| Shirley Manson |
Manson
performing in November 2002.
|
| Background information |
| Birth name |
Shirley Ann Manson |
| Born |
August 26, 1966 (1966-08-26) (age 40) |
| Origin |
 Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Occupation(s) |
Musician, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) |
Vocals, Guitar |
| Years active |
1982 - present |
Associated
acts |
Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie
Angelfish
Garbage |
Shirley Ann Manson
(born August
26, 1966) is
a Scottish
musician,
the lead vocalist
of the band Garbage.
|
Contents
- 1 Early
life
- 2 Music
- 3 Discography
- 3.1 Studio
Albums
- 3.2 Other
Appearances
- 4 Trivia
- 5 Notes
and References
- 6 External
links
|
Early life
Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Manson is the second
of three daughters. She has an older sister, Lindy-Jayne and a younger
sister, Sarah. Her mother is a former big band singer and her father is a geneticist
who was a part of the faculty that cloned Dolly
the Sheep.
At age seven, Shirley began learning the piano, later attending the City of Edinburgh
Music School where she also joined the school's theatre group.
At school, she was regularly bullied because of her red hair and large
eyes. She sometimes returned home after school bloody and bruised from
being beaten
up. The incessant teasing and bullying led her into a deep depression
and drove her to self-harm.
Also as a result of the bullying, she dropped out of school and began
working at Miss Selfridge in central Edinburgh.
Music
Her first experience with music was with the bands Autumn 1904
and Wild Indians. When she was 16, Shirley joined Goodbye
Mr. Mackenzie, with whom she sang backup vocals and played
the keyboards. She remained in the band for a decade until they split
in 1992.
After the split, Shirley and two other members of the band formed Angelfish;
this time she was the lead singer. Angelfish released a self-titled
album and one single, 'Suffocate Me'.
Shirley has cited Siouxsie Sioux from the post-punk
band Siouxsie & the
Banshees as a main influence on her. That's why she wrote the
foreword of the official Siouxsie and the Banshees biography in 2003.
Garbage
After seeing 'Suffocate Me' on MTV, Steve
Marker was impressed and wanted Shirley to front his band Garbage.
After two auditions, Shirley became
the lead singer in 1994.
Manson immediately set about rewriting the lyrics to the
band's already written songs. The resulting collaborative efforts
became Garbage, the
band's debut album, which would go on to sell 5 million copies
worldwide, earning double-platinum certifications in the United
Kingdom, United States and Australia.
The album produced hit singles and breakthrough hits such as "Queer",
"Stupid
Girl", "Only Happy When It Rains"
and "Vow".
By the time their second album, Version
2.0, was being recorded in the band's own
studio, Manson had become the band's primary lyricist. But she was
still regarded by many as simply the face of Garbage. As a regular
musical contributor and guitarist (her orange
Fender Stratocaster is named
'Rita'), she felt great disappointment at the general perception of her
role in the group.
Manson performing in 2002.
After her brief role as a model
for Calvin
Klein and the confidence that composer David
Arnold had shown her while co-producing the theme for James Bond
film "The World Is Not Enough",
Shirley began to write more self-reflective lyrics, which ended up on
the band's third album, beautifulgarbage.
Garbage briefly dissolved in 2003 due to infighting. After
resolving their problems, they reformed to record their fourth album, Bleed
Like Me, which was released in April 2005. The album
reached the top 5 in the US, and overall sold well around the world.
Manson performing with Garbage in 2005.
As of October 2005, Garbage is on an indefinite hiatus; the
band had been constantly producing and promoting albums and touring for
the past decade. According to Manson, the current situation between the
band's members is "good."[5]
On the July
6, 2006,
Garbage concert broadcast on PBS's SoundStage she said:
"Thank you, girls! Now go and start some
bands, okay?" — to the young female fans in the front row
(who sang and danced along to all the songs).
On May
20, 2007
Virgin Media premiered the newest video "Tell Me Where
It Hurts" directed by Sophie Muller. On July 17th, 2007, 'Absolute
Garbage' the compilation CD which spans 10 years of songs, will feature
a DVD and a CD of remixes; as well as the newest single "Tell Me Where
It Hurts".
Solo
While Garbage were on hiatus, Manson began working on her
first proper solo album and is due for release in the first half of 2008
following the 2007
release of Garbage's greatest hits retrospective Absolute
Garbage and prior to the band regrouping to
begin work on its fifth album. Much of the work on the album took place
during Garbage's self-imposed year and a half long hiatus period.
Manson has collaborated with a number of people on the project
including fellow Scottish songwriter Paul
Buchanan, US rock musicians Jack White, Billy
Corgan and Beck,
producer and keyboardist Greg Kurstin and James Bond
soundtrack composer David Arnold, with whom in 1999 she, as part of
Garbage, had co-produced and performed the title theme to The World Is Not Enough.
Garbage drummer and former Nirvana/Smashing
Pumpkins producer Butch Vig is also co-writing and producing
for her album.
(See: Shirley Manson (Solo
album))
Discography
Studio Albums
Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie
(credited with backing vocals and keyboards)
- Good Deeds and Dirty Rags (1988)
- Fish Heads and Tails (1989)
- Hammer and Tongs (1991)
- Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie (1992) (US release)
- Five (1993)
Angelfish (Lead vocals
and guitar)
Garbage (Songwriter,
lead vocals and guitar)
- Garbage (1995)
- Version 2.0 (1998)
- beautifulgarbage
(2001)
- Bleed Like Me (2005)
- Absolute Garbage
(2007)
Solo
- As Yet Untitled (TBC/2008)
Other Appearances
- Fun Lovin' Criminals "Korean
Bodega (Aero Mexicana Remix)" (originally from 100%
Colombian) (1999) (Guest vocals)
- Marilyn Manson & Shirley
Manson "Don't You Want Me" (remains unreleased) (2004) (duet)
- Queens of the Stone Age "You
Got A Killer Scene There, Man..." (from Lullabies
to Paralyze) (2005) (Backing vocals)
- Eric
Avery - "Maybe" (from Help Wanted)
(January 2008)
Trivia
- In November 2006 she was named Scotland's most
eligible woman in the annual list compiled by the Scotland
on Sunday newspaper.
- On 7 September 1996 Manson married the sculptor Eddie Farrell. They separated in 2001,
which led Shirley to cut her hair short and dye it blonde. They are now
divorced.
She stated on the Howard Stern show that she never cheated on her
husband and that one of the reasons she was with him was the size of
his penis.
- In 2000, she revealed that she suffers from body dysmorphia.
- Was quoted in an interview with DETAILS
magazine as saying "I hate boys who are frightened of pee and shit and
menstrual blood… I want a man who will let me pee in his belly button".
- Manson is best friends with solo artist and No Doubt
frontwoman Gwen Stefani.
- Along with Gwen, Shirley remains close with
The Distillers/Spinnerette front woman, Brody Dalle.
Notes and References
External links
| v • d • e Garbage |
| Butch Vig | Shirley
Manson | Duke Erikson | Steve
Marker |
| Discography |
| Albums and extended plays: Garbage
| Version 2.0 | Beautiful
Garbage | Bleed
Like Me | Absolute
Garbage |
Singles: "Vow"
| "Subhuman" | "Only Happy When It Rains" |
"Queer" | "Stupid
Girl" | "Milk" | "#1
Crush"
"Push It" | "I
Think I'm Paranoid" | "Special" | "The Trick Is to Keep
Breathing" | "When I Grow Up" | "You
Look So Fine" | "The World Is Not
Enough"
"Androgyny" | "Cherry
Lips" | "Breaking Up the Girl" | "Shut Your Mouth"
"Why Do You Love Me" | "Bleed Like Me" | "Sex
Is Not the Enemy" | "Run Baby Run"
"Tell Me Where
It Hurts" | "It's All Over But The
Crying"
|
| Videography |
| Videos and DVDs: Garbage
Video | Absolute
Garbage |
| Related
articles |
| Alternative rock | Goodbye
Mr. Mackenzie | Angelfish | The World Is Not Enough
| Mushroom Records | Almo
Sounds | Geffen Records |
