Shirley Ann Manson (born 26 August 1966) is a Scottish musician, actress, and the lead vocalist of the band Garbage.
She began her career in Edinburgh in the early 1980s, most notably performing backing vocals and keyboards for local band Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie before fronting side-project Angelfish while signed as a solo artist. Having seen Manson in an Angelfish video on MTV, Garbage invited Manson to record with them as the band's lead singer. With Garbage on hiatus after four successful studio albums, one greatest hits compilation and over 14 million record sales, Manson began recording solo material in 2006 and continues to embark on a solo career. Although fans anticipated a 2008 release of new material, complications with record company Geffen, which was turned off by the dark nature of Manson's music, make a 2008 release unlikely. Shirley Manson was cast on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles as a series regular Catherine Weaver, the CEO of a major technology company, and also an antagonist terminator, for the second season. She also sings the Blind Willie Johnson song heard in the opening scene of "Samson and Delilah," the first episode of that season.
Shirley Manson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1966 to John and Muriel Manson, a geneticist and former big band singer respectively. She was named after an aunt who was named after Charlotte Brontë's novel Shirley. She was born middle-child between older sister Lindy-Jayne and younger sister Sarah, and was brought up in the Stockbridge area of the city. Manson learned to play the piano at age seven, and later attended the City of Edinburgh Music School, the music department of Broughton High. She was a member of Girlguiding UK as a Brownie and a Guide. Manson performing live While at Broughton, Manson became an active member of its drama group, acting in plays such as The American Dream and The Wizard of Oz. Manson was bullied and beaten up due to her red hair and large eyes. She suffered from depression as a teenager and engaged in self-injury: she carried a sharp object in the laces of her boots and cut herself when she felt stress, depression, or anxiety.
