Marilyn Manson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marilyn Manson
Manson performing in 2024
Background information
Birth name	Brian Hugh Warner
Born	(1969-01-05) January 5, 1969 (age 57) Canton, Ohio, U.S.
Genres	Industrial rock industrial metal gothic rock alternative metal shock rock
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter actor painter writer
Years active	1989–present

Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969) is an American musician, artist, and actor, best known by his stage name, Marilyn Manson. He is famous for his unique style of rock music, his theatrical stage performances, and his thought-provoking art. He has released many albums with his band, Marilyn Manson, and has also appeared in films and TV shows.

Early Life and Education

Brian Hugh Warner was born on January 5, 1969, in Canton, Ohio. As a child, he attended a Christian school for several years. He graduated from GlenOak High School in 1987.

After high school, Brian moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and enrolled in Broward Community College in 1990. He studied journalism and gained experience by writing articles for a music magazine called 25th Parallel. This gave him the chance to interview other musicians, and he even met some artists who would later influence his own work.

The Story Behind the Name

Marilyn Monroe, 1954

Charles Manson, 1968

The name "Marilyn Manson" combines Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson. One was a famous actress, and the other was a criminal. Both became well-known American figures.

When Brian Hugh Warner started his band, he decided to create a stage name that would be memorable and make people think. He chose "Marilyn Manson" by combining the first name of Marilyn Monroe, a famous actress known for her beauty and charm, with the last name of Charles Manson, a historical figure with a controversial reputation. The idea was to put together two very different American icons to represent the contrasting ideas often found in his music and art. This name became the identity for both him and his band.

Music Career: The Band Marilyn Manson

Left to right: Twiggy, Gacy and Manson performing at the "A Night of Nothing" industry showcase, 1995

Manson at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival

Brian formed his band in 1989 with guitarist Scott Putesky. Brian wrote the lyrics, and Scott composed much of the music. They initially called themselves Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids. The band quickly became popular in the South Florida music scene because of their very theatrical and sometimes surprising concerts. They used unique costumes and stage setups that aimed to make people think and react. By 1992, the group shortened its name to simply Marilyn Manson.

Albums and Hit Songs (1994-Present)

The band's music style is often described as industrial metal or shock rock, known for its powerful sound and thought-provoking lyrics.

• 1994: Portrait of an American Family – This was their first studio album, produced by Trent Reznor, a musician Brian had met during his journalism days.
• 1996: Antichrist Superstar – This album was a big commercial success and sparked strong discussions and differing opinions among some groups due to its themes. It included the hit single "The Beautiful People."
• 1998: Mechanical Animals – For this album, Brian took inspiration from 1970s glam rock, changing his look to an androgynous, extraterrestrial style.
• 2000: Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) – This album was a response to media discussions that had linked his music to a tragic school event. He used his music to express his views on society and media.
• 2003: The Golden Age of Grotesque – Inspired by the swing and burlesque movements of 1920s Berlin, this album also debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.
• 2007: Eat Me, Drink Me
• 2009: The High End of Low
• 2012: Born Villain – This album earned the band their fourth Grammy nomination for the single "No Reflection."
• 2015: The Pale Emperor – This album was widely praised and was a commercial success.
• 2017: Heaven Upside Down – The single "Kill4Me" became the band's highest-peaking single on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart.
• 2020: We Are Chaos – This was the band's tenth top-ten release on the Billboard 200.
• 2024: One Assassination Under God – Chapter 1. As of April 2026, this is their most recent studio album.

Awards and Recognition

Marilyn Manson and his band have achieved significant success:

• Three of their albums have been awarded platinum status (meaning they sold over 1 million copies in the U.S.).
• Three more albums went gold (selling over 500,000 copies in the U.S.).
• They have had eight top-ten albums and two number-one albums on the Billboard 200 chart.
• Brian Hugh Warner has been ranked among the "Top 100 Heavy Metal Vocalists" by Hit Parader magazine.
• The band has been nominated for five Grammy Awards.
• Globally, Marilyn Manson has sold over 50 million records!

Musical Collaborations

Brian Hugh Warner has also worked with many other musicians:

• He collaborated with the cello rock band Rasputina and the Smashing Pumpkins vocalist Billy Corgan.
• He launched his own record label, Posthuman Records, which released a couple of albums.
• He performed vocals on songs for movie soundtracks, like Queen of the Damned, and contributed a remix to Linkin Park's album Reanimation.
• He has worked with a variety of artists across different genres, including Lady Gaga, Avril Lavigne, Shooter Jennings, and even hip-hop artists like DMX, Eminem, Gucci Mane, ASAP Ferg, and Kanye West (also known as Ye). His collaboration with Ye on the song "Jail pt 2" from the album Donda earned him a Grammy co-nomination credit.

Beyond Music: Acting, Art, and More

Brian Hugh Warner is not just a musician; he's also explored acting and visual art!

Film and Television Appearances

• He made his film debut in 1997 in David Lynch's movie Lost Highway.
• He has appeared in many minor roles and cameos in films like Party Monster, Jawbreaker, and The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things.
• On television, he has appeared in shows such as Californication, Eastbound & Down, and provided the voice for the character "Shadow" in Once Upon a Time.
• He was interviewed in Michael Moore's political documentary Bowling for Columbine (2002), where he discussed the media's role in public discussions.
• He also appeared in the final season of Sons of Anarchy as Ron Tully and in WGN's Salem as Thomas Dinley. In 2020, he had a guest role in the HBO series The New Pope.

Art Exhibitions

Brian Hugh Warner is also a watercolor painter. His first art show, "The Golden Age of Grotesque," was held in Los Angeles in 2002. He held other exhibitions, including "Trismegistus" in Paris and Berlin in 2004, and "Genealogies of Pain" in Vienna in 2010, which he collaborated on with director David Lynch.

He named his art movement "Celebritarian Corporation" and even opened a gallery under that name in Los Angeles.

Video Games

He made an appearance in the game Area 51 as an alien character. His songs have been featured in commercials and soundtracks for games like The Darkness, Cold Fear, Spawn: Armageddon, Fear 3, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Twisted Metal, KickBeat, Brütal Legend, and Saints Row: The Third, among others.

His Unique Style

Brian Hugh Warner is known for his distinctive appearance, which often includes wearing one or two colored contact lenses and a unique, ever-changing wardrobe and makeup. His style is a big part of his artistic expression, helping him create memorable characters and performances.

Philanthropy

Beyond his creative work, Brian Hugh Warner has also supported various charitable causes:

• In 2002, he worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to collaborate with a fan who had a life-threatening illness, inviting him to record backing vocals for an album.
• He contributed to Oxfam's "Rumble in the Jumble" event, which raised money to help victims of domestic abuse.
• He has supported organizations like Music for Life and Little Kids Rock, which help provide musical instruments and education to children from low-income families.
• He has also worked with Project Nightlight, a group that encourages children and teenagers to speak out against physical and emotional abuse.

Personal Life

Brian Hugh Warner has been in several public relationships. He was engaged to actress Rose McGowan and later married burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese. He was also engaged to actress Evan Rachel Wood. In October 2020, he revealed he had married photographer Lindsay Usich. He is also the godfather of Lily-Rose Depp, who is the daughter of actor Johnny Depp.

He has shared his thoughts on spirituality, saying, "I believe in spirituality, but it really has to come from somewhere else. I learned a long time ago, you can't try to change the world, you can just try to make something in it. I think that's my spirituality, it's putting something into the world. If you take all the basic principles of any religion, it's usually about creation."

Marilyn Manson Quotes

• "If you act like a rock star, you will be treated like one."
• "I hope that with our music we can inspire other people to be creative and to use their imagination, because it is something that is so lacking nowadays."
• "The only way that you achieve what you want and to fulfill your dreams and become great is by demanding that sort of attention. You have to make it happen."
• "Art gives me the freedom I don’t have when I make music. In music, you feel a connection to the voice and think about the person behind it. In art that's secondary."
• "If you had to condense all that I believe in, it's that responsible, intelligent people should be allowed to do what they want. "

Discography

Studio Albums

• Portrait of an American Family (1994)
• Antichrist Superstar (1996)
• Mechanical Animals (1998)
• Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) (2000)
• The Golden Age of Grotesque (2003)
• Eat Me, Drink Me (2007)
• The High End of Low (2009)
• Born Villain (2012)
• The Pale Emperor (2015)
• Heaven Upside Down (2017)
• We Are Chaos (2020)
• One Assassination Under God – Chapter 1 (2024)

Images for kids

• 

  Manson at Rock am Ring in 2015

See also

In Spanish: Marilyn Manson para niños