Courtney Love's name isn't going anywhere. Despite a report this week that the Hole singer was changing her nom de tune to Courtney Michelle, Love's spokesperson has issued a complete denial. "She's not changing her name, unless it's to Courtney Love Mellencamp or Big Baby Jesus."
"Courtney Love is dead," the singer allegedly told NME, in an interview for their latest issue. "We've all decided we don't like her any more. We love her when she does onstage, but I don't need her in the rest of my life." Love is quoted as saying that she should now be referred to as Courtney Michelle, from her birth name of Courtney Michelle Harrison. "'Courtney Love' is a way to oppress me," she said.
Unfortunately, Love's rep told MTV News, "the NME took it out of context". How much out of context? "100% out of context." This is contradicted by a video interview, excerpted here, which shows Love declaring: "The name Courtney Love feels like I've outgrown it. It was really, really fun to be Courtney Love for a long time, and then it became an ass-pain."
Although her lyrics have been known to verge on the self-loathing, Love's anti-Love tirade is more likely a comment on her recent resurrection of the Hole band-name. Her new album, Nobody's Daughter, is essentially Love's second solo release – but she's brought back the moniker that took her to stardom in the 90s. Never mind that none of Hole's other original members, including co-founder Eric Erlandson, are playing in the 2010 band.
It occurs to us that there may be another use for Courtney Love's name, if she does choose to abandon it. After all, Erlandson and Melissa Auf der Maur may wish to launch a new project...