Marilyn Manson Biography

Marilyn Manson is an industrial rock and alternative metal band based in Los Angeles, California, in the United States. Frequently termed "shock rock", the group's sound contains influences from heavy metal, industrial music, and glam. As a whole, Marilyn Manson is highly difficult to categorize as each album has a distinct and individual image and sound. Formed in 1989 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida as Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids, the band's uniquely theatrical performances gathered a local cult following that has, over seventeen years, developed into a worldwide fanbase.

Marilyn Manson's reputation has likewise grown, with the band now considered one of modern music's most widely-known and most controversial; this has been due, in large part, to eponymous lead singer Marilyn Manson — born Brian Warner — and his frequent clashes with religious and political figures. The name of each band member was originally created by combining the first name of a female pop culture icon and the last name of a mass murderer or a serial killer. The members of the band dress in outlandish makeup and costumes, and have engaged in intentionally shocking behavior both onstage and off. Their lyrics often receive criticism for their anti-religious sentiment and with references to sex, drugs, and violence — Marilyn Manson's music and performances have frequently been called offensive and obscene, and, more than a few times, protests and petitions have led to the group being banned from performing.

As this controversy began to wane, so did the band's mainstream popularity. Despite this, its many devoted fans have made Marilyn Manson a consistently high-profile group: three of the band's albums have been awarded platinum certification and three have been awarded gold, and the band has seen three of its releases debut in the top ten, including two number-one albums. In June 2003, Jon Wiederhorn of MTV.com referred to Marilyn Manson as "the only true artist today".

Marilyn Manson has come to be known for altering both its image and its musical trappings frequently; the group's sound incorporating, at various stages, elements of spoken-word poetry, glam rock, and — more recently — vaudeville and burlesque. Lead singer Manson was fond of Black Sabbath and KISS as a young music fan, but every member of the band has brought his own unique style and set of influences to the band's sonic palette. Attempting to blend the typical heavy metal sound of heavily distorted guitar and kick-drum-heavy percussion with industrial metal's emphasis on electronic musical instruments, Marilyn Manson's alternative metal is also marked by tendencies toward unconventional recording techniques and musical experimentation.

In December 1996, a press conference was called by William J. Bennett, Senator Joseph Lieberman, and activist C. DeLores Tucker, aimed at MCA, the owner of Interscope Records. Calling several albums released by the label — including Antichrist Superstar — "profane", "violent", "filth", and "crap", the group questioned MCA president Edgar Bronfman, Jr.'s ability to head the label competently while profiting from such material. That November 6, U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management and Restructuring held a public hearing on the effect of violent rock and rap lyrics on youths. Supporters of the band claim it was merely another salvo in Senator Lieberman's declared war on the band. The hearing, chaired by Representative Sam Brownback, featured the testimony of Lieberman and Tucker, and of Raymond Kuntz, of Burlington, North Dakota, who blamed his son's suicide on Antichrist Superstar, which Lieberman denounced as "vile, hateful, nihilistic and damaging".

In addition, the band's performances have come under fire — the Dead to the World Tour, in particular, was followed by protesters at nearly every North American venue it visited. The band's March 10, 1997 performance in Columbia, South Carolina was cancelled "in response to growing public pressure by religious, civic and political leaders who criticized the group's image". The owner of Calgary's Max Bell Centre had Marilyn Manson's July 25 show cancelled, citing "immorality" and the band's "use of animals on stage." Another concert in Portland was cancelled a few days later due to Manson's reputation, and the venue's inability to get insurance for the show. Protestors outside a concert in Greensboro, North Carolina included state senator Mark McDaniel.

The New Jersey date of Ozzfest '97, to be held at Giants Stadium, was cancelled by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, who cited Marilyn Manson's performance as its reason; the event was only held after Ozzy Osbourne himself successfully sued the state, which compelled the authorities to allow the concert. Legislation was introduced and passed in South Carolina and Utah allowing state-operated venues to ban groups like Marilyn Manson from performing and, in at least one instance, in Florida, local schools have gone so far as to threaten expulsion for students in attendance of Marilyn Manson concerts.

Following the Columbine High School massacre, there were accusations that killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were influenced by Marilyn Manson's music. When later evidence was presented that neither Harris nor Klebold were fans of the band, many were led to criticize the media for using the band as a scapegoat instead of analyzing the underlying societal problems surrounding the incident. In the controversial documentary Bowling for Columbine, Michael Moore interviewed Manson about the tragedy. When asked what he would say to the two if he had a chance to talk to them before the killings, Manson replied "I wouldn't say a single word to them; I would listen to what they have to say, and that's what no one did". Eminem referenced the controversy in his song 'The Way I Am', which contains the line, "When a dude's gettin' bullied and shoots up his school/And they blame it on Marilyn, and the heroin/Where were the parents at?". Marilyn Manson made a cameo in the video for the song.

Beginning in 1998, Manson frequently interacted with his listeners on the band's official website, initially posting text messages and eventually short films of himself addressing the audience and of the band in the studio. His participation in this has gradually declined; from the release of The Golden Age of Grotesque through late 2005, there has been very little activity on the site. The Marilyn Manson BBS was opened up after Mechanical Animals and was a very active forum in subjects other than the band, including art, politics, news and current events. There was much debate on the meanings and interpretations of various lyrics, diagrams, or pictures featured in the band's album cover art, particularly the symbolism of Holy Wood. Manson would occasionally interject on discussions along these lines. For reasons unknown, the BBS was removed, then reintroduced a few months later, and removed again. The user base sharply declined as many members never returned.

Manson also released companion websites spawned from his concept albums. Mechanical Animals was companioned by Comawhite.com, an interactive online maze which led users to various drug- and rose-themed graphics and links to hidden sections of the main Marilyn Manson website. Holy Wood was companioned with the website Celebritarian.com, which featured a provoking questionnaire and a diagram of a human soul growing in size as a child progresses to adulthood. An additional website, ThisAsValentinesDay.com, featured a headline announcing John F. Kennedy's death.

On October 1, 2005, Celebritarian.com became active again; initially, the page featured only a stylized depiction of the Cross of Lorraine and a link to marilynmanson.com. Beginning in January, 2006, messages began to appear on the band's websites in numeric codes; these messages, once decrypted, revealed hidden sections of those websites featuring, among other content, new artwork by Marilyn Manson. On January 19, the main pages of all official Marilyn Manson websites were replaced with the Cross of Lorraine and the following text: