Courtney Love Biography

Singer, songwriter, actress. Born Courtney Michelle Harrison on July 9, 1964, in San Francisco, California. Outspoken, brash, and sometimes out of control, Courtney Love has become one of alternative rock's most fascinating figures. She is the widow of legendary Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain as well as an accomplished solo artist in her own right.  Love, however, has made more headlines for her outrageous exploits than her talent.

Her parents—Hank Harrison, an associate of the Grateful Dead and Linda Carroll, a therapist—divorced when she was only five years old. Raised by her mother, Love lived in a commune for several years. She then spent time in a reform school in her early teens for shoplifting and became a stripper at the age of 16, according to an article in Stella magazine.  While living in Oregon, she befriended Kat Bjelland.

After a few attempts at college, Love spent a lot of time traveling the world, visiting places such as Japan, Ireland, and even Liverpool where she met a musician named Julian Cope and moved in with him, becoming a regular face at his gigs. She funded her travels with money she received from her grandmother and from working as a stripper.

The relationship didn't last and Love eventually returned to America. Love joined up with old friend Bjelland, forming the all-female punk trio Sugar Baby Doll with Jennifer Finch. Love and Bjelland developed their trademark fashion style around this time, appearing on stage in babydoll dresses, heavy make-up, and with messy hair. The band split up after Bjelland kicked Love out of the group. Finch went on to become the bassist in L7, another female-driven alternative rock group. Later Love and Bjelland reunited to create Babes in Toyland in 1987 with Lori Barbero on drums. But soon Love was pushed out by Bjelland.

In addition to music, Love tried acting. She caught the attention of film director Alex Cox in 1986 who decided to cast her in a small role in Sid and Nancy. The film told the story of punk music's most famous star-crossed lovers, Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious and his lover Nancy Spungen, which starred Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb. Sid and Nancy wasn't a success but Love persisted with her acting career with another of Cox's ventures, Straight To Hell, the following year, but this was even more of a flop, going straight to DVD.

Living in Los Angeles, Love started to take music more seriously, learning to become a better guitar player. She founded her own band Hole in 1989 with Eric Erlandson after he replied to an ad she placed for musicians. They then brought in Jill Emery on bass and Caroline Rue on drums. Soon the group was making waves in the underground music scene with such singles as "Dicknail" and "Retard Girl." Produced by Don Fleming of Gumball and Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, Hole's debut album, Pretty on the Inside (1991), attracted some critical attention in England. Love soon began to meet and befriend more influential musicians such as Michael Stipe of REM and Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins.