Courtney Michelle Harrison, better known as Courtney Love born in San Francisco, July 9, 1964, is an American singer, guitarist and actress.
Love grows up as a problem child, and is therefore a regular in correctional institutions and shelters. She runs away from her family and travels around America, England and Ireland and makes ends meet from a fund from her grandparents. Her first "famous" friend is Roz Rezabek, followed by Julian Cope, founder of Teardrop Explodes. When she is in her twenties, she works in Japan as a stripper. She would go on to pursue this profession more frequently in later moments, before she became famous. At the age of 22, she returned to Portland, Oregon, before moving to Los Angeles in 1987 with the band Babes in Toyland. A year earlier, the film Sid & Nancy was released, about the life of this famous punk duo. Love plays Gretchen in the film. After being fired by founder Kat Bjelland, she founds Leaving Trains in Los Angeles.
She co-founded the group Hole with Eric Erlandson in 1989. Patty Schemel played drums and Kristen Pfaff played bass guitar. In 1991 they recorded their first album with Kim Gordon as producer. The band, along with bands such as Babes in Toyland, Pussy Galore and L7, became a figurehead of the feminist Riot Grrrl movement. It was followed by their second album in 1994, which provided a breakthrough, partly due to the success of its partner Kurt Cobain. However, Pfaff died shortly after the release of their second album Live Trough This and was replaced by Melissa Auf der Maur. In 2001, when Hole was not doing so well, Love formed a new band Bastard, but it soon broke up. In 2002, Hole also ceased to exist.