Stephen Bier
Madonna Wayne Gacy is the stage name of Stephen Gregory Bier Jr. (born March 6, 1964, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) who is the Keyboard instrument player for Marilyn Manson. His stage name is taken from the names of the singer Madonna and the serial killer John Wayne Gacy. He is often referred to as "Pogo," John Wayne Gacy's clown name. He has been the only member of the band to never leave for any cause and has been in the band since 1989.
Reportedly, Madonna Wayne Gacy did not play keyboards until he joined Marilyn Manson. He has played the following other instruments or sound-shaping techniques on Marilyn Manson's albums as well: calliope , Hammond organ, saxophone,theremin, various brass instruments, overdubs, music loop, bassoon, acoustic drums, electronic drums, piano, Sampling, mellotron, idiophone, and synthesizer. Excepting Manson himself, Gacy is the only remaining original member of the band if one does not count the brief passage of keyboardist Zsa Zsa Speck in the band.
He is responsible for much of the Kabbalah and numerologymeanings behind Manson's albums.
Trivia
- His father is Jewish and his mother is Catholic.
- His mother taught first grade; his father was a school teacher also.
- Has a fascination with all things Germany, World War II, and military. During the "Dead To The World" tour, he wore a German military-style suit onstage.
- It has been said that it took less time for Gacy to master the keyboard than it took for him to save money to buy one.
- Also has a deep fascination with all things Japanese.
- Has a degree in computer engineering.
- Supposedly has an IQ of over 170.
- His musical influences include: Black Sabbath, Ramones, Butthole Surfers, Big Black, Buffalo Tom, and Fear.
- He was nicknamed Pogo, early in the history of the band, as neither Madonna nor Gacy seemed to suit his personality, and Pogo was the clown alter ego of John Wayne Gacy.
- According to Marilyn Manson's book "The Long, Hard Road Out of Hell": Pogo was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) when he was a child, and was given Ritalin by his parents. As he grew older, he stopped taking the medication because of the way it made him feel.
- At over 40 years of age, (42) he is the oldest member of the band.
- Pogo has been described by Manson as "... a genius too mad to use his intelligence in any constructive way."
- Doesn't like mayonnaise.
- He plays the key tar for some of Manson's songs but also plays the regular keyboard for other songs as well.
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)
- 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)
- The Golden Age Of Grotesque (Marilyn Manson, 2003)
- Lest We Forget: The Best of Marilyn Manson (Marilyn Manson, 2004)
- Eat Me, Drink Me (Marilyn Manson, 2007)
