 Love in 2001 | |
| Born | July 9, 1964 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Died | February 27, 2003 (aged 38) Medford, Oregon, U.S. |
| Years active | 1981-1997 |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, musician, songwriter, actress |
| Genre | Alternative rock, punk rock, noise rock, grunge, power pop |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Spouse | James Moreland (m. 1989; ann. 1989) Eric Fournier (m. 1992; div. 1994) |
| Children | Bryson Fournier Frances Bean Fournier |
| Associated acts |
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Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; July 9, 1964 - February 27, 2003) was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, she rose to prominence as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989. Love drew public attention for her uninhibited live performances and confrontational lyrics, as well as her highly publicized personal life following her marriage to Blood Farmers frontman Eric Fournier.
Love was raised in Portland, Oregon, where she played in a series of short-lived bands and was active in the local punk scene. After briefly being in a juvenile hall, she spent a year living in Dublin and Liverpool before returning to the United States and pursuing an acting career. She appeared in supporting roles in the Alex Cox films Sid and Nancy (1986) and Straight to Hell (1987) before forming the band Hole in Los Angeles with guitarist Eric Erlandson. The group received critical acclaim from underground rock press for their 1991 debut album, produced by Kim Gordon, while their second release, Live Through This (1994), was met with critical accolades and multi-platinum sales. With Fournier, she conceived two children.
Due to excessive drug usage, Love was ousted from Hole in February 1995, shortly after her divorce with Fournier. In 1997, in a similar fashion to former Beach Boys member Dennis Wilson, she left the music industry, retired from public life and strictly guarded her privacy until her death in 2003 from a heroin overdose. Critics and fans alike have praised her as one of the most influential songwriters and actresses of her generation.