a message on Mangione's official website reads: 'We are very sorry. Chuck Mangione has passed.' Mangione was born on 29 November 1940, in Rochester, New York. According to his Rochester Music Hall of Fame biography, his father introduced him and his brother, pianist Gap Mangione, to jazz early on. 'Growing up in a home steeped in jazz, Chuck and his brother Gap would listen to their father's jazz albums while other kids their age were listening to Elvis or Jerry Lee Louis' the biography states. 'Their father encouraged the boys' appreciation for jazz and would take them to Sunday afternoon matinees at jazz clubs around the city.' The biography also states that their father would 'invite these amazing artists to come home with them for a good home-cooked Italian meal' and that Mangione 'grew up thinking everyone had Carmen McRae and Art Blakey over for dinner'. Mangione got his start in high school playing trumpet in a jazz band with his brother called the The Jazz Brothers, per his website. He later studied at the Eastman School of Music, graduating in 1963 with a bachelor's degree in music. According to his music hall of fame biography, he later returned to the school in 1968 to direct the school's jazz ensemble and to help expand the school's jazz program until 1972. Mangione's then launched a successful solo career, releasing over 30 albums, and selling millions of records. He received 13 Grammy nominations, according to this biography, and won two Grammy Awards, one in 1977 for Bellavia, and the other in 1979 for The Children of Sanchez. His 1977 album Feels So Good became one of the most successful jazz records ever produced, according to the Rochester Music Hall of Fame. And in 1980, he performed at the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. In 2009, Mangione donated some of his music memorabilia to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington DC. He was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame in 2012. In their statement announcing his death on Thursday, Mangione's family said: 'Chuck's love affair with music has been characterized by his boundless energy, unabashed enthusiasm, and pure joy that radiated from the stage.' They added: 'His appreciation for his loyal worldwide fans was genuine as evidenced by how often he would sit at the edge of the stage after a concert for however long it took to sign autographs for the fans who stayed to meet him and the band.'
Mint
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Who was Chuck Mangione? Grammy-winning jazz icon known for ‘Feels So Good' dies at 84
Charles Frank Mangione, the American jazz great who brought the flugelhorn into the popular music spotlight and captivated audiences with hits like 'Feels So Good', died peacefully in his sleep on July 22, 2025, at his home in Rochester, New York. He was 84. His death was confirmed in a statement by his family shared with the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle on July 24. Over a six-decade career, Mangione released more than 30 albums, scored multiple Grammy Awards, and carved a unique space in the American jazz landscape. Born on November 29, 1940, to Italian-American parents in Rochester, Mangione studied at the prestigious Eastman School of Music and went on to perform with jazz legends, most notably filling the trumpet chair in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers — a position once held by Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, and Freddie Hubbard. Alongside his pianist brother, Gap, he co-led the Mangione Brothers Sextet/Quintet, recording three albums for Riverside Records in the early 1960s. One of their original compositions, 'Something Different,' caught the attention of alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, who included it in his 1961 album African Waltz. Mangione broke into mainstream success in 1978 with 'Feels So Good', a breezy, horn-driven instrumental that became a rare jazz-pop crossover hit, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song helped define a generation of smooth jazz, its signature melody recognized instantly across genres. He also composed iconic Olympic music, including 'Chase the Clouds Away' for the 1976 Montreal Summer Games and 'Give It All You Got' for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid — the latter performed live at the closing ceremony and broadcast worldwide. Mangione's work was frequently honored. He won his first Grammy Award in 1977 for 'Bellavia' in the Best Instrumental Composition category. His second Grammy came two years later for the soundtrack to The Children of Sanchez, which featured sweeping compositions and emotional depth — the title track alone ran nearly 15 minutes. His bands featured top-tier musicians such as saxophonists Gerry Niewood and Chris Vadala, guitarist Grant Geissman, and drummer James Bradley Jr. In 1978, Mangione performed to a sold-out Hollywood Bowl backed by a 70-piece orchestra — a concert immortalized in his live album An Evening of Magic. Beyond the stage, Mangione used his music for charitable causes. In 1980, he organised a nine-hour benefit concert to aid Italian earthquake victims, bringing together stars like Chick Corea and Dizzy Gillespie. His later Tarantella album captured highlights from that performance. At his 60th birthday concert, he raised over $50,000 for St. John's Nursing Home in Rochester. Mangione was also a pop culture fixture. He made TV appearances, including Magnum, P.I., Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show, and most famously, played a recurring animated version of himself on King of the Hill as Mega Lo Mart's celebrity spokesman — a role that earned him a new generation of fans. His 2000 album Everything For Love included a track titled 'Peggy Hill' in tribute to the show.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Chuck Mangione, whose songs found new life on 'King of the Hill,' dead at 84
Chuck Mangione, a prolific composer and musician who released 30 albums over his career, died July 22, a statement from his family confirmed. He was 84. "The family of Chuck Mangione is deeply saddened to share that Chuck peacefully passed away in his sleep at his home in Rochester, New York, on July 22, 2025," the statement, shared July 24 with the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network, read. A celebrated composer and virtuoso flugelhorn and trumpet player, Mangione began taking music lessons at the age of 8 and played in a jazz combo with his pianist brother, Gap, during his high school years. Mangione went on to study at the Eastman School of Music, graduating in 1963 with a bachelor's degree in music education, later returning to teach and direct the school's jazz ensemble. He then parlayed a musical upbringing into a successful solo career, selling millions of records and receiving numerous awards, including two Grammys. His 1977 single "Feels So Good," off an album of the same name, reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard albums chart in 1978, bested only by the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack. Hank Hill and drone-delivered Alamo beer in first look of 'King of the Hill' revival "Feels So Good" also became an ongoing bit on the animated TV series "King of the Hill," where it was frequently referenced, with Mangione himself nabbing a recurring voice-acting role. Even before his death, Mangione's wide-ranging music career was memorialized in the American songbook. In 2009, he donated some of his music memorabilia to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Among the items: his signature brown felt hat, scores to his most important works, photos, albums and even an animation cell from "King of The Hill." This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Chuck Mangione dead: 'Feel So Good' musician was 84 Solve the daily Crossword
