Melissa Auf Der Maur

Melissa was born in Montreal, Canada, on March 17th, 1972 (this makes her a Pisces).

Melissa joined Hole in 1994, After the death of Kristen Pfaff. She lived in Canada, and played bass in a band called Tinker. Billy Corgan, who had become close with the members of Hole especially after Kurt's death, strongly recommended her to Courtney, Eric and Patty. At first, Melissa didn't want to leave her band and join Hole. This made Hole want her more, and she eventually joined. The first show with this new lineup was on August 26th, 1994.

Melissa is an amateur photographer, and a few of her photos were displayed in a recent issue of Spin, including a photo she took of herself. Also, a picture she took of herself in a bathtub was published in "Flaunt." To see a video Melissa shot of Hole's experiences in the Manson/Hole tour before Hole left, click here.

Melissa has a unique sense of fashion, as was noted by US magazine in December 1998, who featured Melissa in the two-page section entitled "My Style". The article reads:

The bassist in Courtney Love's band (Argh!) is inspired by a Hole range of icons, including Elisabeth I and Bob Marley. Age: 26. Current project: promoting Hole's new album, Celebrity Skin. Fashion Philosophy: "I like to think of my body as a palette for art vs. trying to look pretty all the time," says Auf der Maur. Style icon: Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603). "She had red hair, like mine, and she wore corsets and bustles, which I like to wear, too." Favorite designer: "Oliver Theyskens, from Paris, is so inspiring to me. Once, I wore a dress from his collection that looked like a huge Victorian gown made out of superthin latex. The top fit like a glove, while the bottom could fit 10 children under it." Makeup must-haves: "Pink blush, opalescent white eye shadow and very dark lipstick. I like my lips to have a grayish cast to them, like rigor-mortis just set it." Hair care: "I use Rene Furturer's shampoo and conditioner for my dry, curly hair. I must have been a Rastafarian in a previous life. They think their hair is an extension of themselves, and every time I get mine cut, I cry. My mom was a big Bob Marley fan. Maybe that explains it."

Melissa Auf Der Maur's Top 9 List of 1995
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01. Chokebore, "Anything Near Water"
02. Helium, "The Dirt of Luck"
03. Failure, "Fantastic Planet"
04. Tortoise, "Rhythms, Resolutions and Clusters"
05. Pavement, "Wowee Zowee"
06. Blinker the Star, "Blinker the Star"
07. Brainiac, "Bonsai Superstar"
08. New Wet Kojack, "New Wet Kojack"
09. Kyuss, "...And the Circus Leaves Town"

Spin recently ran a brief article on Melissa, and displayed several of her photos. To read the article click here.

Melissa was recently on the cover of the magazine Paper, and also has recently signed a modelling contract for Calvin Kline.

Melissa has officially left the band to join the Smashing Pumpkins and possibly start a solo career. There has not been a reason given for her leaving, but it is rumored that it was peaceful and not due to any group tension. I support Melissa in her decision to leave and hope she has a successful career ahead of her.