Scott Mitchell Putesky (April 28, 1968 – October 22, 2017), professionally known as Daisy Berkowitz, was an American musician and guitarist best known for co‑founding the band Marilyn Manson. He played a central role in the group's formation and in developing the guitar-driven, theatrical sound that brought the band attention in the early 1990s. His stage name followed the band's convention of pairing a female celebrity reference with a notorious surname.

Early life and formation of the band

Putesky met Brian Warner (who later took the stage name Marilyn Manson) at a party in 1989. The two began performing together under the name Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids, developing a provocative aesthetic that combined shock rock, glam, punk and industrial influences. Putesky's guitar work and songwriting partnership with Warner established much of the band's early repertoire and live identity.

Musical role and contributions

As the group's guitarist during its formative years, Putesky contributed to the arrangements, riffs and textures heard on the band's early recordings and first releases. His style has been described as riff‑oriented and atmospheric, often blending abrasive tones with a sense of theatricality to support the band's confrontational image. He is widely credited with helping translate the group's visual and lyrical concepts into a distinctive sonic framework.

Notable recordings and live work

  • Contributed to the band's early studio sessions and live shows that attracted underground and mainstream attention.
  • Participated in the creative process that produced the group's first full releases and early EPs, which established their public profile.
  • Maintained a visible presence in the band's performances until his departure in 1996.

Putesky left Marilyn Manson on May 8, 1996. Accounts of his departure point to creative and personal differences that often emerge in rapidly rising bands; after leaving he continued to write, record and perform with other musicians and projects.

Later projects and legacy

In March 2013 Putesky teamed with THEE PAUSE to form a new group called "The Daisy Kids," among other collaborations and musical activities in the years that followed. He remained active in the underground and independent music scenes, performing under his own name and with various lineups. Putesky's early partnership with Marilyn Manson left a lasting mark on the band's identity and on the broader industrial and alternative rock scenes of the 1990s.

Scott Putesky died on October 22, 2017. His role as a co‑founder of one of the era's most controversial and influential rock acts, and his contributions to their early sound, are frequently cited when discussing the band's origins and impact on alternative music.

For further reading about Putesky's career and the band, see resources linked to the band's history and music pages such as Marilyn Manson.