MARILYN MANSON - MARILYN MANSON: I ALMOST QUIT

Shock rocker MARILYN MANSON almost turned his back on his music career - because of severe stage fright.

THE DOPE SHOW singer hates the pressure of performing live, and claims it made him feel so low that he wanted to quit singing.

He says, "It's been difficult to come to terms with everything I am. Six months ago, I wanted to end it all, I wanted to say farewell to music, to not have anything to do with this anymore.

"There was a time when I didn't want to go out in front of an audience again. It's strange, when I started out I had nothing to lose, but now I have a lot to lose.

But he changed his mind, because "I'm about to get married, I have material belongings I don't want to give up. I have success; I have integrity, sanity and control. I don't want to give up any of those things."

Manson is preparing to wed striptease artist DITA VON TEESE in the near future.