What was Marshall Applewhite’s background prior to Heaven’s Gate?

Marshall Applewhite was born and raised in Texas, the son of a Presbyterian minister. He was a philosophy major at Austin College and was active in choral groups on campus. He began but did not finish a Christian seminary degree. He served briefly in the U.S. Army Signal Corps and later pursued a career in vocal music. He earned a master’s degree in music, tried to break into a singing career in New York City, and taught music at the college level. He was also an active performer in musical theater and opera. In the late 1960s and early ’70s he began fervently exploring ideas about astrology, mysticism, and unidentified flying objects.