Melissa Auf der Maur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melissa Auf der Maur
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Auf der Maur performing in 2010
|
|
| Background information | |
| Born | March 17, 1972 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, songwriter, photographer, actress |
| Instruments | Vocals, bass, guitar |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Labels | Capitol, PHI–MAdM |
| Parents |
|
Melissa Gaboriau Auf der Maur (born March 17, 1972) is a Canadian musician. She is also a singer, songwriter, photographer, and actress.
Melissa started her music journey in 1993 with her band Tinker. Later, she became the bassist for the American rock band Hole in 1994. She played on their album Celebrity Skin (1998). After leaving Hole in 1999, Melissa joined The Smashing Pumpkins for their 2000 tour. She then began her solo career. Her first solo album, Auf der Maur, came out in 2004. Her second album, Out of Our Minds, was released in 2010 on her own record label. Melissa has also worked with other artists like Indochine and Rufus Wainwright.
Besides music, Melissa is a talented photographer. Her photos have been in National Geographic and shown at Sotheby's. She has also acted in movies like How to Make the Cruelest Month (1998) and Beyond Borders (2003). In 2009, she created a big project called Out of Our Minds. It included an album, a song, a film, and a comic book. She worked on the film and album with her husband, filmmaker Tony Stone. Together, they own and direct Basilica Hudson, an arts center in Hudson, New York.
In 2007, VH1 ranked Melissa at number 68 on their list of the 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll. Her solo albums have also received good reviews.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Melissa Auf der Maur was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her father was Nick Auf der Maur, a journalist and politician. Her mother was Linda Gaboriau, a journalist and translator. Melissa's father's family was Swiss-German. Her mother's family was from Europe and America. Linda Gaboriau was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. Because of this, Melissa is a citizen of both Canada and the United States.
Her last name, Auf der Maur, means "on the wall" in English. Melissa has said her grandmother wanted her to keep the family name going. Melissa did not meet her father until she was three years old. Her parents got married in 1978 when Melissa was six. They divorced in 1979. After that, Melissa traveled around the world with her mother. She lived in different places, like a circus caravan in Wales and a hut in Kenya.
In Montreal, Melissa went to schools that focused on arts and new ways of learning. She was in the classical choir at the Fine Arts Core Education (FACE) School. At MIND High School, she became friends with Leonard Cohen's daughter Lorca and Rufus Wainwright. She became interested in photography in school. She later studied photography at Concordia University and graduated in 1994. At 19, she also worked as a DJ at a rock club called Bifteck. There, she met many musicians, including Steve Durand.
Music Career
Starting with Tinker (1993–1994)
While working as a DJ, Melissa met Steve Durand, a student from Concordia University. They formed the band Tinker in November 1993. Steve played guitar, and Melissa started playing bass. Her father bought her a Fender Precision Bass for her 21st birthday. They added another guitarist, Jordon Zadorozny, and a drummer. The band started playing shows in Montreal.
Melissa became friends with Billy Corgan, the singer and guitarist for The Smashing Pumpkins. This happened at a Smashing Pumpkins concert in 1991. Melissa's roommate had a fight with Billy Corgan during the show. Melissa apologized to Billy afterward and they became pen pals. Later, Melissa asked Billy if Tinker could open for The Smashing Pumpkins in Montreal. Billy agreed. Tinker played their biggest show ever for 2,500 people on November 30, 1993. Billy told Melissa she was a good bass player and would be in his band one day.
Tinker released two singles, "Realalie" and "Green Machine," in 1994. The band continued to make music until 1996. That's when Melissa joined the band Hole.
Playing Bass for Hole (1994–1999)
In the summer of 1994, the band Hole needed a new bassist. Their previous bassist, Kristen Pfaff, had passed away. Melissa first said no to joining Hole because it seemed like a sad situation. But after meeting Courtney Love and drummer Patty Schemel, Melissa felt it was her destiny. She finished her degree at Concordia University. Two weeks later, she joined Hole for their show at the 1994 Reading Festival.
From 1994 to 1995, Melissa toured worldwide with Hole. They were supporting their album Live Through This. Guitarist Eric Erlandson said Melissa brought "sunshine to the band" during a difficult time. Melissa became good friends with Patty Schemel. They even started a side project called Constant Comment.
Melissa played on several Hole releases. She was on the song "Gold Dust Woman" in 1996. She also played on live songs on My Body, the Hand Grenade (1997). She was a big part of the band's third album, Celebrity Skin (1998). She played bass and helped write five of the 12 songs. Celebrity Skin was very successful. It reached number 9 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. It also reached number 3 in Canada. The main song, "Celebrity Skin", was number 1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album sold over a million copies in the U.S. and Canada.
Melissa left Hole in October 1999. Her five-year contract with the band ended. She wanted to explore other things. In 2009, there were reports that Hole was getting back together. Courtney Love said Melissa would rejoin. But Melissa said she was "surprised and disappointed" and had no plans to return.
Hole did reunite for one show on April 12, 2012. This was at an after-party for Patty Schemel's film Hit So Hard. Melissa, Eric Erlandson, and Patty Schemel played together. Courtney Love joined them for a few songs. In 2016, Melissa said she didn't have time for a full reunion. But she would be interested in a special project to celebrate Hole's history.
Joining The Smashing Pumpkins (1999–2000)
The original bassist for The Smashing Pumpkins, D'arcy Wretzky, left the band in September 1999. This happened while they were recording their album Machina/The Machines of God. In October 1999, Billy Corgan asked Melissa to join. They were still friends from her time in Tinker and Hole. Melissa said she "had to do it."
Melissa did not play on the albums Machina/The Machines of God or Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music. Billy Corgan played bass on those. But Melissa toured with The Smashing Pumpkins from December 1999 to December 2000. The tour went through North America, Japan, Europe, and South Africa. Melissa said the tour was "very ambitious" and "intense work." She performed at the band's last TV show and their final concert in Chicago. The Smashing Pumpkins broke up at the end of 2000.
In 2006, there were talks about The Smashing Pumpkins reuniting. Melissa said she wasn't planning to join. But she would be happy to play her favorite songs if D'arcy Wretzky wasn't available. In April 2007, Melissa confirmed she would not rejoin. On June 13, 2025, Melissa joined Billy Corgan on stage in Montreal. They performed the song "The Everlasting Gaze."
Other Bands and Projects (2002–2003)
In 2002, Melissa formed a short-lived band called The Chelsea. She played with former Hole drummer Samantha Maloney, Peaches, Paz Lenchantin, and Radio Sloan. The band was named after the Hotel Chelsea in New York, where Melissa had lived. They played one show in Los Angeles. It included their own songs and cover songs.
Later that year, Melissa formed Hand of Doom. This was a Black Sabbath cover band. Melissa sang lead vocals. The band played shows in Los Angeles at famous venues like the Whisky a Go Go. They released a live album called Live in Los Angeles (2002). The album received good reviews. Hand of Doom played more shows in North America in 2002 before breaking up in 2003.
Solo Career (2004–2010)
After The Smashing Pumpkins broke up, Melissa returned to Montreal in 2001. She wasn't sure if she wanted to continue making music. But she found old demo recordings at home. She realized she had enough songs for an album. So, she decided to start a solo career.
Melissa recorded her first solo album, Auf der Maur, from 2001 to 2003. It was released in February 2004 by Capitol Records. Melissa paid for the recording herself at first. She later signed with Capitol. The album received "generally favorable reviews." The songs "Followed the Waves", "Real a Lie", and "Taste You" were popular in the United Kingdom. By 2010, Auf der Maur had sold 200,000 copies worldwide.
In 2007, Melissa announced she had finished her second album. It would be part of a bigger project called Out of Our Minds. This project included a film, an album, and a graphic novel. It was planned for release in 2009. Melissa left Capitol Records to have more control over her music.
An EP called ... This Would Be Paradise was released in November 2008. It had three songs. It was released under Melissa's shorter name, MAdM. She then went on a short tour in Canada and Europe. This was her first time performing live since her 2004-2005 tour.
In late 2009, Melissa released a song called "Out of Our Minds" and an EP called OOOM. The song was a free download on her website. Both were released on her own record label, PHI–MAdM Music Inc. Her second album, also called Out of Our Minds, came out in March 2010. It was part of the OOOM project. The album was popular in France, Greece, Spain, and the UK. In January 2011, Out of Our Minds won the Best Indie/Alternative/Hard Rock Album at the Independent Music Awards. Melissa went on maternity leave in Autumn 2011.
Other Music Collaborations
Melissa toured with Ric Ocasek, the former frontman of The Cars, in 1997. She sang and played bass on his 1997 solo album Troublizing. She also worked with the French band Indochine. She sang a duet in French with Nicola Sirkis on their song "Le Grand Secret." She performed the song with them on stage and appeared in its music video.
Melissa also contributed to her childhood friend Rufus Wainwright's album Poses. She appeared in his 1998 music video for "April Fools." In 2008, she worked with Canadian musician Daniel Victor on his project Neverending White Lights. They recorded the song "The World is Darker." She has also contributed to albums by artists like Ryan Adams, Ben Lee, Idaho, The Stills, and Fountains of Wayne. In 2007, she sang backing vocals on the song "Someone to Love" for the Fountains of Wayne album Traffic and Weather.
Photography Work
Melissa Auf der Maur studied photography at Concordia University. She focused on taking pictures of herself. Her photos have been in magazines like Nylon, Bust, and National Geographic. Her photos were also shown in an exhibition called The Kids are Alright at Sotheby's in New York City.
In 2001, she had her own photo exhibition called Channels. It showed pictures of her life on tour. Many photos had a TV theme, with shots of hotel TV screens. The exhibition opened on September 9, 2001, but closed after the September 11 attacks. It was shown again in Montreal in May 2006.
Advocacy and Television
In 2004, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation made a TV series called The Greatest Canadian. It asked Canadians to vote for the greatest Canadian figure. Melissa Auf der Maur supported environmentalist David Suzuki. He finished fifth in the competition.
On December 5, 2023, Paramount+ released a video series called "Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bass Players Human Too?". Melissa Auf der Maur was featured in one of the episodes. In it, Geddy Lee visited and talked with her about being a bassist.
Other Projects
In 2010, Melissa co-founded Basilica Hudson with filmmaker Tony Stone. It's a historic building in Hudson, New York, that they turned into an arts and performance center.
Personal Life
Melissa Auf der Maur is married to indie filmmaker Tony Stone. They have one daughter, who was born in October 2011. The couple own Basilica Hudson, the arts and performance center in Hudson, New York, where they live.
Melissa also had a relationship with Dave Grohl between 1999 and 2001. Her half-brother is architect Yves de Fontenay, through her mother.
Discography
- Auf der Maur (2004)
- Out of Our Minds (2010)
See also
In Spanish: Melissa Auf der Maur para niños
