Melissa Auf der Maur

Auf der Maur was born to journalist and politician Nick Auf der Maur and literary translator Linda Gaboriau. She is of German Swiss descent. Because Nick Auf der Maur was Canadian and Linda Gaboriau was born in the U.S., she holds dual Canadian-U.S. citizenship, as well as Swiss citizenship. Auf der Maur's surname translates as 'On the Wall', as 'maur (die Mauer)' was derived from the German word for 'wall'. Auf der Maur says her grandmother, Theresia Schaelin-Auf der Maur, was "always pounding my heritage down my throat", and was very proud of the name, which is on the brink of extinction.

Her native language is English, though she also speaks French. She spent some of her early childhood in Kenya with her mother, but after several bouts with malaria returned to Montreal, where she attended M.I.N.D. High School, a performing arts high school, and then Concordia University as a photography major.

Auf der Maur became friends with Billy Corgan after apologizing for a friend who had thrown a beer bottle at the band during one of The Smashing Pumpkins' first Canadian concert dates at Montreal nightclub Les Foufounes Électriques (which translates to "Electric Ass cheeks"). Read Less