Courtney Love's Real Name: Courtney Michelle Harrison

Quick answer: Courtney Love was born Courtney Michelle Harrison on July 9, 1964, in San Francisco. Love is a surname she adopted; it is not her birth surname. She fronted the alternative rock band Hole, whose albums include Live Through This (1994) and Celebrity Skin (1998). She earned a Golden Globe nomination for The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996) (Library of Congress; Britannica).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress name authority files her as "Love, Courtney, 1964-." It cites the Encyclopedia of Popular Music for "b. Courtney Michelle Harrison, July 9, 1964, San Francisco, Calif." One citation gives the form "Love Michelle Harrison," and the record lists further variants, among them "Cobain, Courtney Love," "Manely, Courtney Michelle," and "Rodriguez, C. Michelle." A book published under her name also shows the forms "C. Michelle Rodriguez," "Cartney Menely," and "Coco Rodriguez" on its inside pages. Britannica confirms the July 9, 1964, birth date and San Francisco birthplace.

Career highlights

According to Britannica, Love started out as an actress, appearing in Alex Cox's Sid and Nancy (1986) and Straight to Hell (1987). She formed Sugar Baby Doll with Kat Bjelland, played bass briefly in Babes in Toyland, and was for a short time a singer in Faith No More. Her stage look of baby-doll dresses, ripped stockings, and smeared makeup became a signature.

In 1989 she formed Hole with guitarist Eric Erlandson. The band's debut, Pretty on the Inside (1991), was produced by Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon and won wide acclaim. Love married Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain on February 24, 1992, and their daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, was born later that year. Cobain died in April 1994, days before Hole released Live Through This. Two months later Hole bassist Kristen Pfaff died.

Hole's Celebrity Skin (1998) was a commercial and critical success, and the band split in 2002. Love released the solo album America's Sweetheart (2004). Nobody's Daughter (2010) came out under the Hole name, though Britannica calls it essentially a solo effort. Her acting received critical acclaim when she played Althea Flynt in Miloš Forman's The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), earning her a Golden Globe nomination. Britannica notes that addiction struggles in the 2000s led to arrests and court-ordered rehabilitation, which overshadowed her music for a time.

Name notes for searchers

Harrison is her birth surname. Library records also list the surnames Rodriguez and Manely or Menely, and as Cobain's widow she also appears in records as Courtney Love Cobain. Courtney is her birth first name, so "Courtney Love" is a stage name built from her real first name.