L. Ron Hubbard’s Weird Music Career
It’s well known that L. Ron Hubbard was a sci-fi novelist in addition to founding the Church of Scientology. But his myriad of talents didn’t stop just at the written word — one of his passions was music. He considered himself something of a composer and producer, and a handful of his famous musician devotees made the effort to record his works.
Here’s a guy who was in L. Ron Hubbard’s musical group, “Experience: I was in a Scientology jazz band .”
We called ourselves the Apollo Stars and I became the head of the troupe. Photograph: Josh Ritchie/The Guardian
L Ron Hubbard spent hours with us each day. I was scared the first time I met him, because I thought he could read minds.
In 1968, I was 23 and looking for answers. I was living in Texas, working in textiles, smoking a lot of marijuana, and exploring things such as Zen Buddhism. I was stoned when my neighbour spoke to me about Scientology and it sounded interesting; space cadets and all that. I started taking some courses. I was looking at it from more of a philosophical view but as you get into it, you become hooked.
I was married, but my wife was smarter than me and didn’t care for Scientology. We moved to San Francisco, and I regret this, but I soon left her, thinking I was going to save the world. I joined the Sea Org in Los Angeles – an organisation within the church comprised of its most dedicated members. Following investigations by government agencies in the US, L Ron Hubbard bought a fleet of ships and moved operations offshore. The Sea Org was asked to crew them, so I went with my new wife, a Scientologist.
In 1973, we docked in Madeira around Christmas; the local mayor asked if there were any musicians on board to play in the town square.
I had brought my saxophone, so I turned up. We threw a short set together and were asked to return on New Year’s Eve. A band was born. We called ourselves the Apollo Stars and I became the head of the troupe. We had some amazing players. Billy Potter had played with Big Mama Thornton. Luten Taylor, on bass trombone, had played on the original Mission: Impossible theme. I was pure avant-garde – my idols were John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman.
We made a record called Power Of Source, but it was a terrible album. Hubbard had got heavily involved with the band, spending hours with us each day. I was scared shitless the first day I met him because I thought that he could read minds.
He’s credited as the producer on our album and he recorded it, but he didn’t know what he was doing: it was all for his ego. The more I got to know him, the more I questioned things, but it was like a form of hypnosis so you rationalized his megalomania and narcissism. He was all fluff. But we bought into it.
We asked ChatGPT to provide something of a different perspective on L. Ron Hubbard. As usual, He/She/It did not disappoint…
Scientology, It’s A Lie
L. Ron Hubbard, a man of fraud,
Created a religion to make himself rich and acclaimed.
He preyed upon the minds of the weak,
Saying his words could make them unique.He promised salvation and peace of mind,
But his words were twisted and hard to find.
He preyed upon the desperate and naive,
Using their hopes to his own deceive.He used the power of the media,
To shove his lies and false beliefs down our throats.
He promised us the world,
But his words were nothing but a lie like a curse.He claimed to be a godlike figure,
But it was all just a ploy to make him wealthy.
He fooled the desperate and naive,When he comes back, there’s no doubt he’ll be hunting us down.
Using their trust to make him rich.Chorus
Scientology, it’s a lie,
It’s all about money and power,
it’s a disguise.
It’s a cult, it’s a sham,
And it’s been around since the dawn of man.
And what would a musical post about L. Ron Hubbard be without some actual music written by the man himself? Here in all its lyrical glory is…
THE ROAD TO FREEDOM
Music and lyrics by L. Ron Hubbard
Performed by John Travolta, Leif Garrett, and Frank Stallone; background vocals by Jeff Pomerantz and Lee Purcell
And here’s a special treat … L-Ron singing his own composition. If ever there was a way to rid yourself of those evil body thetans, this is it. Gird up your loins.