MELISSA AUF DER MAUR Cancels Los Angeles Show

Former HOLE/SMASHING PUMPKINS bassist Melissa Auf der Maur was forced to cancel her show Tuesday (March 23) at Spaceland in Los Angeles following the unexpected death of her grandmother. The following is Melissa's official statement on the matter:

"I regret to announce that we have cancelled our show this Tuesday at Spaceland in Los Angeles. With the death of my 100-year-old grandmother and a continuing fight against an ear infection, family time is very important to me and I also need to take care of my health before we depart for our European tour. We promise to return to Los Angeles soon and we hope that you will visit us out on the road!"

Regarding her grandmother, Melissa wrote, "My grandmother Theresia Schaelin-Auf der Maur has died at 100 years old. [March 17] is also my birthday, and my grandmother's death is a reminder of how good it is to be alive. She loved life like no one else, and her love for it kept her alive longer then most. Her passion for life was an inspiration.

"My grandmother experienced loss and struggle in her early years, and from what I gather, she found solace in her faith and in song, and passed it on from then on. At 100 years old she would still sing her favourite girlhood song at the top of her lungs. I can imagine her clearly, as a young girl on a swing in Switzerland, lonely after the loss of her mother singing this song. This same young hopeful spirit would come through every time she would sing this song.

"She was a dreamer who believed in the potential of peace on earth and profound spiritual connections. Guardian Angels and Brother Klauss where part of the spiritual world she would speak about with such passion that filled my youth with magic and belief. My grandmother believed in a big world far beyond this earthly state, which gave meaning and beauty to this earthly life. She offered that gift to our family.

"Theresia Schaelin honoured this life the way it is meant to be. She embraced life to its fullest, and believed in it through and through. The intensity of her faith is one of the biggest influences in my life. Her devotion to her family and what she loved was unstoppable.

"You, grand-mama are the only person I will ever know to receive letters from the Prime-Minister of Canada, the Queen of England and the Pope all in one day, in recognition of your strength.

"Thank you Theresia for showing us how to live this life: without doubt and without fear BUT WITH PLENTY OF LOVE AND PASSION. Although we will miss your incredible voice and sweet giggle, your death has taken nothing away from us, it has simply reinforced the power of your spirit.

"Thank you for being such an incredible mother, grandmother and human being. You are here with us, and we with you, more then ever."