Marilyn Manson Biography

The Marilyn Manson biography is a story that grips a lot of people, whether they are devoted Manson followers or if they are repelled by him. Manson’s story is one of both extremes of behavior and clever marketing, and of course, giant music industry success and controversy.

Marilyn Manson Biography – The Early Years

Marilyn Manson was born with the decidedly less remarkable name Brian Hugh Warner in Ohio in January, 1969. As child, he moved with his strictly Christian parents to Florida, where he attended Catholic schools.

After high school, Manson began pursuing a journalism degree at Broward County Community College, and he built up some of the musical contacts that would serve him well in the future through this coursework. He began to write music columns for the local newspaper and used the column to meet some of his music heroes, like bands My Life with The Thrill Kill Cult and Nine Inch Nails.

In 1989, around the same time he started writing for the paper, Manson formed his first band, Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids. This band eventually morphed into simply Marilyn Manson by 1992. Joining him in the band were:

• Jeordie White – aka Twiggy Ramirez
• Stephen Gregory Bier, Jr – aka Madonna Wayne Gacy
• Scott Putesky – Daisy Berkowitz
• Brian Tutenick – Olivia Newton Bundy

The stage names of the band were intended to emphasize the good and bad parts of each person by taking the first name of a beloved female celebrity and the last name of a serial killer.

During this time, Manson was also involved in producing fellow local band Jack Off Jill, who would also later go on to success, and playing a few other local side projects. However, Marilyn Manson soon became his main focus.

The Big Breakthrough

Marilyn Manson used his connections to Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails from his journalism work to pass on some demos to him. Reznor liked what he heard and brought the band into the studio to work on their debut album, Portrait of an American Family. Reznor both produced this album and released it on his label, Nothing Records, in 1994.

Portrait of an American Family was a cult success for Marilyn Manson, and the band became a top draw on the club circuit. Breakthrough success came in 1995, when MTV began to play the video for the single Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) from the follow up album, Smells Like Children. Propelled by the striking video, this Eurhythmics cover made the band an overnight chart sensation around the globe. Since that time, Marilyn Manson has sold millions of records, and both the band and the man Marilyn Manson remains one of the top selling acts in music. This success brought with it a lot of controversy, however.

Marilyn Manson Biography – Controversy, Lawsuits and Lolita

Marilyn Manson has been a lightening rod for all kinds of controversy over the years. Naturally, his persona has made him a target of the Christian Right, who picket his concerts, and some towns have successfully barred his from performing in their area. Of course, there are those who believe that Marilyn Manson is a very cleverly crafted character (a claim Manson himself alternatively embraces and denies).

One of the biggest charges Manson has faced is that his music was somehow responsible for the Columbine High School shootings. Manson addressed this claim head-on in the movie Bowling for Columbine, where he dismissed the idea and claimed he was an easy scapegoat.

Band member relationships have been the source of ongoing legal battles for Manson as well. Virtually every member of the band has filed a lawsuit against Manson at some point. He’s also been the target of various other complaints, including two civil suits from security guards at his concerts and another by the mother of deceased actress Jennifer Syme, who was killed in a car crash while driving to Manson’s house while under the influence of drugs.

Manson married burlesque dancer/fashion icon Dita Von Teese in 2005, but slightly more than a year later, Von Teese filed for divorce. The reason is believed to be Manson’s relationship with a then teenaged Evan Rachel Wood, an actress appearing in one of his film projects.

No, That’s Not Him

For once and for all, no, Manson did not play the character of Brian in the TV show, The Wonder Years. It’s the urban legend that refuses to die, but that character was actually played by actor Josh Savino. And no, he wasn’t on Mr. Belvedere, either.