Shirley Manson
Encyclopedia
Shirley Anne Manson is a Scottish
recording artist and actress, best known internationally as the lead singer of the alternative rock
band Garbage
. For much of her international career Manson commuted between her home city of Edinburgh
to the United States to record with Garbage but now lives and works in Los Angeles
. Manson gained media attention for her forthright style, rebellious attitude, and distinctive voice, which also won her fans throughout the world.
Manson's musical career began in her teens when she was approached to perform backing vocals and keyboards
for Scottish band Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie
. Quickly she developed into a prominent member of the group and developed a formidable stage presence. Manson was approached by her band's record label
with the idea of launching her as a solo artist, and recorded an album with her band under the Angelfish
name. After seeing Manson in an Angelfish video
broadcast only once on MTV
's 120 Minutes
, Garbage invited Manson to record vocals on a few of their songs; she would eventually co-write and co-produce an entire album with the band. The resulting self-titled debut, Garbage
, was a worldwide hit, and was followed by three studio albums, including the multiple Grammy Award
-nominated Version 2.0
, and a greatest hits album
. Garbage toured worldwide and sold 12 million record sales over ten years.
In 2006, Manson began to write and record solo material after Garbage was put on "hiatus" and in 2008 was cast in her first professional acting role on the second and final season of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles as series regular Catherine Weaver, a liquid metal T-1001 Terminator
. Manson returned to the recording studio
in 2010 to write and produce material for a fifth Garbage album.
Manson has been voted at #60 on the VH1s 100 Sexiest Artists list.
. John Mitchell, a descendant from the fishing community of Northmavine
, Shetland, was a university lecturer while Muriel was a big band
singer, who had been adopted by a Lothian
-based family at an early age (and took on the family name MacDonald). Shirley was named after an aunt who was herself named after Charlotte Brontë
's novel Shirley
. She was born with two years between both older sister Lindy-Jayne and younger sister Sarah, and was brought up in the Comely Bank
and Stockbridge
areas of the city. Manson attended Presbyterian church until the age of 12, where her father was also her Sunday School
teacher.
Manson's first public performance was in 1970, at age four, with her older sister, in an amateur show
held at the local Church Hill Theatre
. Enrolled at Flora Stevenson Primary School, Manson received instruction in recorder, clarinet
and fiddle
, and learned ballet
and piano
from extramural
classes at age seven. Manson was a member of Girlguiding UK
throughout this period of her youth as a Brownie and a Guide, Manson would later attend the City of Edinburgh Music School
, the music department of Broughton High
. While at Broughton, Manson became an active member of its drama group, performing in amateur dramatic and musical performances such as The American Dream
and The Wizard of Oz
, while also singing with the Waverley Singers, a local girl choir
. Other notable members of the drama group included Hilary MacLean, Rebecca Pigeon and Sara Stewart
; while a production of Maurice the Minotaur (in which Manson played a prophet) during the 1981 Edinburgh Festival Fringe was awarded a Fringe First award by The Scotsman
newspaper.
While Manson had enjoyed primary school, Manson was bullied while in her first year at secondary school
, causing her to suffer from depression
and engage in self-injury: she carried a sharp object in the laces of her boots and cut herself when she felt low self-esteem, stress, or anxiety. The bullying stopped when Manson associated herself with a rebel crowd – which resulted in her rebelling herself; playing truant
for most of her final year at school, smoking cannabis
and sniffing glue, drinking, shoplifting, and on one occasion breaking into Edinburgh Zoo
. Manson's first job was volunteer work in a local hospital's cafeteria, then as a breakfast waitress at a local hotel before spending five years as a shop assistant for Miss Selfridge
, beginning on the make-up counter. Manson was eventually moved into stockrooms for her attitude to customers. Manson became well known throughout Edinburgh's clubbing scene
, and making use of free samples from Miss Selfridge, styled hair for a number of local bands. Despite her own feelings towards her look, Manson also briefly modeled
clothing for Jackie
magazine.
's lead Martin Metcalfe to join his band. Manson embarked on a relationship with Metcalfe initially, but remained involved after splitting from him and became a prominent member of the group, performing keyboards
, backing vocals
and becoming involved in the band's business side. Manson's first release with the Mackenzies was a YTS
release of "Death of a Salesman" in 1984. The group signed a major label record deal with Capitol Records
in 1987, and they released their first album Good Deeds and Dirty Rags
, and their only UK Top 40
hit "The Rattler". In 1990, the group's contract was transferred to Parlophone
, another EMI
label, but after two singles failed to chart Parlophone declined to release the groups second album Hammer and Tongs
.
Gary Kurfirst
, who managed Talking Heads
and Deborah Harry
, bought the Mackenzies contract and issued their second album through his own label Radioactive
, a subsidiary of MCA
. After another single failed to chart, the group were persuaded to leave Radioactive by their management. The Mackenzies continued to write material; Manson was also given the opportunity to record lead vocals on a number of tracks planned for the band's third album. Although MCA had no desire to further their commitments to Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie, the label expressed interest in recording an album with Manson, and after hearing several demos
, Kurfirst signed Manson to Radioactive as a solo artist, with the remaining Mackenzies performing as her backing band to circumvent the band's existing deal with MCA. Manson's contract obligated her to deliver at least one album and, at the sole option of Radioactive, up to six additional albums.
, and using some of the newly written material and a previously released Mackenzie b-side, Manson and the group recorded the tracks that would make up the Angelfish
album in Connecticut
with Talking Heads
' Chris Frantz
and Tina Weymouth
. A lead in track "Suffocate Me
" was sent to college radio where it was well received. Angelfish and second single "Heartbreak To Hate
" followed in 1994. Angelfish toured the United States, Canada, France, Belgium, and co-supported Live
on a tour of North America, along with Vic Chestnutt. The music video
for "Suffocate Me" was aired on MTV
's 120 Minutes
. Producer and musician Steve Marker
caught the broadcast and thought Manson would be a great singer for his band, Garbage, which also featured producers Duke Erikson
and Butch Vig
.
was released in August 1995, and went on to sell over 4 million copies, buoyed by a run of high charting singles including "Only Happy When It Rains
" and "Stupid Girl." Manson quickly became the public face of the band over the course of a tour that took the band through to the end of 1996.
Manson became the band's chief song-writer for the follow-up record Version 2.0
which equaled the success of the band's debut record after its May 1998 release. During the two year tour in support of the record, Manson modeled for Calvin Klein
and the group recorded the theme song
to the James Bond
movie The World Is Not Enough
, becoming the third Scotswoman to sing a Bond theme after Lulu
and Sheena Easton
. In the accompanying video, she portrays an android assassin. For the recording of Garbage's third record throughout 2000, Manson became one of the first high-profile artists to write a blog
online, while she decided to improve her guitar playing for the band's next tour. Their third album, beautifulgarbage, featured Manson's most forward and personal lyrics to date. The album did not sell as well as its predecessors, but Garbage performed a successful world tour in support of it. Manson's lyrics became more overtly political for Garbage's fourth record, 2005's Bleed Like Me
, which after the surprise success of lead-in single "Why Do You Love Me
", posted some of the band's highest chart positions upon release.
Garbage began an extended hiatus in October 2005. During this period, in 2007, Garbage reformed to perform a short set at a benefit show to raise cash to pay for Wally Ingram
's medical treatment, shared song ideas via the internet and recorded new material and filmed a music video
to promote the band's Absolute Garbage
greatest hits
compilation. Garbage returned to the studio in 2010 to write and record material for a fifth album.
A few months into Garbage's hiatus, Manson began writing a solo record, working with songwriter Paul Buchanan
, producer Greg Kurstin
, soundtrack composer David Arnold
, and Garbage drummer Butch Vig. In 2007, Manson called up a group of artists to collaborate in the creation of songs, including Rivers Cuomo
, who at that point had never co-written material with anyone. Manson presented some of her work to Geffen Records in 2008, who found it "too noir
", prompting Manson and Geffen to mutually terminate her contract. Manson continues to write material while without a record deal
and has contacted David Byrne
and Ray Davies
in hopes of potential collaborations. Manson has posted three demos
on her Facebook
profile, written by her and Kurstin, titled "In the Snow", "Pretty Horses" and "Lighten Up".
Manson also worked with a number of artists outside of her solo project, reciting a verse of a long poem
for a Chris Connelly album, recording duets with Eric Avery
and Debbie Harry and performing backing vocals on a Gavin Rossdale
track. Although not recording material with them, Manson also performed on-stage with The Pretenders
, Iggy Pop
, Incubus
and Kings of Leon
in Atlantic City, with Gwen Stefani
and a further twice with No Doubt
in Universal City
. Manson also performed in an uncredited role as a dominatrix
in the music video
for She Wants Revenge
's single "These Things
". Most recently Manson sings on a track written by Serj Tankian
entitled "The Hunger", an exclusive single from the rock musical Prometheus Bound
.
Manson married Scottish artist Eddie Farrell in September 1996, having been together for six years. The couple split around 2001; their divorce was finalised by 2003. Manson was later reported to have become engaged in 2008, and in May 2010, married record producer
and Garbage sound engineer Billy Bush
in a Los Angeles court house.
, Peggy Lee
and Ella Fitzgerald
. Early in Manson's teenage years, she became a fan of Siouxsie and the Banshees albums The Scream
and Kaleidoscope, and taught herself how to sing listening to those albums, later stating "many of the songs of those two albums were massive loves of my life". Vocalist Siouxsie Sioux
embodied how Manson aspired to be as a teen. Manson would later write the foreword
to Siouxsie & The Banshees: The Authorised Biography.
At nineteen, Manson discovered Patti Smith
, and specifically Smith's Horses
album, which she admits made a "strong impact" on her. Manson was inspired to learn guitar
by Chrissie Hynde
, while also appreciating the style of Debbie Harry
of Blondie
, whose 2006 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
induction speech was delivered by Manson. The majority of Manson's influences were female musicians; however she also notes David Bowie
as an inspiring male musician. Manson also grew up listening to Ian Brown
, Nick Cave
, Frank Sinatra
, The Clash
and The Velvet Underground
.
Manson herself has been credited with inspiring a new generation of female artists; including Ritzy Bryan (the lead singer and guitarist of The Joy Formidable
),, Taylor Momsen
, and Katy Perry
as well as her contemporaries such as Kylie Minogue
, Gwen Stefani
and Courtney Love
. Manson has also personally given her support to Peaches
, Brody Dalle
, Karen O
, and Skylar Grey at the beginning of their respective careers.
The first time Manson contributed her vocals to a project separately from any of her bands was in 1998, when she performed vocals for the chorus of a Garbage-produced remix
of Fun Lovin' Criminals
1999 single "Korean Bodega
". Due to litigation problems surrounding Manson's contractual obligation to Radioactive Records, further collaborations with both Fun Lovin' Criminals and Moby
were unable to proceed.
Manson teamed up with Marilyn Manson
and Tim Sköld
in 2004 to record a cover version
of the Human League
's "Don't You Want Me
" but both felt the track inappropriate for either acts upcoming albums, and remains unreleased. Later that year, Manson and Brody Dalle
contributed backing vocals to a Queens of the Stone Age
track. In 2006, Manson planned to record a John Lennon
cover version
for the Amnesty International
Instant Karma
charity compilation with bassist Eric Avery
, however a scheduling misunderstanding left them short of time and unable to record the song. Manson and Avery eventually co-wrote and recorded "Maybe", a ballad duet for Avery's album Help Wanted
.
The following year, Manson performed backing vocals on a track for Gavin Rossdale
's solo album Wanderlust
, worked with long-time friend Chris Connelly, orating part of a long poem
on his eighth album Forgiveness and Exile, and worked on a duet with long time inspiration Debbie Harry which remains uncompleted. In 2008, Manson contributed to a Dusty Springfield
tribute album
, with an unspecified release date.
Upon her taking on the role of Catherine Weaver in Terminator... and on the encouragement of series' composer Bear McCreary, Manson was asked by show runner
Josh Friedman
to perform and co-create a gospel arrangement of "Samson and Delilah" for the opening episode of the second season. After much interest, the track was released on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
season one soundtrack
at the end of 2008. Three years later Manson recorded vocals to a track composed by Serj Tankian
and Steven Sater
. The track, "The Hunger", which Sater describes as exploring "the hunger of the heart", features on their rock musical adaptation of Prometheus Bound
, and was recreated with fresh instrumentation and new lyrics for the digital release, exclusively through iTunes
worldwide. All proceeds made from sales of the single will benefit Amnesty International
.
" in their white label
track "You're Taking Me Over". Manson refused clearance
for the sample and the track was scrapped. By that point the track, and remixes by Inner City, Problem Kids and Desyn Masiello
& Leon Roberts had already been circulated. The song was reworked and re-released the following year as "Gonna Make You My Lover", without Manson's vocal.
and enduring a multiple audition process, beating out other actresses including Julie Ann Emery
. She debuted in the season two premiere episode "Samson and Delilah" as Catherine Weaver, a CEO of a technology company, ZeiraCorp. At the conclusion of the episode, Weaver is revealed to be a liquid-metal T-1001 Terminator. Manson also performed and co-arranged
a rock and blues version of the gospel song "Samson and Delilah
" for the episode's score
. Manson cites actress Glenn Close
and former British Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher
as her acting influences for the ambiguous character. Manson also played the human Weaver in archive footage viewed by the T-1001 in the episode "The Tower is Tall, But the Fall is Short".
In 2009, Manson made her first venture into the videogame industry by becoming digitally mapped to create an avatar
of herself for the Guitar Hero franchise. In the fifth game in the series, Manson is an unlockable character, while the game also features a licensed Garbage track.
ed lipgloss online, with all proceeds from the sales split between Grampian Children's Cancer Research
and cancer
treatment institutions at Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital
in Scotland and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York
.
In 2001, Manson became an ambassador for the M•A•C AIDS Fund
, fronting their fourth two-year charity lipstick marketing campaign alongside Elton John
and Mary J. Blige
, beginning with the launch of the VIVAMAC IV lipstick
in March 2002, in which all proceeds of the sale of the lipstick goes to help fund AIDS charities and initiatives. While touring, Manson visited several AIDS
charities
in Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Toronto, New York, San Francisco and Madison to make several donations totalling over $300,000 on behalf of the M•A•C AIDS Fund.
In 2003, the M•A•C AIDS Fund linked with the Elton John AIDS Foundation
to produce the White Bedroom campaign, where both Elton John and Manson recorded PSA
s promoting condom use
and stating facts on AIDS. By 2007, the combined six VIVAMAC campaigns had raised over $100 million U.S. dollars, and as a former ambassador Manson accepted a cheque for £51,000 on behalf of HIV
charity Waverley Care from the M•A•C AIDS Fund on 10 April 2008 at Harvey Nichols
Edinburgh store. Manson had become a patron
of Waverley Care in October 2002 and previously hosted a fund raiser auction
to raise funds for the charity in January 2004 which raised £45,000. A Fender guitar owned by Manson raised £1,050, while other items auctioned included contributions sourced by Manson herself, from Elton John and Kylie Minogue
.
Manson is also a keen lover of animals. In 2007, Manson fronted an international poster campaign for PETA Europe
, holding the carcass of a fox
under the headline "Here's the rest of your fur coat". Manson has also adopted a rescue dog
, a terrier-mix
named Veela, named after the fictional beings from the Harry Potter
books.
In 2008, Manson became involved with the Pablove Foundation, a charity founded by Dangerbird Records
head Jeff Castelaz, whose son Pablo succumbed to cancer the following year. Funds raised for the Pablove Foundation directly supports the pediatric cancer community in and around Children's Hospital Los Angeles
. Manson reformed Garbage to contribute an exclusive track, "Witness to Your Love", to a charity album for the Foundation; signed off a Pablove poster for auction on eBay
; Manson also hosted a fundraiser headlined by the Silversun Pickups
, and performed acoustically on-stage at a second fundraiser with Butch Vig and Tom Gabel
(for a rendition of "Witness...") and with Greg Kurstin (for a cover of Pablo's favourite song, David Bowie
's "Life on Mars?
").
In 2010, Shirley Manson donated two hand-decorated T-shirts to Binki Shapiro’s (of the band “Little Joy
”) on-line charity auction “Crafts for a Cause” to help raise money for the earthquake
victims of Haiti
. The two T-shirts raised a total of $1522.00, which was donated to the Artists for Peace and Justice
organisation.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
recording artist and actress, best known internationally as the lead singer of the alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Garbage
Garbage (band)
Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
. For much of her international career Manson commuted between her home city of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
to the United States to record with Garbage but now lives and works in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Manson gained media attention for her forthright style, rebellious attitude, and distinctive voice, which also won her fans throughout the world.
Manson's musical career began in her teens when she was approached to perform backing vocals and keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
for Scottish band Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie
Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie
Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie were a Scottish 1980s and 1990s rock group formed in Bathgate, near Edinburgh, Scotland...
. Quickly she developed into a prominent member of the group and developed a formidable stage presence. Manson was approached by her band's record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
with the idea of launching her as a solo artist, and recorded an album with her band under the Angelfish
Angelfish (band)
Angelfish was a short-lived mid-1990s alternative rock group originating from Edinburgh, Scotland, formed as a side-project to Scottish group Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie, after keyboardist and backing vocalist Shirley Manson was signed as a solo artist to circumvent the Mackenzies' existing record contract...
name. After seeing Manson in an Angelfish video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
broadcast only once on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's 120 Minutes
120 Minutes
120 Minutes is a television show in the United States dedicated to alternative music, originally airing on MTV from 1986 to 2000, and then on MTV's sister channel MTV2 from 2001 to 2003....
, Garbage invited Manson to record vocals on a few of their songs; she would eventually co-write and co-produce an entire album with the band. The resulting self-titled debut, Garbage
Garbage (album)
Garbage is the debut album by Scottish/American alternative rock group Garbage. It was released in the late summer and autumn of 1995 worldwide, following critical acclaim and promising chart positions for their debut single "Vow", which entered the Billboard Hot 100.Garbage eventually spent over a...
, was a worldwide hit, and was followed by three studio albums, including the multiple Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-nominated Version 2.0
Version 2.0
Version 2.0 is the second album by alternative rock group Garbage. It was released worldwide in May 1998 by Mushroom Records UK and in North America by Almo Sounds. Version 2.0 was the follow-up to the band's multi-platinum debut album Garbage. Despite a slow start, Version 2.0 went on to equal its...
, and a greatest hits album
Absolute Garbage
Absolute Garbage is the 2007 greatest hits album released by alternative rock group Garbage. The album was compiled and released by Geffen imprint Almo Sounds through Universal Music Enterprises backcatalogue division in North America and Warner Music's record label A&E Records throughout the rest...
. Garbage toured worldwide and sold 12 million record sales over ten years.
In 2006, Manson began to write and record solo material after Garbage was put on "hiatus" and in 2008 was cast in her first professional acting role on the second and final season of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles as series regular Catherine Weaver, a liquid metal T-1001 Terminator
Terminator (character concept)
In the Terminator film series, a terminator is an autonomous robot, typically humanoid, originally conceived as a virtually indestructible soldier and assassin, as well as an infiltrator....
. Manson returned to the recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
in 2010 to write and produce material for a fifth Garbage album.
Manson has been voted at #60 on the VH1s 100 Sexiest Artists list.
Life and career
Shirley Anne Manson was born in 1966 to John Mitchell and Muriel Flora Manson (née MacKay) at the Queen Mary Maternity Home in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. John Mitchell, a descendant from the fishing community of Northmavine
Northmavine
Northmavine is a peninsula of Shetland in Scotland. It is in the north west of the island, and contains the villages of Hillswick, Ollaberry, and North Roe...
, Shetland, was a university lecturer while Muriel was a big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
singer, who had been adopted by a Lothian
Lothian
Lothian forms a traditional region of Scotland, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills....
-based family at an early age (and took on the family name MacDonald). Shirley was named after an aunt who was herself named after Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood, whose novels are English literature standards...
's novel Shirley
Shirley (novel)
Shirley is an 1849 social novel by the English novelist Charlotte Brontë. It was Brontë's second published novel after Jane Eyre . The novel is set in Yorkshire in the period 1811–12, during the industrial depression resulting from the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812...
. She was born with two years between both older sister Lindy-Jayne and younger sister Sarah, and was brought up in the Comely Bank
Comely Bank
Comely Bank is an area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, United Kingdom. It is south-west of Royal Botanic Garden. It is situated between Stockbridge and Craigleith.-External links:...
and Stockbridge
Stockbridge, Edinburgh
Stockbridge is an area of Edinburgh, located towards the north of the city, bounded by the New Town and by Comely Bank. The name is Scots stock brig from Anglic stocc brycg, meaning a timber bridge. Originally a small outlying village, it was incorporated into the City of Edinburgh in the 19th...
areas of the city. Manson attended Presbyterian church until the age of 12, where her father was also her Sunday School
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
teacher.
Manson's first public performance was in 1970, at age four, with her older sister, in an amateur show
Edinburgh amateur theatre
Edinburgh supports a large number of active amateur dramatics and musical theatre companies. Most weeks see at least one amateur production running, using one of the myriad small theatres and church halls, many of which are familiar with hosting theatrical productions thanks to being in high demand...
held at the local Church Hill Theatre
Church Hill, Edinburgh
Church Hill is the name of a street and small surrounding area in Edinburgh, Scotland.It lies immediately to the north of Morningside and south of Bruntsfield; technically it is part of Burghmuirhead, together with Holy Corner. All of Burghmuirhead was once part of the lands of Greenhill...
. Enrolled at Flora Stevenson Primary School, Manson received instruction in recorder, clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
and fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, and learned ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
from extramural
Extramural
Extramural means to study outside, but under the aegis of, a university or other institution. Extramural studies are taken by the student away from the physical campus, and are often used for those unable to attend classes....
classes at age seven. Manson was a member of Girlguiding UK
Girlguiding UK
Girlguiding UK is the national Guiding organisation of the United Kingdom. Guiding began in the UK in 1910 after Robert Baden-Powell asked his sister Agnes to start a group especially for girls that would be run along similar lines to Scouting for Boys. The Guide Association was a founder member of...
throughout this period of her youth as a Brownie and a Guide, Manson would later attend the City of Edinburgh Music School
City of Edinburgh Music School
The City of Edinburgh Music School is a state-maintained music school in Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded as the Lothian Specialist Music School in 1980, it changed its name in 1996 when Lothian Regional Council was dissolved into four separate unitary councils. It is a non-residential...
, the music department of Broughton High
Broughton High School, Edinburgh
Broughton High School is in north Edinburgh, Scotland. It is a local authority school, noted for its music department: the City of Edinburgh Music School. It is currently next to Inverleith Park, next to private school Fettes College, but was formerly in Broughton proper, where the poet Hugh...
. While at Broughton, Manson became an active member of its drama group, performing in amateur dramatic and musical performances such as The American Dream
The American Dream (play)
The American Dream is an early, one-act play by American playwright Edward Albee. It was first staged 24 January 1961 at the York Playhouse in New York City. The play, a satire on American family life, concerns a married couple and their elderly mother...
and The Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
, while also singing with the Waverley Singers, a local girl choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
. Other notable members of the drama group included Hilary MacLean, Rebecca Pigeon and Sara Stewart
Sara Stewart
Sara Stewart is a Scottish actress, perhaps most famously known for her role as Stella in Sugar Rush.-Early life:Stewart was born Sara Scott Griffith in Edinburgh, Scotland, to American parents...
; while a production of Maurice the Minotaur (in which Manson played a prophet) during the 1981 Edinburgh Festival Fringe was awarded a Fringe First award by The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
newspaper.
While Manson had enjoyed primary school, Manson was bullied while in her first year at secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
, causing her to suffer from depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
and engage in self-injury: she carried a sharp object in the laces of her boots and cut herself when she felt low self-esteem, stress, or anxiety. The bullying stopped when Manson associated herself with a rebel crowd – which resulted in her rebelling herself; playing truant
Truancy
Truancy is any intentional unauthorized absence from compulsory schooling. The term typically describes absences caused by students of their own free will, and usually does not refer to legitimate "excused" absences, such as ones related to medical conditions...
for most of her final year at school, smoking cannabis
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
and sniffing glue, drinking, shoplifting, and on one occasion breaking into Edinburgh Zoo
Edinburgh Zoo
Edinburgh Zoo, formally the Scottish National Zoological Park, is a non-profit zoological park located in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland...
. Manson's first job was volunteer work in a local hospital's cafeteria, then as a breakfast waitress at a local hotel before spending five years as a shop assistant for Miss Selfridge
Miss Selfridge
Miss Selfridge is a nationwide UK high street store which began as the young fashion section of Selfridges department store in London in 1966. Miss Selfridge got its name when Charles Clore, the owner of Selfridges at the time, saw a window display in the Bonwit Teller store in New York which...
, beginning on the make-up counter. Manson was eventually moved into stockrooms for her attitude to customers. Manson became well known throughout Edinburgh's clubbing scene
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
, and making use of free samples from Miss Selfridge, styled hair for a number of local bands. Despite her own feelings towards her look, Manson also briefly modeled
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
clothing for Jackie
Jackie (magazine)
Jackie was a weekly British magazine for girls. The magazine was published by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd of Dundee from 11 January 1964 until its closure on 3 July 1993—a total of 1534 issues....
magazine.
Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie
Manson's first musical experiences came from briefly singing with local Edinburgh acts The Wild Indians and performed backing vocals with Autumn 1984. While she was acting in her group, Manson was approached by Goodbye Mr. MackenzieGoodbye Mr. Mackenzie
Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie were a Scottish 1980s and 1990s rock group formed in Bathgate, near Edinburgh, Scotland...
's lead Martin Metcalfe to join his band. Manson embarked on a relationship with Metcalfe initially, but remained involved after splitting from him and became a prominent member of the group, performing keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
and becoming involved in the band's business side. Manson's first release with the Mackenzies was a YTS
Youth Training Scheme
The Youth Training Scheme was the former name in the United Kingdom of an on-the-job training course for school leavers aged 16 and 17, managed by the Manpower Services Commission...
release of "Death of a Salesman" in 1984. The group signed a major label record deal with Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
in 1987, and they released their first album Good Deeds and Dirty Rags
Good Deeds and Dirty Rags
Good Deeds and Dirty Rags is the first album from the Scottish group Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie. It was released in the UK in 1989 and is therefore from the same era as a number of other Scottish bands including Deacon Blue, Hue and Cry and Danny Wilson...
, and their only UK Top 40
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
hit "The Rattler". In 1990, the group's contract was transferred to Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
, another EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
label, but after two singles failed to chart Parlophone declined to release the groups second album Hammer and Tongs
Hammer and Tongs
Hammer and Tongs is the second album from the Scottish rock group Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie. It was recorded in Germany in 1989, at Berlin's Hansa Ton Studios just as the Fall of the Berlin Wall occurred...
.
Gary Kurfirst
Gary Kurfirst
Gary Kurfirst was an influential figure in late 20th and early 21st century pop music as a promoter, producer, manager, and record label executive.-Early years:...
, who managed Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
and Deborah Harry
Debbie Harry
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
, bought the Mackenzies contract and issued their second album through his own label Radioactive
Radioactive Records
Radioactive Records was an American record label. It was formed as a joint venture between talent manager Gary Kurfirst and MCA Records, and it is now out of business....
, a subsidiary of MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. After another single failed to chart, the group were persuaded to leave Radioactive by their management. The Mackenzies continued to write material; Manson was also given the opportunity to record lead vocals on a number of tracks planned for the band's third album. Although MCA had no desire to further their commitments to Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie, the label expressed interest in recording an album with Manson, and after hearing several demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
, Kurfirst signed Manson to Radioactive as a solo artist, with the remaining Mackenzies performing as her backing band to circumvent the band's existing deal with MCA. Manson's contract obligated her to deliver at least one album and, at the sole option of Radioactive, up to six additional albums.
Angelfish
Recording under the name AngelfishAngelfish (band)
Angelfish was a short-lived mid-1990s alternative rock group originating from Edinburgh, Scotland, formed as a side-project to Scottish group Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie, after keyboardist and backing vocalist Shirley Manson was signed as a solo artist to circumvent the Mackenzies' existing record contract...
, and using some of the newly written material and a previously released Mackenzie b-side, Manson and the group recorded the tracks that would make up the Angelfish
Angelfish (album)
Angelfish is the 1994 self-titled debut and single studio album released by Scottish alternative rock group Angelfish, fronted by Shirley Manson. The Angelfish album was born out of necessity when Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie's record distributor MCA expressed interest in recording an album with Manson on...
album in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
with Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
' Chris Frantz
Chris Frantz
Chris Frantz is an American musician and record producer. He was the drummer for both Talking Heads and the Tom Tom Club.-Career:...
and Tina Weymouth
Tina Weymouth
Martina Michèle "Tina" Weymouth is an American musician, best known as a founding member and bassist of the New Wave group Talking Heads and its side project Tom Tom Club .-Profile:Weymouth is of French heritage on her mother's side. Weymouth was a cheerleader in high school...
. A lead in track "Suffocate Me
Suffocate Me
Suffocate Me was a 1993 extended play release and the debut single by Scottish band Angelfish. While not charting on any mainstream Billboard charts, "Suffocate Me" was received well on college radio, and was followed up in 1994 by the release of Angelfish's self-titled debut album.The music video...
" was sent to college radio where it was well received. Angelfish and second single "Heartbreak To Hate
Heartbreak To Hate
"Heartbreak to Hate" is a song by the Scottish rock band Angelfish from their self-titled debut album. It was released in 1994, and the only single released from the album. A music video was made for the single.-External links:...
" followed in 1994. Angelfish toured the United States, Canada, France, Belgium, and co-supported Live
Live (band)
Live is an American rock band from York, Pennsylvania, composed of Chad Taylor , Patrick Dahlheimer , and Chad Gracey . Lead singer and principal songwriter Ed Kowalczyk left the band in November 2009....
on a tour of North America, along with Vic Chestnutt. The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Suffocate Me" was aired on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's 120 Minutes
120 Minutes
120 Minutes is a television show in the United States dedicated to alternative music, originally airing on MTV from 1986 to 2000, and then on MTV's sister channel MTV2 from 2001 to 2003....
. Producer and musician Steve Marker
Steve Marker
Steve Marker is an American musician and record producer, best known internationally as the guitarist of the Madison, Wisconsin-based alternative rock band Garbage.-Early life:...
caught the broadcast and thought Manson would be a great singer for his band, Garbage, which also featured producers Duke Erikson
Duke Erikson
Douglas Elwin Erickson , better known as Duke Erikson, is a founding member of the band Garbage. At 16 years old he formed his first band, The British. Erickson studied art history, and financed his studies with numerous jobs such as carpenter or truck driver...
and Butch Vig
Butch Vig
Butch Vig is an American musician and record producer, best known internationally as the drummer of the Madison, Wisconsin-based alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of multi-platinum selling album Nevermind by Nirvana....
.
Garbage
Vig invited Manson to Smart Studios to sing on a couple of tracks. After an unsuccessful audition, she returned to Angelfish. At the end of the Live tour, Angelfish imploded and Manson returned to Smart for a second try. She began to work on the then-skeletal origins of some songs and the band invited her to become a full-time member of the band and finish the album. In August 1994, Radioactive gave their permission for Manson to work with Garbage. The band's debut album GarbageGarbage (album)
Garbage is the debut album by Scottish/American alternative rock group Garbage. It was released in the late summer and autumn of 1995 worldwide, following critical acclaim and promising chart positions for their debut single "Vow", which entered the Billboard Hot 100.Garbage eventually spent over a...
was released in August 1995, and went on to sell over 4 million copies, buoyed by a run of high charting singles including "Only Happy When It Rains
Only Happy When It Rains
"Only Happy When It Rains" was a single written, recorded and produced by alternative rock group Garbage at their own recording studio, Smart Studios, in Madison, Wisconsin...
" and "Stupid Girl." Manson quickly became the public face of the band over the course of a tour that took the band through to the end of 1996.
Manson became the band's chief song-writer for the follow-up record Version 2.0
Version 2.0
Version 2.0 is the second album by alternative rock group Garbage. It was released worldwide in May 1998 by Mushroom Records UK and in North America by Almo Sounds. Version 2.0 was the follow-up to the band's multi-platinum debut album Garbage. Despite a slow start, Version 2.0 went on to equal its...
which equaled the success of the band's debut record after its May 1998 release. During the two year tour in support of the record, Manson modeled for Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
and the group recorded the theme song
The World is Not Enough (song)
"The World Is Not Enough" is a 1999 orchestral rock song performed by alternative rock group Garbage, and was the theme single of the James Bond film of the same name. The song and accompanying soundtrack were released internationally by Radioactive Records as the feature film premiered in theaters...
to the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
movie The World Is Not Enough
The World Is Not Enough
The World Is Not Enough is the nineteenth spy film in the James Bond film series, and the third to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film was directed by Michael Apted, with the original story and screenplay written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Bruce Feirstein. It...
, becoming the third Scotswoman to sing a Bond theme after Lulu
Lulu (singer)
Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
and Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop...
. In the accompanying video, she portrays an android assassin. For the recording of Garbage's third record throughout 2000, Manson became one of the first high-profile artists to write a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
online, while she decided to improve her guitar playing for the band's next tour. Their third album, beautifulgarbage, featured Manson's most forward and personal lyrics to date. The album did not sell as well as its predecessors, but Garbage performed a successful world tour in support of it. Manson's lyrics became more overtly political for Garbage's fourth record, 2005's Bleed Like Me
Bleed Like Me
Bleed Like Me is the fourth studio album recorded and produced by alternative rock group Garbage. It was released in April 2005 by Warner Bros...
, which after the surprise success of lead-in single "Why Do You Love Me
Why Do You Love Me
"Why Do You Love Me" is a 2005 song written, performed and produced by alternative rock band Garbage and was released worldwide as the lead single to promote their fourth studio album Bleed Like Me...
", posted some of the band's highest chart positions upon release.
Garbage began an extended hiatus in October 2005. During this period, in 2007, Garbage reformed to perform a short set at a benefit show to raise cash to pay for Wally Ingram
Wally Ingram
Wally Ingram is an American drummer and musician. He is most famous as a member of the band, Timbuk 3.In recent years, he has toured with the multi-instrumentalist David Lindley, and released several records with him :* 2000 : Twango Bango Deluxe...
's medical treatment, shared song ideas via the internet and recorded new material and filmed a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
to promote the band's Absolute Garbage
Absolute Garbage
Absolute Garbage is the 2007 greatest hits album released by alternative rock group Garbage. The album was compiled and released by Geffen imprint Almo Sounds through Universal Music Enterprises backcatalogue division in North America and Warner Music's record label A&E Records throughout the rest...
greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
compilation. Garbage returned to the studio in 2010 to write and record material for a fifth album.
A few months into Garbage's hiatus, Manson began writing a solo record, working with songwriter Paul Buchanan
The Blue Nile
The Blue Nile is an adult alternative/pop band from Glasgow. The music of The Blue Nile is built heavily on synthesizers and electronic instrumentation and percussion, although later works featured acoustic guitar more prominently.-Early years:...
, producer Greg Kurstin
Greg Kurstin
Gregory Allen "Greg" Kurstin is an award-winning American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. In 2009 Kurstin received a Grammy Award nomination for Producer of the Year. That same year he won three Ivor Novello awards for his work with Lily Allen, including Songwriters of the Year for "The Fear"...
, soundtrack composer David Arnold
David Arnold
David Arnold is an English film composer best known for scoring five James Bond films, the 1994 film Stargate, the 1996 film Independence Day, and the television series Little Britain.-Film and television career:...
, and Garbage drummer Butch Vig. In 2007, Manson called up a group of artists to collaborate in the creation of songs, including Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an Ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992...
, who at that point had never co-written material with anyone. Manson presented some of her work to Geffen Records in 2008, who found it "too noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
", prompting Manson and Geffen to mutually terminate her contract. Manson continues to write material while without a record deal
Unsigned artist
The term "unsigned artist" or "independent artist" is used in the music industry as a marketing technique.-History and current scene:Many unsigned artists used to sell their music and music-related merchandise without the financial support of a record label, while often seeking a recording contract...
and has contacted David Byrne
David Byrne
David Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...
and Ray Davies
Ray Davies
Ray Davies, CBE is an English rock musician. He is best known as lead singer and songwriter for the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother, Dave...
in hopes of potential collaborations. Manson has posted three demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
on her Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
profile, written by her and Kurstin, titled "In the Snow", "Pretty Horses" and "Lighten Up".
Manson also worked with a number of artists outside of her solo project, reciting a verse of a long poem
Long poem
The long poem is a literary genre including all poetry of considerable length. Though the definition of a long poem is vague and broad, the genre includes some of the most important poetry ever written....
for a Chris Connelly album, recording duets with Eric Avery
Eric Avery
Eric Adam Avery is an American musician and is the former bass player for the rock band Jane's Addiction. Avery played in Jane's Addiction initially from 1985 to 1991, and rejoined the band in 2008 before departing again in 2010....
and Debbie Harry and performing backing vocals on a Gavin Rossdale
Gavin Rossdale
Gavin McGregor Rossdale is an English musician, known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Bush as well as an actor. Following Bush's separation in 2002, which lasted for eight years, he was the lead singer and guitarist for Institute, and later began a solo career. He...
track. Although not recording material with them, Manson also performed on-stage with The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
, Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
, Incubus
Incubus (band)
Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;...
and Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
in Atlantic City, with Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
and a further twice with No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
in Universal City
Universal City, California
Universal City is a community in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, that encompasses the 415 acre property of Universal Studios...
. Manson also performed in an uncredited role as a dominatrix
Dominatrix
Dominatrix or mistress is a woman or women who takes the dominant role in bondage, discipline and sadomasochism, or BDSM. A common form of address for a submissive to a dominatrix is "mistress", "ma'am", "domina" or "maîtresse"...
in the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for She Wants Revenge
She Wants Revenge
She Wants Revenge is an American musical duo, based in San Fernando Valley, California. The group's debut album She Wants Revenge was released in early 2006, with three singles to follow...
's single "These Things
These Things
"These Things" is an EP by She Wants Revenge, released in 2005 by Perfect Kiss, a subsidiary of Geffen Records. On Billboards Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart, "These Things" followed up the #6 performance of "Tear You Apart" by reaching #22 in July 2006....
". Most recently Manson sings on a track written by Serj Tankian
Serj Tankian
Serj Tankian is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer–songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, record producer, poet, and political activist...
entitled "The Hunger", an exclusive single from the rock musical Prometheus Bound
Prometheus Bound
Prometheus Bound is an Ancient Greek tragedy. In Antiquity, this drama was attributed to Aeschylus, but is now considered by some scholars to be the work of another hand, perhaps one as late as ca. 415 BC. Despite these doubts of authorship, the play's designation as Aeschylean has remained...
.
Personal life
Manson has long been interested in spirituality. She later recalled, "when I was very small, I was very besotted with the church, absolutely, I loved the theatre of it and I got very involved in all the stories we were taught." Her father was also her Sunday school teacher. When she was about 12, she had a huge fight with her father over the dinner table, screaming at him that "religion's a sham, ... and I'm not going to church anymore, it's just bullshit". She stopped going to church, but continued to have theological debates with her father every Sunday. She became disenchanted with organised religion and although she maintained an interest in spirituality she complained that she "brushed up against too many examples of "hypocritical" spiritualists." Manson claimed on her Facebook page to be in favour of "science but also maybe a little bit of spirituality... I am not scared of God but I am scared of the word[sic]".Manson married Scottish artist Eddie Farrell in September 1996, having been together for six years. The couple split around 2001; their divorce was finalised by 2003. Manson was later reported to have become engaged in 2008, and in May 2010, married record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and Garbage sound engineer Billy Bush
Billy Bush (producer)
Billy Bush is an American musician, audio engineer and record producer, best known as the sound engineer and live tech for the Madison, Wisconsin-based alternative rock band Garbage and the co-producer of albums Help Wanted by Eric Avery and Heart Burns by Tom Gabel.Bush was hired by Garbage in...
in a Los Angeles court house.
Musical influence
Manson's earliest musical memories were of her mother, who sang with a big band when Manson was a child. Manson was exposed to classic jazz records as she grew up and work by Nina SimoneNina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
, Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
and Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
. Early in Manson's teenage years, she became a fan of Siouxsie and the Banshees albums The Scream
The Scream (album)
The Scream is the debut album by English post-punk band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released in November 1978 on Polydor Records. Even before this release, the band already had a strong reputation as a live act, as well as having a Top 10 UK single under their belt with "Hong Kong Garden"...
and Kaleidoscope, and taught herself how to sing listening to those albums, later stating "many of the songs of those two albums were massive loves of my life". Vocalist Siouxsie Sioux
Siouxsie Sioux
Siouxsie Sioux is an English singer-songwriter. She is best known as the lead singer of the critically acclaimed rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees and of its splinter group The Creatures . The Banshees produced eleven studio albums and a string of hit singles including "Hong Kong Garden",...
embodied how Manson aspired to be as a teen. Manson would later write the foreword
Foreword
A foreword is a piece of writing sometimes placed at the beginning of a book or other piece of literature. Written by someone other than the primary author of the work, it often tells of some interaction between the writer of the foreword and the book's primary author or the story the book tells...
to Siouxsie & The Banshees: The Authorised Biography.
At nineteen, Manson discovered Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
, and specifically Smith's Horses
Horses (album)
"Horses" is often cited as one of the greatest albums in music history. In 2003, the album was ranked number 44 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. NME named the album number 1 in its list "20 Near-as-Damn-It Perfect Initial Efforts"...
album, which she admits made a "strong impact" on her. Manson was inspired to learn guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
by Chrissie Hynde
Chrissie Hynde
Christine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
, while also appreciating the style of Debbie Harry
Debbie Harry
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
of Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
, whose 2006 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
induction speech was delivered by Manson. The majority of Manson's influences were female musicians; however she also notes David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
as an inspiring male musician. Manson also grew up listening to Ian Brown
Ian Brown
Ian George Brown is an English musician, best known as the lead singer of the alternative rock band The Stone Roses, which broke up in 1996 but are confirmed to reunite in 2012. Since the break-up of the Stone Roses he has pursued a solo career...
, Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
, Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
and The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
.
Manson herself has been credited with inspiring a new generation of female artists; including Ritzy Bryan (the lead singer and guitarist of The Joy Formidable
The Joy Formidable
The Joy Formidable are a three-piece band formed in 2007 in North Wales and currently located in London, England. The band consists of Ritzy Bryan , Rhydian Dafydd , and Matt Thomas ....
),, Taylor Momsen
Taylor Momsen
Taylor Michel Momsen is an American actress, musician and model who portrays the character of Jenny Humphrey on the CW television series Gossip Girl and portrayed the role of Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and fronts the rock band The Pretty Reckless.-Early life and career:Taylor...
, and Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
as well as her contemporaries such as Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
and Courtney Love
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
. Manson has also personally given her support to Peaches
Peaches (musician)
Merrill Beth Nisker , better known by her stage name Peaches, is a Canadian electronic musician and performance artist who lives in Berlin, Germany. Her songs are noted for disregarding traditional gender norms and their use of sexually explicit lyrics...
, Brody Dalle
Brody Dalle
Brody Dalle is an Australian-born American singer, songwriter and guitarist. She rose to fame as lead singer/guitarist for the punk rock band The Distillers and currently fronts Spinnerette....
, Karen O
Karen O
Karen Lee Orzolek , better known by her stage name Karen O, is the vocalist for New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs.-Early life:...
, and Skylar Grey at the beginning of their respective careers.
Discography
Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie
Credited with backing vocals and keyboards- Good Deeds and Dirty RagsGood Deeds and Dirty RagsGood Deeds and Dirty Rags is the first album from the Scottish group Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie. It was released in the UK in 1989 and is therefore from the same era as a number of other Scottish bands including Deacon Blue, Hue and Cry and Danny Wilson...
(1988) - Hammer and TongsHammer and TongsHammer and Tongs is the second album from the Scottish rock group Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie. It was recorded in Germany in 1989, at Berlin's Hansa Ton Studios just as the Fall of the Berlin Wall occurred...
(1991) - FiveFive (Goodbye Mr Mackenzie album)Five is the third album from the Scottish group Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie. It has a rougher edge to it than the previous albums, partly due to a major grunge influence.-Track listing:# "Hard"# "Bam Bam"# "Grip"# "Jim's Killer"# "Niagara"...
(1993)
Garbage
Credited with songwriting, lead vocals and guitar- GarbageGarbage (album)Garbage is the debut album by Scottish/American alternative rock group Garbage. It was released in the late summer and autumn of 1995 worldwide, following critical acclaim and promising chart positions for their debut single "Vow", which entered the Billboard Hot 100.Garbage eventually spent over a...
(1995) - Version 2.0Version 2.0Version 2.0 is the second album by alternative rock group Garbage. It was released worldwide in May 1998 by Mushroom Records UK and in North America by Almo Sounds. Version 2.0 was the follow-up to the band's multi-platinum debut album Garbage. Despite a slow start, Version 2.0 went on to equal its...
(1998) - Beautiful Garbage (2001)
- Bleed Like MeBleed Like MeBleed Like Me is the fourth studio album recorded and produced by alternative rock group Garbage. It was released in April 2005 by Warner Bros...
(2005)
Featured appearances
| Year | Track | Artist | Credit given | Appears on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "Korean Bodega (Aero Mexicana mix) Korean Bodega "Korean Bodega" is a single released in 1999, and was the final single taken from Fun Lovin' Criminals's second album 100% Colombian.The release of the single was cross-promoted by a electronica version of the song arranged by Garbage, on which singer Shirley Manson performed a guest vocal for the... " |
Fun Lovin' Criminals Fun Lovin' Criminals The Fun Lovin' Criminals is an American alternative hip hop / alternative rock group from New York City. Their musical style is primarily eclectic, covering styles such as hip hop, rock, funk, blues and jazz. Their songs often deal with life in New York City, as well as urban life in general... |
Guest vocals | A's, B's and Rarities A's, B's and Rarities - Disc 1 - A-Sides :Track listing# The Fun Lovin' Criminal – 3:13# The Grave and the Constant – 4:47# King of New York – 3:48# Korean Bodega – 2:49# Loco – 3:56# Bump – 3:26# Run Daddy Run – 3:45... (2004) |
| 2004 | "You Got a Killer Scene There, Man..." | Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and... |
Sultry vocals | Lullabies to Paralyze Lullabies to Paralyze Lullabies to Paralyze is the fourth studio album by hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age, released on March 21, 2005. The album debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200, and sold 97,000 copies in America during its first week of release, eventually topping over 342,000 copies as of March, 2007... (2005) |
| 2006 | "Maybe" | Eric Avery Eric Avery Eric Adam Avery is an American musician and is the former bass player for the rock band Jane's Addiction. Avery played in Jane's Addiction initially from 1985 to 1991, and rejoined the band in 2008 before departing again in 2010.... |
Vocals, lyrics | Help Wanted Help Wanted (album) Help Wanted is the debut solo album release from former Jane's Addiction bassist, Eric Avery, released on April 8, 2008.A number of notable guest musicians perform on the record, including Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins, Garbage's Shirley Manson, and trumpeters Flea and Willie Waldman... (2008) |
| 2007 | "The Trouble I'm In" | Gavin Rossdale Gavin Rossdale Gavin McGregor Rossdale is an English musician, known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Bush as well as an actor. Following Bush's separation in 2002, which lasted for eight years, he was the lead singer and guitarist for Institute, and later began a solo career. He... |
Vocals | Wanderlust WANDERlust (Gavin Rossdale album) -Bonus Tracks:"I Don't Want to Lose Myself Tonight" – 3:40"You Can't Run from What You Forget" – 3:37"Jungle in the Circus" – 4:16"Vaya Con Dios" - 3:54-Chart positions:-Personnel:* Gavin Rossdale - lead vocals, guitar... (2008) |
| "Forgiveness and Exile, Pt.3" | Chris Connelly | Orator | Forgiveness and Exile (2008) | |
| 2008 | "Samson and Delilah Samson and Delilah (song) "Samson and Delilah" is a traditional song based on the Biblical tale of Samson and his betrayal by Delilah. Its best known performer is perhaps the Grateful Dead, who first performed the song live in 1976, with guitarist Bob Weir singing lead vocals. It was frequently played live by the Dead. The... " |
Bear McCreary Bear McCreary Bear McCreary is an American composer and musician living in Los Angeles, California. He is known for his work on the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series.-Biography:... |
Vocals | Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (soundtrack) Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is the first soundtrack album release from the science fiction television series of the same name based on the Terminator franchise. The score is licensed for release by Warner Bros... OST (2008) |
| 2010 | "Maneater Maneater (Hall & Oates song) "Maneater" is a single recorded by American duo Hall & Oates from their 1982 album H2O. It reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on December 18, 1982... " |
The Bird and the Bee The Bird and the Bee The Bird and the Bee is an American indie pop musical duo from Los Angeles, California, consisting of musicians Inara George and Greg Kurstin... |
Backing vocals | Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates is the third studio album by American indie pop duo The Bird and the Bee. It was released on March 23, 2010 by Blue Note Records and is a tribute album to Hall & Oates.... (2010) |
| 2011 | "The Hunger" | Shirley Manson & Serj Tankian Serj Tankian Serj Tankian is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer–songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, record producer, poet, and political activist... |
Vocals | Prometheus Bound OST (2011) |
The first time Manson contributed her vocals to a project separately from any of her bands was in 1998, when she performed vocals for the chorus of a Garbage-produced remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
of Fun Lovin' Criminals
Fun Lovin' Criminals
The Fun Lovin' Criminals is an American alternative hip hop / alternative rock group from New York City. Their musical style is primarily eclectic, covering styles such as hip hop, rock, funk, blues and jazz. Their songs often deal with life in New York City, as well as urban life in general...
1999 single "Korean Bodega
Korean Bodega
"Korean Bodega" is a single released in 1999, and was the final single taken from Fun Lovin' Criminals's second album 100% Colombian.The release of the single was cross-promoted by a electronica version of the song arranged by Garbage, on which singer Shirley Manson performed a guest vocal for the...
". Due to litigation problems surrounding Manson's contractual obligation to Radioactive Records, further collaborations with both Fun Lovin' Criminals and Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
were unable to proceed.
Manson teamed up with Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
and Tim Sköld
Tim Skold
Tim Sköld is a multi-instrumentalist who, in addition to producing solo work, has also collaborated with multiple musical groups including Shotgun Messiah, KMFDM and Marilyn Manson.-Early life:...
in 2004 to record a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
's "Don't You Want Me
Don't You Want Me
"Don't You Want Me" is a single by British synthpop group Human League, released from their album: Dare on 27 November 1981.It is the band's best known and most commercially successful recording to date, and was the Christmas number one in the UK, in 1981, where it sold over 1,400,000 copies,...
" but both felt the track inappropriate for either acts upcoming albums, and remains unreleased. Later that year, Manson and Brody Dalle
Brody Dalle
Brody Dalle is an Australian-born American singer, songwriter and guitarist. She rose to fame as lead singer/guitarist for the punk rock band The Distillers and currently fronts Spinnerette....
contributed backing vocals to a Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
track. In 2006, Manson planned to record a John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
for the Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
Instant Karma
Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur
Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur is a compilation album of various artists covering songs of John Lennon to benefit Amnesty International's campaign to alleviate the crisis in Darfur...
charity compilation with bassist Eric Avery
Eric Avery
Eric Adam Avery is an American musician and is the former bass player for the rock band Jane's Addiction. Avery played in Jane's Addiction initially from 1985 to 1991, and rejoined the band in 2008 before departing again in 2010....
, however a scheduling misunderstanding left them short of time and unable to record the song. Manson and Avery eventually co-wrote and recorded "Maybe", a ballad duet for Avery's album Help Wanted
Help Wanted (album)
Help Wanted is the debut solo album release from former Jane's Addiction bassist, Eric Avery, released on April 8, 2008.A number of notable guest musicians perform on the record, including Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins, Garbage's Shirley Manson, and trumpeters Flea and Willie Waldman...
.
The following year, Manson performed backing vocals on a track for Gavin Rossdale
Gavin Rossdale
Gavin McGregor Rossdale is an English musician, known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Bush as well as an actor. Following Bush's separation in 2002, which lasted for eight years, he was the lead singer and guitarist for Institute, and later began a solo career. He...
's solo album Wanderlust
Wanderlust
Wanderlust is a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world.-Etymology:The loanword from German language became an English term in 1902 as a reflection of what was then seen as a characteristically German predilection for wandering that may be traced back to German...
, worked with long-time friend Chris Connelly, orating part of a long poem
Long poem
The long poem is a literary genre including all poetry of considerable length. Though the definition of a long poem is vague and broad, the genre includes some of the most important poetry ever written....
on his eighth album Forgiveness and Exile, and worked on a duet with long time inspiration Debbie Harry which remains uncompleted. In 2008, Manson contributed to a Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
, with an unspecified release date.
Upon her taking on the role of Catherine Weaver in Terminator... and on the encouragement of series' composer Bear McCreary, Manson was asked by show runner
Show runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
Josh Friedman
Josh Friedman
Josh Friedman is an American screenwriter best known as screenwriter of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and as the writer of the 2005 film adaptation of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds....
to perform and co-create a gospel arrangement of "Samson and Delilah" for the opening episode of the second season. After much interest, the track was released on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (soundtrack)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is the first soundtrack album release from the science fiction television series of the same name based on the Terminator franchise. The score is licensed for release by Warner Bros...
season one soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
at the end of 2008. Three years later Manson recorded vocals to a track composed by Serj Tankian
Serj Tankian
Serj Tankian is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer–songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, record producer, poet, and political activist...
and Steven Sater
Steven Sater
-Life and Career:Born in Evansville, Indiana, Sater attended Washington University in St. Louis as an undergraduate. Due to an apartment fire Sater was forced to jump from his balcony and damaged his spine, as well as several other limbs...
. The track, "The Hunger", which Sater describes as exploring "the hunger of the heart", features on their rock musical adaptation of Prometheus Bound
Prometheus Bound
Prometheus Bound is an Ancient Greek tragedy. In Antiquity, this drama was attributed to Aeschylus, but is now considered by some scholars to be the work of another hand, perhaps one as late as ca. 415 BC. Despite these doubts of authorship, the play's designation as Aeschylean has remained...
, and was recreated with fresh instrumentation and new lyrics for the digital release, exclusively through iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
worldwide. All proceeds made from sales of the single will benefit Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
.
Sampling
In 2002, electronic group West London Deep sampled Manson's vocal from "You Look So FineYou Look So Fine
"You Look So Fine" is a single released in 1999, and was the final single taken from Garbage's second album Version 2.0, where it was also the closing track...
" in their white label
White label
White label records are vinyl records with adhesive plain white labels affixed. Test pressings, usually with Test Pressing written on the label, with catalogue number, artist and recording time or date, are produced in small quantities to evaluate the quality of the disc production...
track "You're Taking Me Over". Manson refused clearance
Authorization
Authorization is the function of specifying access rights to resources, which is related to information security and computer security in general and to access control in particular. More formally, "to authorize" is to define access policy...
for the sample and the track was scrapped. By that point the track, and remixes by Inner City, Problem Kids and Desyn Masiello
Desyn Masiello
Desyn Masiello is a British electronic music producer and DJ. He has mixed albums for the Balance series and Bedrock's Original Series as well as Yoshitoshi's In House We Trust series with Luke Fair. He also produces together with Leon Roberts and Omid 16B as "The Idiots"...
& Leon Roberts had already been circulated. The song was reworked and re-released the following year as "Gonna Make You My Lover", without Manson's vocal.
Acting
Manson was cast in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles in May 2008, after being asked to appear by series creator Josh FriedmanJosh Friedman
Josh Friedman is an American screenwriter best known as screenwriter of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and as the writer of the 2005 film adaptation of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds....
and enduring a multiple audition process, beating out other actresses including Julie Ann Emery
Julie Ann Emery
Julie Ann Emery, born and raised in Crossville, Tennessee, is a theatre, television and film actress. She attended Webster Conservatory in St. Louis, Missouri, where she studied acting. She began her career at the age of 16 on the theatrical stage and has appeared in several productions, such as A...
. She debuted in the season two premiere episode "Samson and Delilah" as Catherine Weaver, a CEO of a technology company, ZeiraCorp. At the conclusion of the episode, Weaver is revealed to be a liquid-metal T-1001 Terminator. Manson also performed and co-arranged
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
a rock and blues version of the gospel song "Samson and Delilah
Samson and Delilah (song)
"Samson and Delilah" is a traditional song based on the Biblical tale of Samson and his betrayal by Delilah. Its best known performer is perhaps the Grateful Dead, who first performed the song live in 1976, with guitarist Bob Weir singing lead vocals. It was frequently played live by the Dead. The...
" for the episode's score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
. Manson cites actress Glenn Close
Glenn Close
Glenn Close is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and...
and former British Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
as her acting influences for the ambiguous character. Manson also played the human Weaver in archive footage viewed by the T-1001 in the episode "The Tower is Tall, But the Fall is Short".
In 2009, Manson made her first venture into the videogame industry by becoming digitally mapped to create an avatar
Avatar (computing)
In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character. It may take either a three-dimensional form, as in games or virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and other online communities. It can also refer to a text...
of herself for the Guitar Hero franchise. In the fifth game in the series, Manson is an unlockable character, while the game also features a licensed Garbage track.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Monster Beach Party | Debbie Danco | Role in an unfinished project, footage archived on showreel. |
| 2008–2009 | Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles | T-1001 | 17 episodes, as a liquid-metal Terminator impersonating Catherine Weaver. |
| Catherine Weaver | 1 episode, "The Tower is Tall, But the Fall is Short", shown on in-universe Fictional universe A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm .... archive footage. |
||
| 2009 | Guitar Hero 5 Guitar Hero 5 Guitar Hero 5 is a music video game and the fifth main entry in the Guitar Hero series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision, and released internationally in September 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, 3 and Wii consoles... |
as herself | Videogame, appears as playable character, for Garbage track "Only Happy When it Rains Only Happy When It Rains "Only Happy When It Rains" was a single written, recorded and produced by alternative rock group Garbage at their own recording studio, Smart Studios, in Madison, Wisconsin... ". |
| 2012 | Knife Fight | Nicole | In post-production. |
Charity work
Manson has used her and Garbage's profile to raise awareness and funds for a number of causes, commissioning a Garbage brandBrand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
ed lipgloss online, with all proceeds from the sales split between Grampian Children's Cancer Research
NHS Grampian
NHS Grampian is one of the fourteen regions of NHS Scotland. It was formed on 1 April 2004 by the amalgamation of Grampian University Hospitals NHS Trust, Grampian Primary Care NHS Trust and Grampian Health Board. The health board's headquarters are located at Summerfield House in the Mastrick...
and cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
treatment institutions at Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital
Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital
The Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital or RACH is a children's hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is situated on the Foresterhill site, with the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Aberdeen Maternity Hospital...
in Scotland and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Make-up Art Cosmetics
Make-up Art Cosmetics, better known as M·A·C or MAC Cosmetics, is a manufacturer of cosmetics founded in Toronto, Canada and headquartered in New York City, New York.-History:...
, fronting their fourth two-year charity lipstick marketing campaign alongside Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
, beginning with the launch of the VIVAMAC IV lipstick
Lipstick
Lipstick is a cosmetic product containing pigments, oils, waxes, and emollients that applies color, texture, and protection to the lips. Many varieties of lipstick are known. As with most other types of makeup, lipstick is typically, but not exclusively, worn by women...
in March 2002, in which all proceeds of the sale of the lipstick goes to help fund AIDS charities and initiatives. While touring, Manson visited several AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
charities
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
in Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Toronto, New York, San Francisco and Madison to make several donations totalling over $300,000 on behalf of the M•A•C AIDS Fund.
In 2003, the M•A•C AIDS Fund linked with the Elton John AIDS Foundation
Elton John AIDS Foundation
Elton John AIDS Foundation is one of the world's leading nonprofit organizations that was established by Sir Elton John in 1992 in the US * and 1993 in the UK * supporting innovative HIV/AIDS prevention, education programs, direct care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS.EJAF has...
to produce the White Bedroom campaign, where both Elton John and Manson recorded PSA
Public service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
s promoting condom use
Safe sex
Safe sex is sexual activity engaged in by people who have taken precautions to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS. It is also referred to as safer sex or protected sex, while unsafe or unprotected sex is sexual activity engaged in without precautions...
and stating facts on AIDS. By 2007, the combined six VIVAMAC campaigns had raised over $100 million U.S. dollars, and as a former ambassador Manson accepted a cheque for £51,000 on behalf of HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
charity Waverley Care from the M•A•C AIDS Fund on 10 April 2008 at Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols, founded in 1813, is an upmarket department store chain. Its original store is in London. Founded in 1813 as a linen shop, it sells many international brands of clothing for women and men, fashion accessories, beauty products, wine and food...
Edinburgh store. Manson had become a patron
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
of Waverley Care in October 2002 and previously hosted a fund raiser auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
to raise funds for the charity in January 2004 which raised £45,000. A Fender guitar owned by Manson raised £1,050, while other items auctioned included contributions sourced by Manson herself, from Elton John and Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
.
Manson is also a keen lover of animals. In 2007, Manson fronted an international poster campaign for PETA Europe
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
, holding the carcass of a fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
under the headline "Here's the rest of your fur coat". Manson has also adopted a rescue dog
Rescue dog
A rescue dog is a dog that has been rescued from possible euthanasia after being found as a stray, a dog that has been saved from an abusive or neglectful home by an animal rescue organisation such as the RSPCA in the UK or the ASPCA in the USA, or a dog that is simply no longer wanted or can no...
, a terrier-mix
Mixed-breed dog
A mixed-breed dog, also known as a mutt or mongrel, is a dog whose ancestry is generally unknown and that has characteristics of two or more types of breeds. A mixed-breed may be a cross-breed dog, a random-bred dog, or a descendant of feral or pariah dog populations...
named Veela, named after the fictional beings from the Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
books.
In 2008, Manson became involved with the Pablove Foundation, a charity founded by Dangerbird Records
Dangerbird Records
Dangerbird Records is an independent record label located in Los Angeles, California. Founded by Jeff Castelaz and Peter Walker in 2004, the label is home to artists across the globe, as well as part of the burgeoning Silver Lake music scene. Their small roster of artists has enjoyed international...
head Jeff Castelaz, whose son Pablo succumbed to cancer the following year. Funds raised for the Pablove Foundation directly supports the pediatric cancer community in and around Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles, formerly Childrens Hospital Society, is a private, non-profit teaching hospital in Los Angeles. The hospital provides multidisciplinary care to over 93,000 children each year, with physician expertise in over 100 pediatric specialties and subspecialties.The hospital...
. Manson reformed Garbage to contribute an exclusive track, "Witness to Your Love", to a charity album for the Foundation; signed off a Pablove poster for auction on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
; Manson also hosted a fundraiser headlined by the Silversun Pickups
Silversun Pickups
Silversun Pickups is an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2002. The band comprises Brian Aubert, Nikki Monninger, Christopher Guanlao, and Joe Lester....
, and performed acoustically on-stage at a second fundraiser with Butch Vig and Tom Gabel
Tom Gabel
Thomas James "Tom" Gabel is the lead vocalist, songwriter, and a guitarist for Gainesville, Florida punk rock band Against Me!, as well as a solo artist. He was born on Fort Benning, Georgia a US Army post, where his father was stationed. At age 17, he dropped out of high school and formed Against...
(for a rendition of "Witness...") and with Greg Kurstin (for a cover of Pablo's favourite song, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
's "Life on Mars?
Life on Mars?
"Life on Mars?" is a song by David Bowie first released in 1971 on the album Hunky Dory. The song—which BBC Radio 2 later called "a cross between a Broadway musical and a Salvador Dalí painting"—featured guest piano work by keyboardist Rick Wakeman. When released as a single in 1973,...
").
In 2010, Shirley Manson donated two hand-decorated T-shirts to Binki Shapiro’s (of the band “Little Joy
Little Joy
Little Joy is a Brazilian/American rock band formed in 2007 by Los Hermanos singer/guitarist Rodrigo Amarante, The Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti and Binki Shapiro. Amarante and Moretti met in 2006, at a festival in Lisbon where both their bands were performing, and the idea came up to start a...
”) on-line charity auction “Crafts for a Cause” to help raise money for the earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
victims of Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
. The two T-shirts raised a total of $1522.00, which was donated to the Artists for Peace and Justice
Paul Haggis
Paul Edward Haggis is a Canadian screenwriter, producer, and director. He spent his early career producing and directing various American and Canadian television network series.-Early life and education:...
organisation.