Marilyn Manson is an American rock band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989, the group was originally known as Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids and featured eponymous vocalist Marilyn Manson (real name Brian Warner), guitarist Daisy Berkowitz (real name Scott Putesky) and bassist Olivia Newton Bundy (real name Brian Tutunick), who were soon joined by keyboardist Zsa Zsa Speck (real name Perry Pandrea). The current line-up includes Manson, bassist/guitarist/keyboardist Tim Sköld (who first joined in 2002), drummer Gil Sharone (who first joined in 2014), guitarist Reba Meyers and guitarist/bassist Piggy D. (both since 2024).
History 1989–1996 Marilyn Manson and Daisy Berkowitz formed Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids in December 1989, adding Olivia Newton Bundy to complete the band's first line-up. After recording their first demo The Raw Boned Psalms the following month, the trio added keyboardist Zsa Zsa Speck (Perry Pandrea) and performed their first string of live shows, before Bundy and Speck were replaced in June 1990 by Gidget Gein (Brad Stewart) and Madonna Wayne Gacy (Stephen Bier), respectively. In August 1991, the Spooky Kids became a five-piece with the addition of their first drummer Sara Lee Lucas (Fred Streithorst), after previously using a drum machine. The group played its last show under the Spooky Kids moniker on August 1, 1992, before it was dropped on the recommendation of their label Nothing Records.
During the recording of the band's full-length debut album Portrait of an American Family, Gein received a notice while in hospital recovering from a heroin overdose that his services "were no longer needed". His bass parts were retained from earlier sessions for The Manson Family Album, but he was subsequently replaced by Twiggy Ramirez (Jeordie White). In March 1995, during the subsequent touring cycle, Lucas left the group after an incident in which Manson lit his drum kit on fire while he was playing. He was replaced by Ginger Fish (Kenny Wilson) in time for the next run of shows. For 1996's Antichrist Superstar, much of the guitars were performed by Ramirez following Berkowitz's earlier departure, due to Manson and producer Trent Reznor's dismissal of many of his songwriting contributions.
1996–2008 Berkowitz was replaced by Zim Zum (Timothy Linton) in time for the Dead to the World Tour which followed the release of Antichrist Superstar. The new guitarist performed on 1998's Mechanical Animals, but left the band during its mixing stages to pursue a solo career, with John 5 (John Lowery) leaving Two to take his place. The Last Tour on Earth and Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) followed, after which Ramirez left in May 2002 due to creative differences with Manson, to be replaced by Tim Skold. This lineup recorded The Golden Age of Grotesque, before Lowery was dismissed on March 30, 2004, for unknown reasons. In a 2009 interview, Lowery claimed that "It was completely amicable. He just wanted to write with other members of the band, and I wanted to do other things."
Lowery was replaced on the Against All Gods Tour by Mark Chaussee, which started in October 2004. Chris Vrenna also temporarily substituted for Fish on drums, who had been injured after falling from the stage at an awards show the previous month. During 2006 and 2007, Manson and Skold collaborated on the band's next album Eat Me, Drink Me without Fish, although he remained an official member of the group. For the subsequent Rape of the World Tour, Vrenna returned to take Gacy's place on keyboards, initially temporarily. It was later revealed, however, that Gacy had sued Manson for alleged breach of contract relating to use of the band's earnings, and that he hadn't worked with the band for over a year. Rob Holliday performed bass on the 2007 tour, with Skold switching to guitar.
2008–2017 In January 2008, after the first leg of the Rape of the World Tour, Twiggy Ramirez returned to replace the outgoing Tim Skold and took over bass duties, with Holliday switching to guitar. Former Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland took over on guitar in August, but by the following February had left again to reform his original band. After the release of The High End of Low, which featured only Manson, Ramirez and Vrenna, the band toured with Andy Gerold on bass, as Ramirez took up the role of lead guitarist. In July 2010, Fred Sablan took over as Marilyn Manson's official bassist. Long-term drummer Ginger Fish left the band in February 2011, after temporarily touring with Rob Zombie and subsequently opting to join full-time. Vrenna switched roles until November, when he also departed.
In January 2012, Jason Sutter was announced to be the band's drummer for the upcoming Hey Cruel World... Tour. Spencer Rollins was brought in on keyboards and additional guitar for the Masters of Madness Tour in 2013. In November 2013, drummer Gil Sharone shared a video of an unidentified recording session, which was revealed early the following year to have been for the Marilyn Manson band. The new lineup was officially unveiled at the band's first show of the year in June 2014, featuring Tyler Bates and Paul Wiley on guitars, and Ramirez in place of the departed Sablan on bass. The Pale Emperor, released in 2015, featured only Manson, Bates and Sharone, as Ramirez was busy working on other projects during the recording sessions. Daniel Fox joined on keyboards for 2015 tour dates.
2017–2023 Heaven Upside Down was released in 2017 and once again did not feature Twiggy Ramirez, after he decided that Bates's initial demo bass recordings were of sufficient quality for the album. In October 2017, between legs of the Heaven Upside Down Tour, Ramirez was fired from the band after becoming the subject of a sexual assault allegation from Jack Off Jill singer Jessicka Addams. He was replaced by Juan Alderete. After the conclusion of Twins of Evil: The Second Coming Tour at the end of 2018, Manson and Bates stopped working together. Sharone also left in March 2019 to work on other projects. He was replaced by Brandon Pertzborn in June, prior to the start of the Twins of Evil: Hell Never Dies Tour. In November 2021, former band member Tim Skold announced that he was once again working on material with Marilyn Manson.
2024–present In 2024, Sharone and Bates returned alongside guitarist Reba Meyers (Code Orange) and bassist Piggy D. (Rob Zombie). Bates amicably departed the band in January 2026. Tim Skold returned to the band the following year on bass, with Piggy D. and Nick Annis taking over on guitars from Meyers.
Members Current ImageName Years activeInstrumentsRelease contributionsMarilyn Manson1989–presentall Marilyn Manson releasesGil SharonedrumsPiggy D.2024–presentnone to dateTim SkoldNick Annis2026–presentnone to date
Former ImageName Years activeInstrumentsRelease contributionsDaisy Berkowitz1989–1996 all Marilyn Manson releases from The Raw Boned Psalms (1990) to Antichrist Superstar (1996)Olivia Newton Bundy1989–1990bassZsa Zsa Speck1990keyboardsThe Beaver Meat Cleaver Beat (1990)Madonna Wayne Gacy1990–2007all Marilyn Manson releases from Big Black Bus (1990) to The Golden Age of Grotesque (2003)Gidget Gein1990–1993 bassall Marilyn Manson releases from Big Black Bus (1990) to Portrait of an American Family (1994)Sara Lee Lucas1991–1995all Marilyn Manson releases from After School Special (1992) to Portrait of an American Family (1994)Twiggy RamirezGinger Fish1995–2011 Zim Zum1996–1998John 51998–2004all Marilyn Manson releases from God Is in the T.V. (1999) to The Golden Age of Grotesque (2003)Chris Vrenna2007–2011 Fred Sablan2010–2014Born Villain (2012)Tyler BatesPaul Wiley2018–2020 We Are Chaos (2020)Juan Alderete2018–2020 Brandon Pertzborn2019–2020drums
Touring ImageNameYears activeInstrumentsNotesMark Chaussee2004–2005lead guitarChaussee played lead guitar on the Against All Gods Tour, following the departure of John 5 in March 2004.Rob Holliday2007–2008Holliday played bass on the Rape of the World Tour, then switched to lead guitar upon the return of Twiggy Ramirez.Wes Borland2008–2009lead guitarBorland played lead guitar in Marilyn Manson for eight months before rejoining the reformed Limp Bizkit in early 2009.Andy Gerold2009Gerold played bass on the High End of Low Tour, as Twiggy Ramirez switched from bass to guitar.Jason Sutter2012–2013drumsSutter played drums on the Hey Cruel World, Twins of Evil and Masters of Madness Tours from 2012 to 2013.Spencer Rollins2013Rollins played keyboards on tour dates in late 2013, after the band performed without a keyboardist for a year.Daniel FoxDrum technician Fox played keyboards and percussion for the group at tour dates between 2015 and 2017.Reba Meyers2024–2026
Timeline
Line-ups PeriodMembersReleasesDecember 1989 – January 1990Marilyn Manson – lead vocals, drums, keyboards Daisy Berkowitz – guitars, programming, percussion Olivia Newton Bundy – bassThe Raw Boned Psalms (1990)January – June 1990Marilyn Manson – lead vocals, drums Daisy Berkowitz – guitars, programming, percussion Olivia Newton Bundy – bass Zsa Zsa Speck – keyboardsThe Beaver Meat Cleaver Beat (1990)June 1990 – August 1991Marilyn Manson – lead vocals, drums Daisy Berkowitz – guitars, programming, percussion Gidget Gein – bass Madonna Wayne Gacy – keyboards, programming, percussionBig Black Bus (1990) Grist-o-Line (1990) Lunchbox (1991)August 1991 – December 1993Marilyn Manson – lead vocals Daisy Berkowitz – guitars, programming, percussion Gidget Gein – bass Madonna Wayne Gacy – keyboards, programming, percussion Sara Lee Lucas – drums, programmingAfter School Special (1991) Live as Hell (1992) The Family Jams (1992) Refrigerator (1993)December 1993 – March 1995Marilyn Manson – lead vocals Daisy Berkowitz – lead guitar, programming, percussion Madonna Wayne Gacy – keyboards, programming, percussion Sara Lee Lucas – drums, programming Twiggy Ramirez – bass, rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocalsPortrait of an American Family (1994)March 1995 – June 1996Marilyn Manson – lead vocals Daisy Berkowitz – lead guitar, programming, percussion Madonna Wayne Gacy – keyboards, programming, percussion Twiggy Ramirez – bass, rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Ginger Fish – drums, programmingSmells Like Children (1995)June 1996 – July 1998Marilyn Manson – lead vocals Madonna Wayne Gacy – keyboards, programming, percussion Twiggy Ramirez – bass, rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Ginger Fish – drums, programming Zim Zum – lead guitar, keyboardsAntichrist Superstar (1996) "Long Hard Road Out of Hell" (1997) Remix & Repent Dead to the World (1998)July 1998 – May 2002Marilyn Manson – lead vocals Madonna Wayne Gacy – keyboards, programming, percussion Twiggy Ramirez – bass, rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Ginger Fish – drums, programming John 5 – lead guitar, keyboardsMechanical Animals (1998) God Is in the T.V. (1999) The Last Tour on Earth (1999) "Astonishing Panorama of the Endtimes" (1999) Holy Wood (In the Shadow of theValley of Death) (2000) "Tainted Love" (2001)May 2002 – March 2004Marilyn Manson – lead vocals Madonna Wayne Gacy – keyboards, programming, percussion Ginger Fish – drums, programming John 5 – lead guitar, keyboards Tim Skold – bass, rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocalsGuns, God and Government (2002) The Golden Age of Grotesque (2003)March – October 2004Marilyn Manson – lead vocals Madonna Wayne Gacy – keyboards, programming, percussion Ginger Fish – drums, programming Tim Skold – guitars, bass, keyboards, backing vocalsLest We Forget: The Best Of (2004) Lest We Forget: The Best Of — The Videos (2004)October 2004 – August 2005Marilyn Manson – lead vocals Madonna Wayne Gacy – keyboards, programming, percussion Tim Skold – bass, rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Mark Chaussee – lead guitar Chris Vrenna – drums none August 2005 – May 2007Marilyn Manson – lead vocals Madonna Wayne Gacy – keyboards, programming, percussion