I wasn’t born with enough middle fingers. Ever since the idea of Satan taking over and God failing was put into Marilyn Manson, he has rejected Christianity. From the time of childhood to adulthood, his life has been a rollercoaster ride of twisted experience. Manson’s will for success has drove him to do whatever it takes to accomplish his beliefs.
On January 5, 1969, in Canton, Ohio Brian Warner (Marilyn Manson) was born. He was the son of Hugh and Barb Warner. From birth to his teenage years, Brian did not have many friends. His best friend was his cousin Chad. Together they would go over to their grandparents home. Through the years him and his cousin always wondered what their grandfather did in his basement. Eventually they started exploring the basement. In the basement they found several articles of pornography and several sex toys. One time, when Brian and Chad were in the basement they saw their grandfather proceed in a sexual act. After this incident, Brian told his parents. Their response wasn’t what they were looking for. They told them about how one time his grandfather was in an accident and the paramedics found women clothing under his clothes. This was a family secret, so they were told not to say anything about it. Due to visiting his grandparents, Brian was traumatized for life. Brain didn’t spend much more time at his grandparent’s house.
Brian’s parents were very religious, so they sent him to a private school. He ended up going to Heritage Christian School. The teachers elaborated on the “mark of the beast,” how the devil would take over the world and everyone would have to become a slave to live. One time Brian brought in a picture of a godly angel that he said his grandma took. He was just trying to fit in, but the teacher and students denied his wanting to fit in.
At this point, he tried get out of school, by trying to get expelled. His first attempt was buying candy for a cheap price, then reselling it for higher prices. Until somebody turned him in, he made a nice profit. The principal just took his candy, money, and suspended him. There was a school rule that prohibited candy. He then set out on another mission. Brian enjoyed reading “Mad” magazine and other magazines like it. So he started his own magazine. He called the magazine “Stupid”. He then got into trouble again. When called to the principal’s office, there was a certain advertisement that caught the principal’s eye. The advertisement depicted a guy with a whip, two oversized groin grinders, a fishing rod, nipple tassels, metal shop goggles, fishnet stockings, and a bronzed dog dick necklace. It was called The New Kuwatch Sex Aid Adventure Kit Supplement. Yet again he was only suspended.
During this time he started to become interested in Rock music. Rock music stood out to him because in school they banned it. They taught that Rock music was bad and there was hidden messages in the music. Brian then borrowed his first Rock album. The album was Kiss’s Love Gun. It turned out that his first concert was Kiss. He then started to copy Rock music on to tapes. After copying the music, he would sell the tapes to his fellow classmates. Business was going great, but he wanted a bigger profit. So Brian would steal back the tapes and resale them. Eventually somebody turned him in. He found himself in front of a disciplinary committee. Though still, he did not get expelled.
Some other traumatic events have happened in Brian’s childhood. His grandparents would make him and Chad kneel down on a broomstick as a punishment. Only after a few minutes, there would be bruises on their knees. Also he lost a very important member of his family. According to Brian, the same day that him and Chad told his parents about his grandfather, he found his dog dying in the backyard. He found Aleusha vomiting and convulsing, so they called the vet. The veterinarian said that Aleusha was poisoned. Brian immediately had a very good idea who poisoned his dog. Early in his life, he befriended a kid that was three years older than him. He was neighbor kid named Mark. They used to play a game called Prison. In this game, Mark started to take advantage of Brian. He would fondle and do other sexual things to Brian. When Brian told his mother, his mother went straight to Mark’s parents. Mark’s parents didn’t believe her, but Mark was later sent to a military school. When Mark came home, he wouldn’t say a single word to Brian. Brain always figured Mark would want revenge. Brian said that when he found out Aleusha was poisoned “I had a funny feeling I knew who that someone was.”
Brian also had to go to labs for testing due to his father. His father was a helicopter mechanic and pilot in the Vietnam War. He helped to dump Agent Orange over the Vietnam jungles. Brain also went to counseling. There he would sit with other children that was affected by Agent Orange. Some children had brain damage or missing body parts. He felt bad because him and his father was not affected.
Through several attempts and failures, Brian got out of private school. He dropped out after 2 months in the tenth grade. Now his life of Drugs, Sex, and Rock N Roll began. He then entered public schools. Public schools was much different for him because of the openness of people’s minds. He could finally be his own person.
He met his first girlfriend in the public school system. They were not a couple, but just friends. Her name was Jennifer. Brian also adapted an enemy. Jennifer’s ex-boyfriend was not too pleased with Brian. Though in the long run, John (the ex-boyfriend) became Brian’s friend. John was the first person to get Brian to do drugs. Many other drugs soon followed.
Brian didn’t have any relationships in private schools, but was wanting one now. One way he tried to get one, is he joined the school band. He thought he could meet girls there. Brian tried out for several instruments, but ended up playing the triangle. After getting very desperate, John stepped in to help. John told him about a girl named Tina Potts. Tina was known as the slut of the school. After drinking a lot, Brian made his way to a park where he was supposed to meet her. In no time at all they were making out. In the moment of passion, Brian ejaculated prematurely. To cover this up, he stopped and said that they were moving to fast. Brian was no longer a virgin.
After falling into a black hole of drugs and other devious affairs, it was time to move. Brian’s dad was a carpet salesman that found a job down in Fort Lauderdale, Florida sailing furniture. When arriving in Florida, Brian had nothing to do. He lived with his parents and attended Broward Community College. There he studied Journalism and Theater because it was the only thing that interested him. To earn extra money he would work in low paying jobs. After getting bored with that he went to writing stories for low class newspapers and magazines. He wrote stories and poetry for them. He eventually started interviewing bands and writing articles on them.
Brian figured out that writing was taking him no where. To make something of himself, he must shock the world. One way he felt he could accomplish this, is to start a band. The name he choose was Marilyn Manson and The Spooky Kids. Brian derived the name Marilyn Manson from the actress Marilyn Monroe and the serial killer Charles Manson. He felt it brought the good and evil together. The next step was to choose the members of the band.
The original line up of the band was Marilyn Manson with vocals and Daisy Berkowitz on guitar. Olivia Newton-Bundy played bass and Zsa Zsa Spech played keyboards. In November of 1989 Zsa Zsa and Olivia were replaced by Gidget Grin (bass) and Madonna Wayne Gacy (keyboards). Marilyn Manson and The Spooky Kids did have a drum machine, but it was replaced by Sara Lee Lucas. In 1993 Manson dropped the “The Spooky Kids” part of the name. The bassist Gein was replaced in December 1993 by Twiggy Ramirez. Then the drummer Lucas was replaced in March 1995 by Ginger Fish. Daisy Berkowitz left the band in May of 1996. His replacement was named Zim Zum. Later in July of 1998 Zim Zum departed the band. John 5 replaced him at least for the tour on hand.
Manson currently is on tour with Hole. However due to differences Hole dropped off the tour. Marilyn Manson continues to tour city to city performing his heart out along with other body parts such as sexual reproductive organs.
Marilyn Manson didn’t exactly have the life of a king. But, because of his upbringing, he saw who he wanted to be. He wanted to show that life is not perfect. Everyday he shocks the world doing things he feels appropriate. Who’s to really say what’s appropriate or not?