Scottish Idol
There are just some women who scream "rock star" even if they were brushing their teeth or, I don't know, baking cookies.
Shirley Manson would be a rock star at walking her dog. Clipping coupons. Washing the car.
Thankfully, she chose to be an actual rock star as a profession.
She got her start in the rock band Goodbye Mr Mackenzie, then Angelfish, which achieved regional fame in the UK. She joined the Wisconsin-based band Garbage in 1994, and riding the alt-rock label, they exploded on the scene with the hit I'm Only Happy When It Rains, followed by Stupid Girl. A string of hits followed, including high-profile soundtrack songs for Romeo + Juliet and the James Bond theme, The World is Not Enough.
Success continued into the 2000s, with the albums Beautiful Garbage, Bleed Like Me, and Not Your Kind of People. They were a sensational opening act for U2 on the Elevation tour.
In one of the Best Concerts We Ever Saw, Garbage played the Hard Rock Cafe in 2005. The band was loose, banter with the crowd was engaging, and then... one of their fan club fans piped up and said, "Shirley, I'm here!" to which Shirley unleashed a barrage of excited curse words. The fan had just been diagnosed with cancer, and had asked Shirley if she came to the show, would she shave her head before she started chemo?
Shirley dragged her up, sat her in a chair, and asked her what she wanted to hear. So she sang "Milk" to this young woman while dragging a set of clippers across her skull, and when done, autographed her head and kissed her.
It doesn't get more rock star than that.
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