Courtney Cox

About

American guitarist renowned for her role as a lead player in heavy metal and hard-rock bands such as the Swiss all-female metal band Burning Witches. She was formerly a long-standing member of the tribute band The Iron Maidens. She has become an influential figure for aspiring musicians, particularly women in metal-guitar roles, especially through her social media content, including her ccshred Instagram account.

Before Fame

She joined her school's band as a keyboardist when she was in the fourth grade. That same year, she taught herself to play the clarinet before learning to play the flute the following year. She began playing guitar when she was 13 years old before enrolling in the Paul Green School of Rock Music at the age of 15. She started performing and touring with well-known artists at an early age and relocated to Los Angeles to pursue her music career when she was 19 years old.

Trivia

She became the first-ever female artist to be officially endorsed by Caparison Guitars, where she has her own signature model, the Horus-M3 CC. When she was 21 years old, she was named runner-up in Guitar World magazine's annual model search. 

Family Life

Her family is extremely musically inclined - her mother plays guitar, her father plays drums, her brother Rick is a metal drummer, and her other brother, Matt, played the trumpet.

Associated With

While performing with The Iron Maidens, she performed under the stage name "Adriana Smith," paying homage to guitarist Adrian Smith.