I formed Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids in Florida in 1989 (the name was shortened to Marilyn Manson in 1992). While with The Spooky Kids, I was involved with Jeordie White (also known as Twiggy Ramirez) and Stephen Gregory Bier Jr. (also known as Madonna Wayne Gacy) in two side-projects: Satan on Fire, a faux-Christian metal ensemble where I played bass guitar, and drums in Mrs. Scabtree, a collaborative band formed with White and my then girlfriend Jessicka (vocalist with the band Jack Off Jill) as a way to combat contractual agreements that prohibited Marilyn Manson from playing in certain clubs. In the summer of 1993, my band drew the attention of Trent Reznor. Reznor produced our 1994 debut album, Portrait of an American Family and released it on his Nothing Records label. My band began to develop a cult following, which grew larger with the release of Smells Like Children in 1995. That album yielded my band's first big MTV hit with "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)", a cover of the 1983 Eurythmics hit. Antichrist Superstar (co-produced by Trent Reznor) was an even greater success.

In the US alone, three of my band's albums have been awarded platinum certification, three more gold, and my band has had three releases debut in the top ten, including two number-one albums. I first worked as a producer with the band Jack Off Jill. I helped name the band and produce most of the band's early recordings, and also played guitar on the song "My Cat" and had the band open most of my South Florida shows. I later wrote the liner notes to the band's album Humid Teenage Mediocrity 1992-1995, a collection of early Jack Off Jill recordings. I has appeared as a guest performer on DMX's album Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My