Michelle Meldrum (September 28, 1968 – May 21, 2008) was an American hard rock guitarist known for being a member of the bands Phantom Blue and Meldrum.
Meldrum married Europe guitarist John Norum in 1995[2] and they moved to Sweden, where she went on to form Meldrum, a multi-national hard rock band. In 2005, Meldrum toured for three months with Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society, appearing in sold out venues across the US and Europe. In the fall of 2005, Meldrum joined Motörhead as special guests on their 30th anniversary tour throughout Europe. Meldrum has also toured with Sepultura, Danzig and Nashville Pussy, among others. In addition, she performed with her former Phantom Blue bandmate Linda McDonald and The Iron Maidens on a handful of gigs in late 2006.[3]
Death
Michelle fell into a coma on May 18, 2008, and died three days later on May 21 due to complications of a cystic growth on her brain that had restricted the oxygen and blood flow, rendering her brain-dead. She was 39 years old. She is survived by her parents, her husband John Norum and their son, Jake Thomas.[4]
Meldrum had just completed writing and recording a new album at the time, which the surviving band members released in 2009 in tribute to her.[4] The band, along with the surviving members of Phantom Blue, participated in a benefit concert at Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood, California, on May 26, 2009, in memory of Michelle.[5][6]
