Biography
Who is Shirley Manson?
Early life and education
Shirley Ann Manson was born in Edinburgh on August 26, 1966. Her mother was a big band singer and her father worked as a university lecturer. She grew up in Edinburgh with her two sisters, attending Broughton High School and the City of Edinburgh Music School. During her youth, she participated in local choir singing and played several instruments including the clarinet, fiddle, and piano.
As a teenager, she faced bullying at school which led to personal struggles and depression. She eventually found a group of friends who shared a rebellious attitude and became involved with local music and club scenes. She auditioned for the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama but was rejected, subsequently working jobs in local retail before pursuing music full time.
Early music career
Her early musical experiences included singing with local acts such as The Wild Indians and providing backing vocals for Autumn 1904. She was later approached by Martin Metcalfe to join the band Goodbye Mr Mackenzie, where she played keyboards and sang backing vocals. The group signed with Capitol Records and released their first album, Good Deeds and Dirty Rags, along with their charting single "The Rattler".
After contract changes and management shifts, the band continued recording material. Shirley was given the opportunity to record lead vocals on tracks intended for a third album. The record label eventually signed her as a solo artist under the name Angelfish, with the remaining band members serving as her backing band. They recorded an album in Connecticut and released the track "Suffocate Me", which gained college radio airplay.
Success with Garbage
Producer Steve Marker saw the music video for "Suffocate Me" and invited Shirley to audition as a singer for his new band, Garbage, which also featured musicians Butch Vig and Duke Erikson. After initial communication hurdles and the breakup of Angelfish, she returned to work with Garbage as a full-time member, co-writing and co-producing their self-titled debut album released in 1995.
The band achieved commercial success with their debut and the follow-up album Version 2.0. They released multiple hit singles, performed the theme song for the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough, and released several subsequent albums over the decades. Garbage sold millions of records globally and received multiple Grammy and Brit Award nominations throughout their career.
Solo projects and acting
Alongside her work with Garbage, Shirley pursued independent projects including writing and recording solo material. She expanded her career into television by portraying the character Catherine Weaver in the science fiction series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. She also hosted a music podcast titled The Jump with Shirley Manson over a multi-year period.
Birthday and age
Shirley Manson was born on August 26, 1966, which makes Shirley 60 years old today. That birthday falls under the Virgo sign. Shirley shares the date with 24 other famous people.
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