Born in Edinburgh in 1966, Shirely Manson was brought up in the Stockbridge area of the Capital and was educated at Broughton High, where she performed in school plays and musicals.
Originally she wanted to be an actress, but failed to get into the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and worked in a number of temporary jobs, before working as a shop assistant for Miss Selfridge.
Her musical career began in Scottish band Goodbye Mr Mackenzie, playing keyboard, providing backing vocals and developing an arresting screen presence that led to her record label encouraging her to front her own group called Angelfish.
A successful audition for Garbage, who saw an Angelfish music video on MTV, led to her joining the band who released their critically acclaimed and commercially successful eponymous debut album. Seven studio albums later Garbage have toured the world, sold over 17 million records and been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards.
Manson has also written and recorded solo material, as well as appearing as a Terminator called Catherine Weaver in the second season of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Here are 13 interesting and amusing things she’s said in interviews.
5. Shirley Manson on...her respectable parents
"I was always embarrassed because my dad wore a suit and my mother wore flat pumps and a cozy jumper while my friends' parents were punks or hippies." Photo: Kevin Winter
6. Shirley Manson on...celebrity
"A lot of celebrities just want money, fame, power, fancy cars, houses all over the world and have people bow down to them. To me, that's frightful behaviour." Photo: Tommaso Boddi
7. Shirley Manson on...getting older
"I'm 45 years old. I used to be a club girl, but that's not my world anymore. That doesn't mean I can't make music that excites. I think it's inspiring to see an artist you grew up with take another crack." Photo: Ryan Bakerink
8. Shirley Manson on...negativity
"It's unhealthy for people to never express any kind of negativity or doubt. To have balance, you need to address that side of your thoughts as well as the positive. Otherwise, you tend toward crazy." Photo: Victor Chavez