Marilyn Manson was the most controversial band of the 1990s, which is saying a lot. The musical outfit reveled in outraging parents and frightening teens, resulting in millions of albums sold and a string of collaborations with fellow rock superstars.
The band is still active today, but few would argue that the 90s lineup, consisting of lead singer Marilyn Manson, bassist Twiggy Ramirez, and guitarist Daisy Berkowitz, is the era that is most fondly remembered. Berkowitz's tenure with the band, however, came to an acrimonious end at the height of their success in 1996.
Daisy Berkowitz left the band in 1996
Berkowitz, real name Scott Putesky, was a founding member of Marilyn Manson in 1989. He walked away from the band during the recording sessions for what would become their breakout sophomore album, Antichrist Superstar. Why? Well, because he didn't like the direction Manson was taking as the band grew in popularity, and felt his creative input was being increasingly diminished.
Berkowitz confirmed this during a 2014 interview with Vice. "I left because I wasn’t getting the respect and appreciation and work I deserved," he asserted. He claimed he had dozens of demos lined up for the album, but the other members were reluctant to record them for consideration on the album. "I was being slowly muscled out as far as my contribution," the guitarist noted. "And, that’s pretty much it."
Despite the friction between Berkowitz and the rest of the band, he wound up getting four writing credits on Antichrist Superstar. One of them, "Tourniquet," was a single. The guitarist eventually filed a lawsuit over these credits, claiming that he was never paid royalties despite the album's platinum certification.
Berkowitz sued Marilyn Manson for $15 million
Berkowitz sued the band for $15 million, and MTV reported that it was eventually settled out of court. Despite Marilyn Manson's continued success, the guitarist does not regret his decision to leave when he did. In fact, he's relieved he did. "The band has changed every year, every album cycle so it hasn’t been the band, really since I left," he noted. "No concern for keeping the same lineup, no concern for the same writers."
Daisy Berkowitz went on play with various bands after leaving Marilyn Manson, including Three Ton Gate, Jack Off Jill, and Stuck on Evil. He also released a solo album, Millenium Effluvium, in 2014. He was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in 2013, however, and died October 22, 2017. He was 49 years old.
Manson issued a statement following Berkowitz's death, noting how special the music they made together was. “Scott Putesky and I made great music together," the singer wrote on Instagram. "We had our differences over the years, but I will always remember the good times more."