The 27’s – Kristen Pfaff 1967 - 1994

Part 29 in a series on “The 27’s” – notable musicians who have passed away in their 27th year.

Kristen Pfaff was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, and attended Boston College and the University of Minnesota where she studied classical piano and cello. Following her graduation, Kristen taught herself to play bass guitar. With guitarist/vocalist Joachim Breuer and drummer Matt Entsminger she formed the band Janitor Joe.

Pfaff's playing style was relentless and central to Janitor Joe's sound, both live and recorded. The band was influenced by early grunge and the sharper, faster post-hardcore east coast punk sound. Their first single was released on OXO records imprint in 1992 and they followed with an album, Big Metal Birds, in 1993.

While on tour with Janitor Joe, Pfaff was scouted by Eric Erlandson and Courtney Love of Hole, who were at the time looking for a new bassist. Love invited Pfaff to play with Hole. Pfaff was initially reluctant to leave Minneapolis and join Hole but Erlandson and Love continued to pursue her. Eventually Pfaff relented as Hole was already signed to Geffen Records and from a career perspective joining an established band seemed to be a good move.

Kristen’s time with Hole was seemingly a good time for her, she formed a close relationship Kurt Cobain and began dating Eric Erlandson, they stayed together for most of 1993 and remained close even after splitting up. But during this period Pfaff developed a heroin addiction. She entered rehab in the winter of 1993, and took a sabbatical from Hole in spring 1994 to tour with Janitor Joe. Soon after the tour ended Kurt Cobain committed suicide and in the wake of his death Pfaff decided to leave Hole and return to Minneapolis to rejoin Janitor Joe permanently.

On June 15th 1994, Kristen was packed and ready to leave Seattle. A friend, Paul Erickson, was planning to drive her back to Minneapolis the next day. That evening around 8:00 pm Eric Erlandson stopped in to see Kristen, he is the last known person to see her alive. At 9:00 am the following morning Paul Erickson let himself into Kristen’s apartment, when he called for her, there was no reply. Searching the apartment he realized the bathroom door was locked, he called her again, and broke the bathroom door down finding Kristen dead having died from a heroin overdose sometime during the previous evening.

Her father, Norman Pfaff, described her as “bright, personable, wonderful...very, very talented, smart, and she always seemed to be in control of her circumstances.” In the book “Love & Death,” Kristen’s mother, Janet Pfaff, says that she has never accepted the official story regarding her daughter's death.