GINGER FISH

Basic Information:

Born: Kenneth Robert Wilson
Instrument (s): Drums, piano, percussion, programming
D.O.B: September 28 1965
Birth Place: Farmington, MA
Name Origin: Ginger Rogers + Albert Fish

EARLY YEARS

Drummer Ginger Fish was raised in a family of musicians. Kenny’s father is a singer who had toured with the legendary crooner Frank Sinatra, whilst his mother is a dancer whose career started with studio Warner Bros. at a very young age, and was in the Little Rascal’s dance chorus.

Kenny grew up listening to the influential bands whose music shaped most of the Marilyn Manson band members through their youth: Black Sabbath, Pantera, Zappa, Rush – he sights Neil Peart as one of his influences - to name but a few. Their styles influenced him in taking up the drums, and he began to learn to play whilst still only in second grade. He even played in the school marching band, and drum corps.

As a child, due to his families careers, the young Kenny moved around America, spending a considerable amount of his childhood in the showbiz glittery Las Vegas. He studied music at university, following his family in their path of entertainment.

In the mid eighties Wilson played drums for artists such as Paul Naka and housewives favourite Barry Manilow. He also played in a band, who themselves reached the top 40 singles chart in America.

In settling down finally, Kenny’s parents brought a theatre in Orlando Florida, in which such productions as Jesus Christ Superstar and Chicago were performed, For these Wilson played the drums in the house orchestra.

ANSWERING THE CALL

Pursuing his own career, Kenny lived a poor musicians life. Before being picked to replace Sara Lee Lucas, the original drummer for Marilyn Manson (without counting the drum machine), Wilson was unemployed and living his car, just so he could afford valuable practice time.

After receiving a call from the bands manager, Wilson auditioned for the group, and was hired owing to a long experience of playing and due to the fact that he knew about loops and programming – one of the many reason why Lucas was fired.

For the newly named Ginger Fish, fame and a steady income had finally found him.

However Ginger’s tenure in the band has been far from easy. Although he has no quarrels with Manson, instead describing their relationship: "Either Marilyn Manson’s going to kill me or I’m going to kill him. Every night on stage I realise this could be the night I’m killed".

ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES

Ginger has been the most accident prone member of the band – whether that be by his own hand or by Manson’s – and it’s debatable if any of it is intentional. From an injury on his neck and left arm caused by flying mike stands, to broken hands, that left Ginger wondering if his career had ended, to a broken collarbone after crashing forward from an unstrapped drumkit, to slipping a knee disk and suffering from a numbness in one foot that means he has had to readjust his playing technique, it is right that he comments the times on stage as a "warzone". Even in 2004, at the start of the Against All Gods tour to promote the bands Lest We Forget Best of album, Ginger sat out the first stages after breaking his nose and arm after falling from the stage at a German award show. "I will keep playing with Marilyn Manson till I drop dead." (Slagwerkkrant 04)

Outside of the group, Ginger is probably one of the most publicity shy members – aside from a few interviews for drumming magazines. He had a well publicised relationship with Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Willow (Alyson Hannigan), but aside from that he lives at most an uncomplicated life – a far cry from the high jinx of the tours with Manson.

"I don’t like those typical rock star things....I don’t even have a car, stand alone five. I don’t even own my own house....I have a little storage space, with all my life in it....I don’t have a wife and children....There hasn’t been someone who was willing to wait months for me [whilst touring]". (Slagwerkkrant 04)

Other than being probably one of the best drummers on the circuit, Ginger likes relaxing by going go – karting, riding motorcycles and playing music computer games.

In 2004/05 Ginger began work on side project Martyr Plot, where he plays drums. Although speculation arose as to whether Ginger would return to Marilyn Manson, it was confirmed in an interview with The Hierophant that Ginger was still a part of the band: "Ginger has not been fired, nor has he left Marilyn Manson....I'm sure Ginger and I will work together again and I can't say that we haven't already on this new music because I'm a secretive bastard." (Marilyn Manson speaking with www.mansonusa.com - NOVEMBER 2005)