Career Timeline of Marilyn Manson: Major Achievements and Milestones
Discover the career path of Marilyn Manson, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Marilyn Manson, born Brian Hugh Warner, is an American rock musician, best known as the lead singer and founder of the band Marilyn Manson in 1989. His stage name, like those of his former bandmates, is a combination of a female sex symbol's first name and a male serial killer's last name; in Manson's case, Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson. He is the only remaining original member of the band. Manson is known for his controversial stage persona and musical style that often explores themes of rebellion, anti-establishment sentiment, and societal critique.
1989: Founding of Marilyn Manson band
In 1989, Brian Hugh Warner founded the band Marilyn Manson. He is the lead singer and the only original member remaining of the band.
1989: Band formation with Scott Putesky
In 1989, Brian Warner and guitarist Scott Putesky formed a band. Warner wrote lyrics and Putesky composed the majority of music.
1990: Formation of Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids
In 1990, Brian Warner adopted the stage name Marilyn Manson and, alongside a revolving lineup of musicians, recorded the band's first demo tape as Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids.
1990: Enrollment at Broward Community College
In 1990, after relocating with his parents, Brian Warner enrolled at Broward Community College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to pursue a degree in journalism. He wrote for 25th Parallel magazine and met musicians like Groovie Mann and Trent Reznor.
1991: Record deal with Sony Music
In early 1991, Marilyn Manson signed a record deal with Sony Music. Although the deal was rescinded before any material was recorded for the label, the band used the proceeds to fund the recording of subsequent demo tapes, which were released independently.
1992: Name shortened to Marilyn Manson
In 1992, the band's name was shortened to Marilyn Manson, and they continued to perform and release cassettes.
1992: Producing Jack Off Jill's demo recordings
In the early 90s, specifically from 1992 to 1996, Marilyn Manson produced many of Jack Off Jill's demo recordings.
1993: Signing with Nothing Records
In the summer of 1993, Trent Reznor signed Marilyn Manson to his vanity label Nothing Records.
July 1994: Release of Portrait of an American Family
In July 1994, Marilyn Manson's debut studio album, "Portrait of an American Family", was released.
1994: First Trademark registration of "Marilyn Manson"
In 1994, Marilyn Manson registered the first of four trademarks of the name between 1994 and 1999, protecting entertainment services, merchandising and branding.
May 30, 1996: Empower America press conference
On May 30, 1996, Empower America held a press conference criticizing the record industry for selling "prepackaged, shrink-wrapped nihilism," with C. Delores Tucker calling Marilyn Manson's Smells Like Children the "dirtiest, nastiest porno record directed at children that has ever hit the market."
September 1996: Settlement with Gidget Gein
In September 1996, former bassist Gidget Gein reached a settlement with Marilyn Manson, entitling him to US$17,500, 20 percent of royalties for recordings and songs he contributed to, a share of other royalties, and the right to market himself as a former member of Marilyn Manson, though the settlement was ultimately not honored.
December 1996: Empower America criticizes MCA and Manson
In December 1996, Empower America criticized MCA president Edgar Bronfman Jr. for profiting from Marilyn Manson's "profanity-laced" albums. The band's live performances during the "Dead to the World Tour" also faced protests, with opponents making claims about Satanism and other illicit activities.
1996: Release of Antichrist Superstar
In 1996, Marilyn Manson released "Antichrist Superstar", an album that sparked a fierce backlash among Christian fundamentalists. The album was a commercial success.
1996: Departure of Scott Putesky
In the Spring of 1996, Scott Putesky (a.k.a. Daisy Berkowitz) departed from the Marilyn Manson band. He later filed a lawsuit for unpaid royalties, publishing rights, and performance fees in January 1998.
1996: Producing Jack Off Jill's demo recordings
In the early 90s, specifically from 1992 to 1996, Marilyn Manson produced many of Jack Off Jill's demo recordings.
November 1997: Congressional Hearings on Lyrical Content
In November 1997, Marilyn Manson's lyrical content was examined during congressional hearings led by Lieberman and Sam Brownback, to determine the effects of violent lyrics on young listeners. Raymond Kuntz blamed his son's suicide on the song "The Reflecting God" from the album Antichrist Superstar. Lieberman claimed Manson's music was driving young listeners to commit suicide, calling the band the "sickest group ever promoted by a mainstream record company".
1997: Collaboration with Rasputina and Smashing Pumpkins
In 1997, Cello rock act Rasputina opened for Marilyn Manson's "Dead to the World Tour", Manson created remixes of Rasputina's song "Transylvanian Concubine", and Manson befriended Billy Corgan, performing with Smashing Pumpkins at the Bridge School Benefit concert.
1997: Manson's film debut in Lost Highway
In 1997, Marilyn Manson made his film debut as an actor in David Lynch's "Lost Highway".
1997: MTV Video Music Awards Nomination
In 1997, Marilyn Manson's "The Beautiful People" received three nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards, where the band also performed.
January 1998: Scott Putesky files lawsuit
In January 1998, former guitarist Scott Putesky (a.k.a. Daisy Berkowitz) filed a $15 million lawsuit against Marilyn Manson, the band, and their attorney, alleging unpaid royalties, publishing rights, and performance fees following his departure from the group in the spring of 1996.
November 30, 1998: Craig Marks files lawsuit against Manson
On November 30, 1998, following reported backstage and hotel room damages during the Mechanical Animals Tour, SPIN editor Craig Marks filed a $24 million lawsuit against Marilyn Manson and his bodyguards, alleging assault.
1998: Beautiful Monsters Tour with Hole
In 1998, Marilyn Manson and Hole embarked on the "Beautiful Monsters Tour" to promote Mechanical Animals. The tour was marked by conflict, financial disputes, and Hole's early departure, after which the tour was renamed "Rock Is Dead Tour".
1998: Collaboration with DMX on "The Omen (Damien II)"
In 1998, Marilyn Manson featured on "The Omen (Damien II)", a track on DMX's album Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood.
1998: Release of Mechanical Animals
In 1998, Marilyn Manson released "Mechanical Animals", taking inspiration from 1970s glam rock. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
1998: Release of "The Dope Show" single
In 1998, Marilyn Manson released the single "The Dope Show", which included a live version of "Apple of Sodom" as a B-side, featuring Melora Creager of Rasputina on cello and backing vocals.
February 19, 1999: Manson counter-sues Craig Marks
On February 19, 1999, Marilyn Manson filed a US$40 million counter-suit against SPIN editor Craig Marks for libel, slander, and defamation after Marks had sued him for assault. Marks later dropped his lawsuit, and Manson apologized for the incident and offered financial restitution.
1999: Fourth Trademark registration of "Marilyn Manson"
Between 1994 and 1999, Marilyn Manson registered four trademarks of the name, with the fourth one registered in 1999, protecting entertainment services, merchandising and branding.
1999: Appearance in Jawbreaker
In 1999, Marilyn Manson appeared in the film Jawbreaker, which starred his then-girlfriend Rose McGowan.
1999: Began career as a painter
Manson stated in a 2004 interview with i-D magazine to have begun his career as a watercolor painter in 1999 when he made five-minute concept pieces and sold them to drug dealers.
October 27, 2000: David Diaz lawsuit
On October 27, 2000, security officer David Diaz sued Marilyn Manson for US$75,000 in a Minneapolis federal court, alleging battery from a concert in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The jury found in Manson's favor.
2000: Launch of Posthuman Records
In 2000, Marilyn Manson launched his own vanity label, Posthuman Records, which released two albums before being dissolved in 2003.
July 30, 2001: Joshua Keasler lawsuit
On July 30, 2001, Marilyn Manson was charged with sexual misconduct against security officer Joshua Keasler during a concert in Clarkston, Michigan, leading to a civil suit. Manson pleaded no contest to reduced charges of misdemeanor disorderly conduct, paid a US$4,000 fine, and settled the lawsuit under undisclosed terms.
2001: Release of Godhead's album
In 2001, Posthuman Records released Godhead's album 2000 Years of Human Error, featuring Marilyn Manson on the track "Break You Down".
2002: Collaboration with Make-A-Wish Foundation
In 2002, Marilyn Manson collaborated with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, inviting a 16-year-old fan, Andrew Baines, who had been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, to record backing vocals for the album, The Golden Age of Grotesque.
2002: Appearance on Eminem's video album
In 2002, Marilyn Manson joined Eminem on-stage for a live performance of "The Way I Am", featured on Eminem's video album All Access Europe.
2002: Collaboration on "Queen of the Damned" soundtrack and remix
In 2002, Marilyn Manson performed vocals on "Redeemer" for the Queen of the Damned soundtrack and contributed a remix of Linkin Park's "By Myself" to their Reanimation album. He also collaborated on the score for the film Resident Evil.
2002: International hit with Tainted Love cover
In 2002, Marilyn Manson's cover of "Tainted Love" became an international hit, peaking at number one in several territories.
2002: First art show The Golden Age of Grotesque
In 2002, Marilyn Manson's first art show, "The Golden Age of Grotesque", was held at the Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions center.
2003: Celebrity Deathmatch soundtrack recording
In 2003, Marilyn Manson recorded a song for the soundtrack of the Celebrity Deathmatch video game. His likeness was also featured in the video game.
2004: Appearance in The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things
In 2004, Marilyn Manson appeared in Asia Argento's film The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things.
2004: Phantasmagoria project development begins
In 2004, Marilyn Manson began working on his directorial debut, Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll.
2004: Release of Lest We Forget: The Best Of
In 2004, Marilyn Manson released the greatest hits compilation "Lest We Forget: The Best Of".
2004: Second art exhibition
On September 14-15, 2004, Marilyn Manson held his second art exhibition, 'Trismegistus', in Paris and Berlin.
July 2005: Shifting focus to filmmaking
In July 2005, Marilyn Manson told Rolling Stone that he was shifting his focus from music to filmmaking due to dissatisfaction with the music industry.
2006: Writing liner notes for Jack Off Jill compilation
In 2006, Marilyn Manson wrote the liner notes for Jack Off Jill's compilation album Humid Teenage Mediocrity 1992–1996.
July 28, 2007: Art exhibition in Cologne
From June 28 – July 28, 2007, forty pieces of Marilyn Manson's artwork were exhibited at Germany's Gallery Brigitte Schenk in Cologne.
August 2, 2007: Stephen Bier files lawsuit
On August 2, 2007, former band member Stephen Bier (a.k.a. Madonna Wayne Gacy) filed a lawsuit against Marilyn Manson for unpaid "partnership proceeds," seeking $20 million in back pay.
December 2007: Manson counter-sues Stephen Bier
In December 2007, Marilyn Manson countersued former band member Stephen Bier, claiming Bier had failed to fulfill his duties as a band member by not playing for recordings or promoting the band.
2007: Slated release date for Phantasmagoria
By 2007, the film Phantasmagoria was slated to have a conventional cinema release, but production was postponed.
2007: Release of Eat Me, Drink Me
In 2007, Marilyn Manson released the album "Eat Me, Drink Me", with lyrical content relating to the dissolution of his marriage to Dita Von Teese and his affair with Evan Rachel Wood.
2008: Sales of The Golden Age of Grotesque
As of 2008, "The Golden Age of Grotesque" by Marilyn Manson had sold 527,000 copies in the United States.
2008: Remix of Lady Gaga's "LoveGame"
In 2008, Marilyn Manson performed vocals on the Chew Fu GhettoHouse Fix remix of Lady Gaga's "LoveGame".
2008: "Mansinthe" wins a gold medal
In 2008, Marilyn Manson's absinthe brand, "Mansinthe," won a gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, despite receiving mixed reviews from critics.
December 28, 2009: Settlement with Stephen Bier
On December 28, 2009, the lawsuit between Marilyn Manson and former band member Stephen Bier was settled, with Bier's attorneys receiving a total of $380,000.
2009: Release of The High End of Low
In 2009, Marilyn Manson released the album "The High End of Low", their final album issued by Interscope.
April 25, 2010: Postponement of "Hell, etc." art exhibition
On April 25, 2010, the original closing date for Marilyn Manson's "Hell, etc." art exhibition, the exhibition was postponed due to a volcanic ash cloud. The exhibition was rescheduled to run from April 28, 2010, until May 2, 2010.
April 28, 2010: Opening of Manson's "Hell, etc." art exhibition
On April 28, 2010, Marilyn Manson's third art exhibition, "Hell, etc.", opened to the public in Athens, Greece. The exhibition, which displayed Manson's more recent artworks, was held at the Athenian Cultural Centre and ran until May 2, 2010.
May 2, 2010: Closing of Manson's "Hell, etc." art exhibition
May 2, 2010, marked the closing day of Marilyn Manson's third art exhibition, "Hell, etc.", in Athens, Greece. The exhibition had been open to the public since April 28, 2010, showcasing Manson's recent artworks at the Athenian Cultural Centre.
2010: Film was still on
In 2010, Anthony Silva said the talk of the film being shut down was just a myth.
2010: Genealogies of Pain exhibition
In 2010, Marilyn Manson revealed a series of 20 paintings in an exhibition entitled Genealogies of Pain, showcased at Vienna's Kunsthalle gallery in collaboration with David Lynch.
2010: "Tainted Love" in Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit trailer
In 2010, a remix of Marilyn Manson's song "Tainted Love" was featured in the debut trailer for the video game, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit.
2010: Production shut down on Phantasmagoria
In 2010, studio bosses shut down production on Marilyn Manson's film Phantasmagoria, due to viewer responses to violent content.
2011: Album sales in the United States
According to Nielsen SoundScan, Marilyn Manson had sold 8.7 million albums in the United States as of 2011.
2011: Signing with Cooking Vinyl
In 2011, Marilyn Manson signed a lucrative recording contract with British independent record label Cooking Vinyl.
2011: Featured vocalist on Skylar Grey's unreleased track
In 2011, Marilyn Manson was a featured vocalist on "Can't Haunt Me", a track recorded for Skylar Grey's unreleased album Invinsible.
2012: Release of Born Villain
In 2012, Marilyn Manson released the album "Born Villain", the first album under the Cooking Vinyl deal. The lead single "No Reflection" earned the band their fourth Grammy nomination.
2012: "Tainted Love" in Twisted Metal trailer
In 2012, a remix of Marilyn Manson's song "Tainted Love" was featured in the launch trailer for the video game Twisted Metal.
June 2013: Manson "resurrected" the Phantasmagoria project
In June 2013, Marilyn Manson stated that he had "resurrected" the Phantasmagoria project, and that Roger Avary would direct it.
2013: Collaboration with Avril Lavigne
In 2013, Marilyn Manson appeared on "Bad Girl", a song from Avril Lavigne's self-titled album.
2013: Contribution to Oxfam's "Rumble in the Jumble" event
In 2013, Marilyn Manson contributed to Oxfam's "Rumble in the Jumble" event, which raised money to aid victims of domestic and sexual abuse in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
2013: Appearance in Californication
In 2013, Marilyn Manson portrayed himself in Showtime's comedy-drama TV series Californication.
2013: Manson discusses trademarking "Marilyn Manson" with Larry King
In a 2013 interview with Larry King, Marilyn Manson stated that he trademarked the name 'Marilyn Manson'.
2014: Collaboration with Emigrate
In 2014, Marilyn Manson featured on the song "Hypothetical" from Emigrate's album Silent So Long.
2015: The End Times Tour
In 2015, Marilyn Manson and the Smashing Pumpkins embarked on a co-headlining tour titled "The End Times Tour".
2015: Release of The Pale Emperor
In 2015, Marilyn Manson released the album "The Pale Emperor", which was widely seen as a return to form and a commercial success.
2015: Performance at Summer Sonic Festival
In 2015, the Soul Rebels performed "The Beautiful People" alongside Marilyn Manson at the Japanese Summer Sonic Festival.
2015: Manson discusses trademarking "Marilyn Manson"
In an interview at the 2015 Cannes Lions Festival, Marilyn Manson stated that he trademarked the name 'Marilyn Manson', asserting ownership similar to Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.
January 2016: Joining the cast of Salem
In January 2016, it was announced that Marilyn Manson would be joining the cast for season 3 of WGN's Salem, playing Thomas Dinley.
2016: Collaboration with Shooter Jennings
In 2016, Marilyn Manson recorded vocals on a cover of David Bowie's "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" for Shooter Jennings's album Countach (For Giorgio).
2017: Sales of Mechanical Animals
As of 2017, Mechanical Animals by Marilyn Manson sold 1.4 million copies in the United States.
2017: Release of Heaven Upside Down and stage injury
In 2017, Marilyn Manson released the album "Heaven Upside Down", with the single "Kill4Me" becoming the band's highest-peaking single on Billboard's Mainstream Rock. While touring, Manson was injured by falling stage props, breaking his fibula.
2019: Performance at Cyndi Lauper's 'Home for the Holidays' benefit concert
In 2019, Marilyn Manson performed alongside Cyndi Lauper at her annual 'Home for the Holidays' benefit concert, with all proceeds donated to Lauper's True Colors United, which supports LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness.
2019: Release of God's Gonna Cut You Down
In 2019, Marilyn Manson released "God's Gonna Cut You Down" as a non-album single, becoming the band's highest-peaking single on Billboard's Hot Rock Songs and Rock Digital Songs.
2020: Collaboration with ASAP Ferg
In 2020, Marilyn Manson provided vocals on the song "Marilyn Manson" on the mixtape Floor Seats II by ASAP Ferg.
2020: Release of We Are Chaos
In 2020, Marilyn Manson released the album "We Are Chaos", which became the band's tenth top ten release on the Billboard 200.
2020: Shooter Jennings produces We Are Chaos
In 2020, Shooter Jennings produced Marilyn Manson's album We Are Chaos.
2021: Collaboration on Kanye West's "Donda"
In 2021, Marilyn Manson co-wrote and featured on "Jail pt 2" on Kanye West's album Donda. He appeared with West at promotional events, generating controversy, and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Album due to his contribution.
March 2024: North American tour announced
In March 2024, Marilyn Manson announced that the band would embark on an arena and amphitheater tour of North America with Five Finger Death Punch.
2025: European headline shows
In 2025, Marilyn Manson is scheduled to perform their own headline shows in Europe.
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