Scott Mitchell Putesky, formerly known by the stage name Daisy Berkowitz, was an American musician, who was the lead guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Marilyn Manson. His stage name was created by combining Daisy Duke from The Dukes of Hazzard, with the serial killer David Berkowitz. He left the band on May 8, 1996, halfway through the recording of Antichrist Superstar.
Early life
Scott Putesky was born in Los Angeles, California, and was adopted and raised in New Jersey. His family is Jewish, but he described himself as atheist. Putesky started playing the guitar when he was 15.
Marilyn Manson
Putesky and Marilyn Manson met at a Fort Lauderdale club called The Reunion Room and later at a local after-party in December 1989. The two created the concept of Marilyn Manson & The Spooky Kids poking fun at American media hypocrisy and its obsessions with serial killers and beautiful women. Putesky, who had at this point developed his own poetry but not yet worked lyrics into his music, began to meet up with Manson and brainstorm character and show/event ideas after Manson asked for help starting a band as a creative outlet for his poetry writing. Putesky played guitar, bass and keys, programmed a Yamaha RX-8 drum machine, and taught Manson about vocal performance, recording and arranging. Input from both parties gave the band its darkly psychedelic style, and as early as January 1990, they began to record songs like "Red Head", "White Knuckles", "Cake and Sodomy" and "Strange Same Dogma" on Putesky's 4-track. By March they had assembled a band with Manson's Broward Community College schoolmate Brian Tutunick and Perry Pandrea. The band played its first show at Churchills, a club in Miami April 28, 1990, opening for the popular local band "The Goods". In 1996, creative differences with Manson caused Putesky to leave the studio before Antichrist Superstar was completed. Manson had begun to work more with the other members of the band, and the dark environment of Antichrist Superstars production led to Berkowitz being muscled out of the group. He is, however, credited for writing the music for four songs on the record, among them being the album's second single, "Tourniquet". Due to unpaid royalties, Berkowitz filed a $15 million lawsuit against Manson, which was later settled under confidential terms.
Post-Marilyn Manson work
Abandoning the Daisy Berkowitz stage name in favor of his own initials SMP, Putesky began recording demos for his first solo project, Three Ton Gate, named for the massive coral gate at the entrance of the Coral Castle in Homestead, Florida. His three-song demo 3x3 was his first musical undertaking post Marilyn Manson. The tape featured rough tracks written and performed entirely by Putesky, under the name Scott Mitchell. Shortly thereafter, Putesky hired Tyreah James to handle the vocals for the full-length Three Ton Gate release, "Vanishing Century" based on the 3x3 demo tapes. Putesky produced James's vocals in the studio for all the basic tracks at the now defunct Digital Beach Recording Studio in Fort Lauderdale. The album was released in 1997 in limited quantities, and sold out its entire run of pressings. At the same time, Putesky was playing live shows in a whimsical side project called the Linda Blairs created by Jack Off Jill singer Jessicka as an opening act for her band's shows. The Linda Blairs featured several unknown South Florida musicians who performed cover tunes previously recorded by female fronted 80's rock bands and did several live performances dressed in drag. Three Ton Gate and the project with Tyreah soon faltered and was put aside. In late 1998 Scott joined up with longtime Marilyn Manson collaborators Jack Off Jill, replacing departing member Ho Ho Spade and playing live guitar on their 1999 West Coast tour which lasted for only a handful of gigs. His first recorded work with the band was the 1998 EP Covetous Creature, to which he lent guitar and some production. By early 1999, SMP was no longer a member of Jack Off Jill. Putesky himself was vague, but he related to MTV News that the parting was amicable. He returned once again to Ft. Lauderdale to resume work on his own music, primarily seeking a live band to perform his Three Ton Gate material. In the meantime, he successfully sued Marilyn Manson for what he claimed were unpaid royalties for his contributions to Antichrist Superstar. In the same lawsuit, Putesky was also awarded the rights to 21 unreleased recordings by Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids. In July 2010 Putesky officially joined electro-punk band Kill Miss Pretty after collaborating with them on their single "Judy Garland". Following this the band began working on new material including a cover of the Spooky Kids' song "She's Not My Girlfriend". Putesky revived Three Ton Gate shortly afterwards to play live under that name in a 2011 series of dates across America starting in New York City on October 15. He also stated that the second remastered Spooky Kids compilation Deform School would be made available at these dates.
Death
In September 2013, Putesky was diagnosed with stage-four colon cancer. He died on October 22, 2017.
