Courson was born in Weed, California. Her father,
Corky Courson, had been a navy bombardier (becoming a commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve) and became a high school principal in Villa Park, California. Her mother,
Pearl Courson, was a homemaker who did interior design and was described as a "connoisseur of the arts". Pamela had an older sister
Judith Burton. She attended Orange High School in Orange, California.
It has been rumored that
Neil Young wrote the song "Cinnamon Girl" about her, as well as "The Needle and the Damage Done", but both have been denied.
