Kristen Marie Pfaff was born on May 26, 1967, in Buffalo, New York, USA, to Janet and Norman Pfaff, her mother's first husband, from whom she was divorced at a young age. Kristen's mother later married Norman Pfaff, and Kristen took his surname. She had a younger brother, Jason Pfaff.
Kristen graduated in 1985 from the Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart and later spent a brief time in Europe before returning to the USA to attend Boston College and the University of Minnesota.
Since childhood, Kristen played classical piano and cello, but she began playing the bass guitar around the age of 21, while living in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In 1992, Kristen formed her first band, "Janitor Joe," with guitarist/vocalist Joachim Breuer and drummer Matt Entsminger. The band released their first single in 1992 and their debut album, "Big Metal Birds," in 1993.
After the departure of their previous bass player, Jill Emery, the Los Angeles band Hole was looking for a female bassist. Founding members Courtney Love and Eric Erlandson scouted Kristen during a "Janitor Joe" performance in California and asked her to join the band, but she initially declined.
Both musicians persisted in their efforts to have Kristen join Hole, and she eventually moved to Seattle, Washington, to join the band. Kristen started rehearsing for Hole's second album, "Live Through This," in early 1993, providing bass, piano, and backing vocals.
In Seattle, Kristen became close friends with guitarist Eric Erlandson and a good friend of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, who was then married to Courtney Love. Alongside drummer Patty Schemel, the band moved to Los Angeles to record "Live Through This" in October 1993.
During her time in Seattle, Kristen began using heroin, like many of her inner circle. In February 1994, she moved back to Minnesota to enter a heroin detox center and took a sabbatical from Hole. After her detox, Kristen reunited with "Janitor Joe" members and went on tour with them.
On April 8th, 1994, Kurt Cobain's body was found in his Seattle home, which had a profound impact on Kristen. She returned to Seattle after the "Janitor Joe" tour with the decision to leave Hole and return to Minneapolis.
Tragically, Kristen Pfaff was found dead in the bathroom of her Seattle apartment on June 16th, 1994, by her friend Paul Erickson, who was supposed to drive her back to Minneapolis. The cause of death was declared an accidental heroin overdose.
