Biography
Who is Brian Molko?
Early life and schooling
Brian Molko was born in Brussels, Belgium. His father was a banker of French and Italian descent. His mother was Scottish. He had an older brother named Stuart who died in August 2022. The family lived in Dundee, Liberia, Lebanon, and Longeau. They eventually settled in Sandweiler, Luxembourg.
He attended the European School of Luxembourg but left due to bullying. He finished secondary school at the American International School of Luxembourg. Later, he studied drama at Goldsmiths College in London. He rebelled against his strict home by wearing lipstick and nail polish. He also wore eyeliner and listened to punk music.
Career with Placebo
Brian Molko is the lead singer, guitarist, and lyricist for Placebo. He met co-founder Stefan Olsdal at a South Kensington tube station. Before this band, he played in a group called Ashtray Heart with Steve Hewitt. Live, he plays bass, keyboards, saxophone, and harmonica. He published his lyrics in a 2014 book called Selected. A second edition came out in 2024.
He uses Gibson SGs and Fender Jaguars. He also used Gretsch Duo Jets and a Fender Toronado. For amplification, he used a Marshall 6100LM and a Fender Twin Reverb. His pedalboard included a Boss TU-2 tuner and an MXR Phase 90 phaser. He also used Electro Harmonix Hot Tubes distortion and a Boss DD-3 delay. In 2010, he started using Orange amps via an endorsement.
Acting and collaborations
He acted in the 1998 movie Velvet Goldmine. He played a singer named Malcolm in the band The Flaming Creatures. Placebo covered the T. Rex song 20th Century Boy for the film. He was the executive producer for Sue's Last Ride in 2001.
Brian Molko has collaborated with many artists. He sang on tracks for The Cure, David Bowie, and Michael Stipe of R.E.M. He worked with Jane Birkin, Asia Argento, and Alison Mosshart. Other collaborations include Justin Warfield, Losers, Faultline, and Françoise Hardy. He worked with Timo Maas, Kristeen Young, and Dream City Film Club. He also recorded with AC Acoustics, Alpinestars, Trash Palace, Hotel Persona, Westbam, Fiona Brice, Blackfield, and Tinlicker. He wrote English lyrics for the 2005 Indochine song Pink Water 3.
Personal health and family
He is bisexual. He had a partner named Helena Berg. They have a son named Cody Molko who was born in 2005. Cody is an actor who appeared in The Drowning. Brian Molko is bilingual in English and French.
He spoke about using heroin and pharmaceutical drugs. The band name Placebo references pharmaceutical drugs. He was diagnosed with major depressive disorder during his late twenties. He claimed he stopped using drugs after the album Meds. He received an Honorary Fellowship from Goldsmiths College in 2012.
Public image and legal cases
In 2021, he was part of the Marc Jacobs Heaven collection. The campaign photos were taken by Harley Weir. In July 2023, he performed at the Sonic Park Festival in Stupinigi.
He called Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni a fascist racist. Meloni sued him for defamation in August 2023. Prosecutors charged him with defamation in February 2025. This followed an attempt by the Turin prosecutor to find his home address in March 2024.
Birthday and age
Brian Molko was born on December 10, 1972, which makes Brian 53 years old today. That birthday falls under the Sagittarius sign. Brian shares the date with 52 other famous people.
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