Madonna Wayne Gacy
| Stephen Bier | |
|---|---|
 Madonna Wayne Gacy live in 1995 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Stephen Gregory Bier Jr. |
| Also known as | Madonna Wayne Gacy, Pogo |
| Born |
March 6, 1964 Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | Industrial metal, industrial rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Keyboards, percussions, programming |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | Nothing, Interscope |
| Associated acts | Marilyn Manson, MMII, Mrs. Scabtree, Faultline Productions |
| Notable instruments | |
|
Roland AX-1 Sequential Circuits Pro-One Yamaha CBX K2 Premier 15" × 14" and 16" × 16" floor toms Zildjian Z custom china cymbal Akai S950 Kurzweil K2500RS Mackie 1604-VLZ Peavey PC-1600 | |
Stephen Gregory Bier Jr. (born March 6, 1964, Fort Lauderdale, Florida), formerly known by his stage name Madonna Wayne Gacy and by the nickname Pogo (John Wayne Gacy's clown name), is the former keyboard player for Marilyn Manson, from 1989 to 2007. His stage name came from the names of the singer Madonna and the serial killer John Wayne Gacy.
Personal life
Stephen Bier was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to a Jewish father and Catholic mother. He earned a degree in engineering from the University of Florida.
Career
Bier joined Marilyn Manson in late 1989 as a live prop actor. Bier has played the following instruments on Marilyn Manson's albums: calliope, Hammond organ, saxophone, theremin, various brass instruments, overdubs, loops, bassoon, drums, electronic drums, keytar, piano, sampling, mellotron, shaker, and synthesizer. He is responsible for much of the Kabbalic and numerological meanings behind Manson's albums.[1] He did not contribute to Manson's album Eat Me, Drink Me having been replaced by Chris Vrenna.
On August 2, 2007, it was reported that Bier filed a lawsuit against Manson for unpaid "partnership proceeds". Bier claims Manson spent the band's earnings on "sick and disturbing purchases of Nazi memorabilia and taxidermy (including the skeleton of a young Chinese girl)" and on various other luxurious items. Bier claimed that Manson "devised a campaign to drive Bier out of the band and rob him of his entitlement".[2]
On December 19, 2007, Manson filed a counter suit against Bier, accusing him of breach of contract.[3]
According to metalunderground.com, the lawsuit was settled for a sum far less than what was originally sought by Bier with the total being $380,000. $175,000 was paid out by Marilyn Manson while the rest was ordered to be paid by Stephen Bier's former Business Managers.[4]
Bier later founded a music project called MMII, with Brian Diemar.[5]
Discography
- Portrait of an American Family (Marilyn Manson, 1994)
- The Heart's Filthy Lesson single (US) (David Bowie, 1995) (uncredited)
- Smells Like Children (Marilyn Manson, 1995)
- Antichrist Superstar (Marilyn Manson, 1996)
- Remix & Repent (Marilyn Manson, 1997)
- Lost Highway Soundtrack - Apple of Sodom (uncredited, 1997)
- Mechanical Animals (Marilyn Manson, 1998)
- Dead Man on Campus Soundtrack (Marilyn Manson's cover of David Bowie's "Golden Years", 1999)
- Detroit Rock City (Marilyn Manson's cover of AC/DC's "Highway to Hell", 1999)
- The Last Tour on Earth (Marilyn Manson, 1999)
- Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) (Marilyn Manson, 2000)
- Guns, God and Government (Marilyn Manson, 2000)
- The Golden Age of Grotesque (Marilyn Manson, 2003)
- Lest We Forget: The Best of Marilyn Manson (Marilyn Manson, 2004)
- Lost & Found (Marilyn Manson, 2008)
References
- ↑ Manson, Marilyn, "The Long Hard Road Out of Hell" (1999); ISBN 0-06-098746-4:
- ↑ BLABBERMOUTH.NET - Marilyn Manson Sued By Former Keyboardist/Drummer Over 'Partnership Proceeds', roadrunnerrecords.com; accessed September 14, 2015. He currently works for Faultline Music Group LLC.
- ↑ Marilyn Manson files suit against ex-bandmate, NME.com, 2007-12-21, retrieved 2007-12-21
- ↑ Marilyn Manson Settles Lawsuit With Stephen Bier - in Metal News ( Metal Underground.com )
- ↑ "MMII". facebook.com.
