Marilyn Manson says the Columbine High School shootings "destroyed his entire career at the time".
The ‘KILL4ME’ hitmaker has opened about how the tragic killing spree in 1999, in Columbine, Colorado, impacted on his life after the teenage culprits, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, who allegedly wore his merchandise and were fans of his music, killed 13 people.
The 48-year-old goth rocker’s first album to be released after the horrific incident, 2000’s ‘Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)’, was a rebuttal to the accusations levelled against him, but under-performed commercially.
In an interview with Britain’s Guardian newspaper, Manson spilled: "Give them the money and let them make their own choice: guns or records. If (Klebold and Harris) had just bought my records, they would be better off.
"Certain people blame me for the shootings at schools – I think my numbers are low, and hopefully they go up on (my upcoming) record.
"But, honestly, the Columbine era destroyed my entire career at the time."
After his name got caught up in the massacre, Manson received death threats and would have people protesting and throwing stuff on stage at him at his shows in Colorado, but he responded by cutting himself with sharp objects and punching members of the audience.
He recalled: "I would just get on stage and smash beer bottles and cut myself and go, ‘F**k you, bring it!’ – I’ve got the scars all over my chest – I can show you.
"I would jump into the crowd and punch people. It wasn’t even those people who were at fault.
"But my dad gave me the best advice; ‘If people are going to kill you, son, they wouldn’t tell you in advance.’
"No, I don’t miss that at all. It made everyone around me upset."
In 2013, Manson revealed he was blamed for pretty much every school shooting that happened ever since.
At the time, he said: "I was the best face to attach to at the time because I put myself in the role of villain. "Because I think villains are the key to any good story. "Before they were showing anything, they said a gang of kids wearing Marilyn Manson T-shirts shot up a school … I think I’ve been blamed for about 36 school shootings."
The ‘Tainted Love’ singer releases new LP ‘Heaven Upside Down’ on October 6.
Marilyn Manson: Columbine shootings destroyed my career
