American Satanist and author of “The Satanic Bible.” He was the founder of the Satanic Church in San Francisco, incorporated on 30 April 1966 with reportedly a million followers.
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 a cult 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.”
He married a 17-year old in 1960 after divorcing his first wife; two daughters.
His death certificate reported that he died at 8:45 AM on 29 October 1997 in St. Mary’s Hospital, San Francisco, of cardiac arrest He was 67.
Link to Wikipedia biography