Courtney Love by Paola Kudacki for Garage #5 Fall 2013

Courtney Michelle Love (born Courtney Michelle Harrison; July 9, 1964) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, actress, artist, and author. Love rose to prominence as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989. Her unpredictable stage presence and confrontational lyrics made her a fixture in alternative music media in the 1990s, and her personal life and battles with drug addiction have been widely publicized.

Hole received praise from indie rock critics for their debut album Pretty on the Inside (1991), produced by Kim Gordon, and their second release, Live Through This (1994), went certified platinum and received wide critical acclaim. After the release of their third album, Celebrity Skin (1998), Love and bandmate Eric Erlandson retired Hole, and she released her first solo album, America's Sweetheart in 2004 to underwhelming sales. In 2009, she re-formed Hole with new members and released Nobody's Daughter (2010), which received mixed-positive reviews. In December 2012, Love stated that she was abandoning the Hole moniker and returning to performing as a solo artist, and was recording material for an upcoming album titled Died Blonde.

In addition to music, Love had an intermittent acting career, starring in Alex Cox's cult films Sid and Nancy (1986) and Straight to Hell (1987), and later returning to acting with a lead role in Miloš Forman's The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of Althea Flynt. Love has also had endeavors in art, fashion, and writing.

Love is the daughter of psychotherapist Linda Carroll, and writer and ex-Grateful Dead manager Hank Harrison. She was married to Kurt Cobain, frontman of the grunge band Nirvana, who committed suicide in 1994. She has one daughter with Cobain, Frances Bean Cobain.