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Auf der Maur
Biography
Bassist Melissa Auf der Maur was briefly a member of two of the biggest alt-rock groups of the '90s, Hole and the Smashing Pumpkins, before launching a solo career during the early 21st century. Born on March 17, 1972, in Montreal, Canada (her mother, Linda Gaboriau, was one of Montreal's first female rock radio DJs), Auf der Maur started her music career by playing bass in local outfits, including Tinker. But the course of her musical career was inadvertently changed due to a thrown bottle. Auf der Maur and some friends went to see the Smashing Pumpkins on one of their first Canadian tours, and when one of her friends in the audience threw a bottle on-stage, Auf der Maur made it a point to apologize to Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan for the incident. Soon the two got to talking, and a friendship was born.

By 1994, when Corgan heard that friend Courtney Love was in sudden need of a bass player (due to the drug-related death of Kristen Pfaff), the head Pumpkin recommended Auf der Maur to Love as a replacement. Soon after, Auf der Maur landed the gig and bid adieu to Tinker (who managed a brief recording career with other members). After Hole's world tour wrapped up in support of their breakthrough release, Live Through This, Corgan helped land Auf der Maur a spot on the 1997 solo release by ex-Cars leader Ric Ocasek, Troublizing (which Corgan produced as well).
Selected Discography
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