Anton LaVey

American author, musician, and Satanist who was the founder in 1966 of the Church of Satan and the religion of Satanism. He authored several books, including The Satanic Bible (1969), The Satanic Rituals (1972), The Satanic Witch (1989), The Devil's Notebook (1992) and Satan Speaks! (1998). In addition, he released three albums, including The Satanic Mass (1967), Strange Music (1994) and Satan Takes a Holiday (1995). He played a minor on-screen role and served as technical advisor for the 1975 film The Devil's Rain and served as host and narrator for Nick Bougas' 1989 mondo film Death Scenes.

As a child of seven he studied the supernatural, moving into black magic by high school. He was a high school drop-out to hang around pool halls. Musically gifted, he become the second oboist in the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra at 16. Joining the circus in 1947 he became a lion trainer, calliope player, hypnotist, palmist, phrenologist, magician and a burlesque accompanist. He held many jobs throughout his life, including being an assistant criminologist in the San Francisco Police Dept. in 1951.

LaVey established the Church of Satan in San Francisco on 30 April 1966, holding Friday night seminars where he displayed his full drama with a flowing cape and macabre decorations. His mass included a nude woman draped over the alter and he reportedly served a baked cadaver at one time. Not averse to publicity, he displayed his pets that included a tarantula, a leopard and a lion His cult celebrated carnal indulgence, vengeance and the rule of Satan. With charismatic power and keen intelligence, he was typecast as the Devil in the movie Rosemary's Baby.

In 1950, LaVey met Carole Lansing. They married the following year, when Lansing was fifteen years old. Lansing gave birth to LaVey's first daughter, Karla LaVey, born in 1952. LaVey and Carole divorced in 1960, after LaVey became involved with Diane Hegarty.