Eric Erlandson
As Hole's co-founder and sonic architect, his searing guitar work defined the raw, chaotic heart of 90s alternative rock.
Born 1963 (age 63)·American musician, guitarist, and writer·Birthday: January 9·Baby Boomers
Biography
Eric Erlandson was the steady, creative counterpoint at the center of the storm that was Hole. Answering a classified ad placed by Courtney Love, he co-founded the band in 1989 and served as its lead guitarist and primary musical arranger until its dissolution. His playing—a blend of melodic punk, corrosive noise, and unexpected tenderness—provided the essential scaffolding for the band's visceral sound on seminal albums like 'Pretty on the Inside' and the multi-platinum 'Live Through This.' Beyond the chaos and celebrity, Erlandson was the band's musical backbone, a disciplined writer and collaborator. After Hole, he explored other musical projects and authored 'Letters to Kurt,' a fragmented, poetic memoir reflecting on grief and the grunge era. His legacy is etched into the guitar lines of an era that prized authenticity and abrasion.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Eric was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Eric Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Eric's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the alternative rock band Hole and was its lead guitarist and songwriter from 1989 to 2002.
- Co-wrote and performed on the band's breakthrough album 'Live Through This,' certified platinum in the US.
- Published 'Letters to Kurt,' a memoir in 2012 reflecting on the 1990s music scene.
Did You Know?
He studied economics at Loyola Marymount University before dedicating himself to music.
He is a practicing Buddhist.
He formed the short-lived band RRIICCEE with actor and musician Vincent Gallo.
“We were making a beautiful noise, and then it all got very loud and very messy.”
