Wikipedia article

Melissa Auf der Maur joined the Pumpkins in December of 1999, after D'Arcy left in September. Melissa played on the "Resume the Pose" tour of early 2000, and continued touring in support of "Machina: the Machines of God". However, Melissa did not just appear from nowhere - in fact, she is the former bassist for Hole, headed by Courtney Love. When Hole took a break in the spring of 1999, Melissa left and later joined the Pumpkins.

Melissa and Billy have known each other for a long time - it was in fact Billy that introduced her to Courtney Love in 1994 when Hole needed a bassist after Kristen Pfaff died. It is widely known that Melissa and Billy met after a beer bottle was thrown at Billy during a show in Montreal, Quebec. The bottle-thrower was a friend of Melissa's, so she went to apologize after the show.

Some of Melissa's interests include photography, fashion, and music. Her flame-red hair, corsets, and knee-high boots are easily identifiable as her style. She has released her own solo work since her time with the Pumpkins.