"We are greatly saddened to learn of Kristen Pfaff's death and extend our sympathy to
her friends family and other members of Hole"..."This is all the more tragic because she had gone through a drug-rehabilitation program this past winter and was in the process of moving back to Minneapolis to be with old friends until the Hole tour resumed"; - Official Geffen Statement.
Kristen Pfaff was born in middle class Amherst, New York. She first took an interest in music at the age of five, and later became a classically trained musician on the piano. Upon graduation from high school, she attended Boston College and later transferred to the University of Minnesota.
After settling in Minneapolis, her musical interest led her to learn another instrument--bass guitar. She began performing and became part of a local band called Janitor Joe. Janitor Joe was a three piece based in the thriving Minneapolis music scene and preparing to go big-time. Kristen and her band-mates had already built up quite a local following and reputation by the time they recorded their first album and single releases in 1993. While playing clubs in California, again gaining popularity, Kristen was spotted by Eric Erlanson and Courtney Love, who were looking for a new bassist for Hole. They invited Kristen into the group and, after some consideration, she accepted.
Kristen moved from her Minneapolis home to Seattle, Washington to be closer to Hole's homebase. They recorded the album, "Live Through This"-Hole's first major label release and recorded the album's first video, "Miss World". Everything seemed to be working. As all of these was happening, Kristen was becoming more and more immersed in the Seattle drug scene. When Kurt Cobain died in April of1994, Kristen took the death amazingly hard. After some time had passed Kristen had possibly decided that she needed to get out of Seattle and away from drugs that were so readily available. She had packed her bags and was going back to Minneapolis.
...And that's where Kristen's story ends. On June 16, 1994 her body was found by a friend, slumped over her bathtub--dead of an apparent drug overdose. Nearby was a cosmetic bag containing syringes and drug paraphernalia.
