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Your complete Kurt Cobain reading guide: Journals, biographies, and more

David Canfield is a Staff Editor. He oversees the magazine's books section, and writes film features and awards analysis.

Reading to remember

On the 25th anniversary of Kurt Cobain 's death, HarperCollins ' Ecco published Serving the Servant , a fascinating biography of the Nirvana frontman by none other than Danny Goldberg, the band's iconic manager. ( Available for purchase. ) The book works to reframe Cobain's legacy by blending Goldberg's memories with information and files that have previously not been public. As Cobain is remembered, it's vital reading—though hardly the only book out there worth your time. Here, EW has rounded up the essential Cobain reading list.

Journals by Kurt Cobain

Arranged in close chronological order and kept in their rawest form, Journals is a necessary read for any Cobain fan: a collection of his writings, from scrapped notes and letter drafts to wild sketches and shopping lists, which offer unparalleled access into his interior life. The No. 1 New York Times best-seller was originally published in 2002. "The publication of this unintentional autobiography of the famously talented and infamously troubled artist is a vast leap in the mythologizing and marketing of Kurt Cobain," EW wrote at the time of release. "And the journey from Cobain's hands to a store near you involves healthy measures of the serendipitous and the surreal."

Heavier Than Heaven by Charles R. Cross

Charles R. Cross' definitive biography of Cobain traces his life story via more than 400 interviews and intimate access to the Nirvana frontman's private journals and lyrics. Despite its breadth and close sourcing, Heavier Than Heaven drew criticism for Cross' subjective account of Cobain's final hours.

Love & Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain by Max Wallace and Ian Halperin

This 2004 best-selling book, co-written by Ian Halperin and Max Wallace, arrived as a controversial work of investigative journalism. Drawing on dozens of hours of conversation audiotapes obtained by the authors, Love & Death makes the argument that Cobain was murdered, with his then-wife Courtney Love a potential conspirator. The book is a product of a rigorous decade-long process for Halperin and Wallace.

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck by Brett Morgen

A companion to the HBO documentary of the same name, Montage of Heck includes extensive interviews, gorgeous animation stills, and previously-unseen photography as filmmaker Brett Morgen put on screen. It doesn't shed a ton of new light on Cobain, but it's perfect reading for those who've yet to check out the heartbreaking, illuminating documentary.

Godspeed by Barnaby Legg & Jim McCarthy & Flameboy

This explicit, starkly visual homage to Cobain combines biographical details with interpretations of the artist's internal struggles. Barnaby Legg and Jim McCarthy constructed their story accordingly, while the vivid, nightmarishly provocative art came courtesy of Flameboy.

Kurt Cobain: The Last Session by Jesse Frohman & Glenn O'Brien & Jon Savage

Get inside of Cobain's final photoshoot with Nirvana, which took place in August 1993. In The Last Session , 90 stunning photographs present a dazzling final visual memory of the man, capturing him in a plethora of extreme, intense emotional states.

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Kurt Cobain: What to Read and Watch, 25 Years After the Nirvana Leader’s Death

By Gavin Edwards

April 5, 2019

Twenty-five years ago, on April 5, 1994, Kurt Cobain died at the age of 27 , a victim of suicide. He left behind the epochal rock music he made as the singer and guitarist for Nirvana, piles of journals and artwork, and a final note that didn’t clear up the contradictions of his short life. Which was probably how he wanted it: The previous year, he had painted on the wall of his rented Seattle home, in large red block letters , “None of You Will Ever Know My Intentions.”

Many Nirvana biographies rehash the basics of Cobain’s story or peddle conspiracy theories that he was murdered, but there are also plenty of ways to go deeper. Here’s what to read, listen to, watch and explore:

‘Journals’ ( Riverhead )

With nearly 300 pages of photo replicas of Cobain’s personal journals and letters (and doodles, sketches and song lists), this 2002 book is funny, painful and shockingly intimate: a guided tour of the singer’s own churning psyche. “Its hard to decipher the difference between a sincere entertainer and an honest swindler,” Cobain wrote. Here’s what The New York Times’s Neil Strauss wrote when the book came out.

‘Come as You Are’ ( Three Rivers )

This deeply reported 1993 biography by Michael Azerrad, first published while Cobain was alive, was the original bible for Nirvana fans. Its strongest passages evoke the life of young Cobain in Aberdeen, Wash., a child of divorce who would sometimes spend the weekend killing time at a local logging company where his father worked: “He would get into his dad’s van and listen to Queen’s ‘News of the World’ over and over again on the eight-track. Sometimes he’d listen so long that he’d drain the battery and they’d have to find someone to jump-start the engine.”

‘Heavier Than Heaven’ ( Hachette )

Charles R. Cross, formerly the editor of the Seattle music paper The Rocket, covered the Nirvana story from early on — and conducted over 400 interviews for this thorough, definitive 2001 biography. Cobain’s widow, the musician Courtney Love, granted Cross extensive interviews and access to Cobain’s archives, including arcana such as a visual assignment he completed during his final stay in rehab: “For ‘surrender,’ he drew a man with a bright light emanating from him. For ‘depressed,’ he showed an umbrella surrounded by ties.” Read The New York Times review .

‘Takeoff: The Oral History of Nirvana’s Crossover Moment’ ( Cuepoint )

When Nirvana’s “Nevermind” hit No. 1 soon after its 1991 release, it shocked the band members and their grunge cohort, who had assumed that at best, the group would be underground heroes. Its multiplatinum success also opened the doors for many Nirvana-bes. This oral history by Nick Soulsby tells that story from the viewpoint of Nirvana’s college-rock peers, such as Gary Floyd of opening act Sister Double Happiness remembering Nirvana’s “road manager telling everyone backstage one night the CD had hit 1 million sales that day. They seemed almost embarrassed.”

‘The Dark Side of Kurt Cobain’ ( The Advocate )

Cobain loudly and frequently declared himself as an ally of gay people (and women, and people of color), so it was fitting that he gave one of his best interviews in this 1993 cover story with The Advocate, telling Kevin Allman, “I’ve always been a really sickly, feminine person anyhow, so I thought I was gay for a while because I didn’t find any of the girls in my high school attractive at all.”

‘Kurt Cobain, The Rolling Stone Interview: Success Doesn’t Suck’ ( Rolling Stone )

In Cobain’s last major interview, he informed David Fricke that he had wanted to call Nirvana’s “In Utero” album “I Hate Myself and I Want to Die,” “but I knew the majority of the people wouldn’t understand.” He insisted that the suicidal sentiment was only a joke: “I’m a much happier guy than a lot of people think I am.”

‘Never More’ ( The Village Voice )

After Cobain’s death, Ann Powers filed a raw dispatch from Seattle, reporting how the tragedy affected his friends and the neighbors who had never met him. “The kids I found who did mourn Cobain, hovering behind police lines at the house where he’d died or building shrines from candles and Raisin Bran boxes at the Sunday night vigil organized by three local radio stations, seemed to think of him more as a lost friend than as a candidate for that dreaded assignment, role model.”

Live Videos

‘Nirvana — The Moon, New Haven 1991’

On Sept. 26, 1991, just two days after the release of “Nevermind,” Nirvana played a great, sweaty show at a tiny club in New Haven — and miraculously, it was captured on this remarkably high-quality amateur video. The set featured just a few songs from the unfamiliar “Nevermind,” leaning heavily on the band’s 1989 debut, “Bleach.” Cobain, the bassist Krist Novoselic, and the drummer Dave Grohl all performed with joy and abandon, looking more at home in a filthy black room with a low ceiling than they ever did in arenas.

‘Live at Reading’

In the summer of 1992, when Nirvana played this storied U.K. festival, the band was divided by arguments over royalties and reports of Cobain’s heroin habit. Responding to the mood, Cobain came onstage in a wheelchair, wearing a hospital gown and a blond wig, and began the set with an out-of-tune cover of Bette Midler’s “The Rose.” At the end of the show, the group systematically destroyed its equipment. In between, almost as an afterthought, it delivered an hour and a half of full-blast rock.

‘Drain You’

When Jimmy McDonough, the author of the 2002 book “Shakey: Neil Young’s Biography,” wanted to show Young a live Nirvana performance after Cobain died, this 1993 clip from an MTV “Live and Loud” concert was the one he chose. “When you see the way he was,” an impressed Young said, “there’s no way he could ever get through the other end of it. Because there was no control to the burn. That’s why it was so intense. He was not holding back at all.”

‘Nirvana — Munich, Germany’

Nirvana’s last concert, on March 1, 1994, at a cavernous airport terminal that had been converted into a club, was an ordeal for a burned-out Cobain: He wanted to end the band, he wanted to divorce Love, he wanted to score drugs at the Munich train station. But the show (rendered here with just the first 10 minutes of video but a full 80 minutes of audio) was one final scream of pain, ending with “Heart-Shaped Box.” “Hey, wait, I got a new complaint,” Cobain sang, never meaning it more.

‘Kurt Cobain — Different Vocals’

This video collects live moments when Cobain dramatically altered his usual performances of familiar songs for various punk-rock reasons such as needing to shout over out-of-tune instruments (on “Come as You Are”) or just wanting to mess with a TV countdown show that was forcing him to mime playing his guitar (on “Smells Like Teen Spirit”).

‘MTV Unplugged in New York’

Playing acoustically for 44 minutes, Nirvana paid tribute to influences ranging from David Bowie to the Meat Puppets, and showed the delicate beauty behind its distorted guitars. And with the final song, a cover of Leadbelly’s “Where Did You Sleep Last Night,” Cobain gave one of his greatest vocal performances; it felt powerful enough to bring the curtain down on all of human existence.

Documentary Footage

‘Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck’ ( Amazon )

Cobain’s daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, served as executive producer on this authorized documentary feature directed by Brett Morgen. Mike Hale wrote in his Times review in 2015, “Mr. Morgen was given access to Cobain’s archives — ‘art, music, journals, Super 8 films and audio montages’ — and his exhilarating, exhausting, two-hour-plus film, both an artful mosaic and a hammering barrage, reflects years of rummaging through that trove.”

‘One of Kurt Cobain’s Final Interviews’

In this 26-minute WatchMojo interview from 1993, filmed with the Seattle waterfront as a backdrop, Cobain was bearded and scabby, smoking one cigarette after another. He was also relaxed and thoughtful, laughing at questions about his rock-star status that on a different day would have made him bristle. He explained, “Either I’ve accepted it or I’ve gone beyond insane.”

‘8 Fragments for Kurt Cobain’

The poet Jim Carroll, famous for the autobiographical book “The Basketball Diaries” and the autobiographical song “People Who Died,” wrote and performed this poem after Cobain’s death, trying to make sense of the senseless. It begins, “Genius is not a generous thing/In return it charges more interest than any amount of royalties can cover/And it resents fame/With bitter vengeance.”

‘About a Boy’ ( Penguin )

The death of Cobain haunts Nick Hornby’s second novel, shattering some of its characters and binding some of them together. The 12-year-old Marcus tries to make sense of the news he sees plastered all over the front pages of the evening papers: “He wondered if his mum was O.K., even though he knew there was no connection between his mum and Kurt Cobain because his mum was a real person and Kurt Cobain wasn’t; and then he felt confused, because the newspaper headline had turned Kurt Cobain into a real person somehow.”

‘Skip to the End’ ( Insight )

This evocative 2018 science-fiction graphic novel by the writer Jeremy Holt and the artist Alex Diotto tells the story of a grunge band called Samsara (clearly inspired by Nirvana) and a guitar that functions as a time-travel device. The metaphor works not only because of the urge Nirvana fans have to create an alternate timeline where Cobain survived, but because recorded music is itself a time-travel device, teleporting people both to the moment when it was made and the moment when it first touched a listener’s soul.

‘Last Days’ (Streaming Services)

The filmmaker Gus Van Sant was a kindred spirit to Cobain: an independent artist from the Pacific Northwest who somehow wandered into the cultural mainstream. So it seemed natural in 2005 when he made a movie about (a thinly fictionalized version of) Cobain, played by Michael Pitt. In her Times review , Manohla Dargis called the movie a “mesmerizing dream” and said “Mr. Van Sant’s refusal to root around in Cobain’s consciousness, to try to explain why and how he created, suffered and died, is a radical gesture, both in aesthetic and in moral terms.”

How The New York Times Covered Nirvana

In 1991, Karen Schoemer was supposed to interview Cobain; he didn’t show up, so she wrote about “Nevermind” instead . Novoselic provided a few quotes: “We just want to play,” he said, “and put out what we consider good records.” A few months later, Simon Reynolds dissected some of the album’s songs: “‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ could be this generation’s version of the Sex Pistols’ 1976 single, ‘Anarchy in the U.K.,’ if it weren’t for the bitter irony that pervades its title.”

In 1992, Schoemer mused on Nirvana’s set on “Saturday Night Live,” a performance that she said “showed an astounding lack of musicianship” while later acknowledging that the band had released “quite simply, one of the best alternative rock albums produced by an American band in recent years.”

Also in 1992, The Times was fooled by a former Sub Pop receptionist when a reporter called to talk about grunge culture. The resulting glossary of terms she provided — “harsh realm,” “lamestain” and “swingin’ on the flippity-flop” — did enter the pop-culture lexicon, but not the way The Times had planned . The receptionist, Megan Jasper, is now the label’s chief executive.

A year later, Jon Pareles interviewed Nirvana on the cusp of releasing “In Utero,” as Cobain complained about “Nevermind” sounding too “clean.” “Ugh,” he said. “I’ll never do that again. It already paid off, so why try to duplicate that? And just trying to sell that many records again, there’s no point in it.” Pareles also reviewed Nirvana at the Roseland Ballroom , the band’s first New York show in two years.

When Cobain died, Timothy Egan wrote our obituary and Pareles wrote an appraisal that discussed how “Nirvana was the band that brought punk-rock kicking and screaming into the mass market.”

Neil Strauss later wrote about the songs written about Cobain : “Perhaps the most touching song about Cobain was written by a 10-year-old friend of his, Simon Fair Timony. Titled ‘I Love You Anyway,’ it is performed with the former Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic joining Timony’s band, the Stinky Puffs.”

In 2004, Thurston Moore wrote a first-person piece about his relationship with Cobain and Nirvana’s rise.

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Kurt Cobain

Born February 20 , 1967 · Aberdeen, Washington, USA
Died April 5 , 1994 · Seattle, Washington, USA (suicide by gunshot)
Birth name Kurt Donald Cobain
Height 5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
Kurt Cobain was born on February 20 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington. Kurt and his family lived in Hoquiam for the first few months of his life then later moved back to Aberdeen, where he had a happy childhood until his parents divorced. The divorce left Kurt's outlook on the world forever scarred. He became withdrawn and anti-social. He was constantly placed with one relative to the next, living with friends, and at times even homeless. Kurt was not the most popular person in high school as he was in public school. In 1985 Kurt left Aberdeen for Olympia where he formed the band Nirvana in 1986. In 1989 Nirvana recorded their debut album Bleach under the independent label Sub-Pop records. Nirvana became very popular in Britain and by 1991 they signed a contract with Geffen. Their next album Nevermind became a 90s masterpiece and made Kurt's Nirvana one of the most successful bands in the world. Kurt became trampled upon with success and found the new lifestyle hard to bear. In February 1992 Kurt married Courtney Love , the woman who was already pregnant with his child, Frances Bean Cobain . Nirvana released their next album Incesticide later that year. The album appealed to many fans due to the liner notes, which expressed Kurt's open-mindedness. In September 1993 Nirvana released their next album, 'In Utero', which topped the charts. On March 4, 1994, Kurt was taken to hospital in a coma. It was officially stated as an accident but many believe it to have been an unsuccessful suicide attempt. Family and friends convinced Kurt to seek rehab. Kurt was said to have fled rehab after only a few days from a missing person's report filed by Courtney Love . On April 8th Kurt's body was found in his Seattle home. In his arms was a shotgun, which had been fired into his head. Near him laid a suicide note written in red ink. It was addressed to his wife Courtney Love and his daughter Frances Bean Cobain . Two days after Kurt's body was discovered people gathered in Seattle, they began setting fires, chanting profanities, and fighting with police officers. They also listened to a tape of Courtney reading sections of the suicide note left by Kurt. The last few words were "I love you, I love you". - IMDb Mini Biography By: Tony Russomanno <[email protected]>
Spouse Courtney Love (February 24, 1992 - April 5, 1994) (his death, 1 child)
Children Frances Bean Cobain
His unclean hair and unshaven appearance
Raw agonizing voice
Smashing instruments and stage equipment after shows
Garbled,Incomprehensible Singing
Shoulder-length blonde hair
Said he eventually wanted to experiment with filmmaking. He even wrote a script for a horror movie.
The last movie he watched before his death was The Piano (1993) .
During a Nirvana concert, he witnessed a girl being groped in the audience. Without missing a beat, he threw his guitar to the ground (a Martin D-18E electric guitar, one of the rarest electric guitars ever made and worth a significant amount of money), dived into the audience and angrily confronted the man who groped the woman. Upon returning to the stage, Cobain and the other band members openly mocked the man as he was being forcibly led out by security.
Died at 27 years old, making him a member of the "27 Club"; The 27 Club is a group of prominent musicians who died at the age of 27. Other members include Rolling Stones co-founder Brian Jones , guitarist Jimi Hendrix , singer Janis Joplin , guitarist Alan Wilson , The Doors frontman Jim Morrison and Amy Winehouse .
John Lennon 's song "In my Life" was played at his funeral.
Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.
I'm not well-read, but when I read, I read well.
I'm not a death rocker, and I don't wear black.
I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not.
I think people who glamorize drugs are f**king *ssholes and if there's hell they'll go there.

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Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain died 30 years ago, but his legacy lives on

His influence and music remain vital today.

Kurt Cobain, Nirvana frontman and music icon, died April 5, 1994, 30 years ago Friday.

With Nirvana, Cobain released only three albums during his lifetime over a five-year span, including the RIAA Diamond-certified "Nevermind," making him the face of counterculture and the grunge and alternative movement of the early ‘90s. Yet despite their brief tenure, Nirvana and its frontman had a profound impact on both rock music and pop culture, which continues more than a generation later.

PHOTO: Kurt Cobain of Nirvana during the taping of MTV Unplugged in New York, Nov. 18, 1993.

Kurt Donald Cobain was born February 20, 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington. While in high school, he met fellow musician Krist Novoselic, and they started a band together.

After various personnel and name changes, Nirvana was created, with Cobain on guitar and vocals, Novoselic on bass, and Chad Channing on drums. They released their debut album, "Bleach," in June 1989, on the influential, independent Seattle label Sub Pop – the choice a reflection of Cobain’s passion for the anti-corporate ethos of punk and indie rock.

“Kurt subscribed to that very deeply,” Michael Azerrad, who interviewed Cobain as author of the 1993 authorized Nirvana biography "Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana," told ABC News. “And yet, he had this conflicting impulse to be as famous as he felt his talented merited. That was a large conflict, I think, that he never managed to resolve.”

MORE: Video -- Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain died April 5, 1994

After "Bleach," Nirvana jumped from Sub Pop to a major label, DGC Records, and brought on a new drummer: Dave Grohl, who cut his teeth playing in Washington, D.C. punk bands. Together, the band recorded what would become "Nevermind," adding a glossier, expansive finish to their sound.

PHOTO: Dave Grohl, Kurt Coabin, Krist Novoselic of Nirvana in Germany, Nov. 12, 1991.

"Nevermind" was released in September 1991, and word quickly spread of its lead single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and its video , which showed Nirvana performing in a high school gym while surrounded by anarchist cheerleaders.

By January 1992, "Nevermind" hit #1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 album chart. Driven by hits that also included "Come as You Are," "In Bloom" and "Lithium," the album ultimately sold over 10 million units and was RIAA-certified Diamond just seven years later.

MORE: Nirvana's 'Nevermind' Turns 25

PHOTO: Kurt Cobain of Nirvana during a performance in New York.

Cobain’s lyrics, about self-hatred to adolescent rebellion, coupled with Nirvana’s hook-filled, distorted rock, spoke directly to the disaffection felt by that generation’s youth, and was viewed as an antidote to the excess and debauchery of the ‘80s hair metal scene. “Grunge” quickly became a household term, and the Seattle bands Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains – all of which embodied the same sound and ethos – surged up the charts.

As Nirvana's popularity grew, so too did interest in Cobain’s personal life, which deeply affected his already fragile mental and emotional health. Reports of his heroin use, as well as his relationship with his wife, Hole frontwoman Courtney Love, became tabloid fodder.

Cobain and Love welcomed a baby girl, Frances Bean, in August 1992. Shortly thereafter, Vanity Fair published an article that alleged Love had used heroin while pregnant. In September, Los Angeles officials investigated the couple's fitness as parents, with Cobain and Love briefly losing custody of Frances.

PHOTO: Kurt Cobain with wife Courtney Love and daughter Frances Bean Cobain, Sept. 2, 1993, at the MTV Music Awards.

Nirvana’s third and final album, the dissonant "In Utero," dropped in September 1993. The following November, at the height of their popularity, the band recorded an intimate show for the TV concert series "MTV Unplugged." The performance was released in 1994 as the live album "MTV Unplugged in New York," which ultimately was RIAA-certified eight-times Platinum. Nearly thirty years later, the guitar Cobain played during the concert sold at auction for a record-breaking $6 million in 2020, while the tattered green cardigan he wore sold a year earlier for $334,000.

Yet Cobain remained a troubled soul. His drug use continued, and on March 4, 1994, he was hospitalized in Rome for an overdose while Nirvana was on tour in Europe. Following a five-day hospitalization, Cobain returned home to Seattle.

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On April 8, an electrician who arrived at Cobain's Seattle home to do some work discovered him dead. Following an investigation, it was ruled that he had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on April 5. Cobain had turned 27 not two months earlier.

Cobain’s death marked the end of both Nirvana and the grunge era, and enhanced the dark notoriety of the so-called '27 Club,' which includes the late musicians Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin, all of whom died at the same age. More poignantly, his death raised national awareness of both suicide and mental health, and focused a spotlight on Cobain’s past comments and lyrics that referenced guns or self-harm.

“It’s very painful,” Azerrad told ABC News of revisiting those earlier Cobain comments. “You smack your forehead metaphorically and just think, ‘Oh, why didn’t I notice that?’ It was staring at you in plain sight. But sometimes there’s such thing as hiding in plain sight, and that was one of those things.”

PHOTO: Kurt Cobain of Nirvana during MTV Live and Loud: Nirvana Performs Live - December 1993 at Pier 28 in Seattle.

MORE: Frances Bean Cobain Talks About Father Kurt's Death

With Nirvana over, Grohl formed his own band, the chart-topping Foo Fighters. He and Novoselic have reunited several times, perhaps most notably at the 2014 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where Cobain and Nirvana were inducted during their first year of eligibility, and during which they performed Nirvana hits with guest singers including Lorde and Joan Jett.

MORE: Video -- 2014 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominees Include Nirvana, The Zombies

In the three decades since Cobain's death, Nirvana's influence never waned, and has reached beyond rock music into other genres, and pop culture in general. Rapper Post Malone livestreamed a celebrated Nirvana tribute set during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, while actress and singer Selena Gomez – born less than a month before Frances Bean – recently shared that she was “obsessed” with Kurt Cobain growing up. In 2022, the "Nevermind" song “Something in the Way” enjoyed a resurgence due to its use in the trailer for the hit movie "The Batman."

"That's why Kurt made music – to rock people and himself," Azerrad said. "To make him feel better, and, by extension, hopefully, the audience feel better."

Josh Johnson writes about alternative and active rock music for ABC Audio.

If you're struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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Kurt Cobain Biographer: I Changed My Mind—Let’s Leave the Legend Alone

Kurt Cobain performs with Nirvana on 'MTV Unplugged,' on Nov. 18, 1993, in New York City.

I wrote a biography about Kurt Cobain in 2006. Since then, I’ve come to the realization that it’s better to let his legacy lie because I believe he would have wanted it that way.

Kurt Cobain kicked drummers out of his band because they wouldn’t play nice with his not-so-punk-rock, practice-makes-perfect ethos. He frustrated associates ( Nevermind producer Butch Vig once said Kurt was a “pain” in the studio) who couldn’t immediately grasp some vague vision he had for specific songs or his big-picture plan for Nirvana Inc. He even almost didn’t allow Dave Grohl to sit in on his band’s MTV Unplugged session because he hadn’t liked the way the drummer’s hard hitting had translated to the acoustical arrangement during rehearsals.

When it came to his image, Kurt was the careless loafer in threadbare jeans and worn flannel we still recall him to be today, more than 21 years after his death. But when it came to his art, Kurt was a perfectionist who would never allow the mediocrity that’s now being released with his name attached to see the light of day.

Were it not for Kurt’s fastidiousness, to cite another of countless examples of such, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” might have left early 1990s disaffected youth screaming, “A deposit/for a bottle/stuck inside it/no role model” for the past two and a half decades. But to Kurt, those lyrics weren’t good enough, so he scrapped them in favor of the mulatto, albino, mosquito, libido sequence those kids – myself included – came to know and still sing.

Those alternate “Teen Spirit” lyrics were published in 2002’s Journals , which was one of the earliest posthumous in-depth looks at the way Kurt worked behind the scenes. In the book’s first pages, Kurt writes:

“Don’t read my diary when I’m gone.”

And a few words later:

“Please read my diary. Look through my things and figure me out.”

Those who engage in Kurt-related voyeurism today by purchasing what’s offered them often use that last quote to justify their actions: It’s OK for us to look because Kurt wanted us to see . But — as the above example indicates — Kurt was contradictory. He also tells us through his journals that he despises celebrity, yet he specifies ways in which he is working toward achieving it. He tells us he’s not addicted to heroin, then he tells us he’s a junkie. “My lyrics are a big pile of contradictions,” Kurt writes in Journals .

When Journals came out, I ate it up. I knew the author — we were friends as teenagers — and the primary source came in all-too handy two years later when I set about writing my book on Kurt. But as I’ve grown, I’ve thought deeper. Why were these journals available for me to read? Should they have been? Would Kurt have wanted them to be?

After I honestly answered those questions for myself, I stopped caring about subsequent Kurt-related products. But – thanks to my circle of influence and that ubiquitous fiend social media — I still learned of each of the dozens of products as they came into existence. The pre-distressed Converse tennis shoes scribbled with lyrics. The 18-inch stubble-faced action figure (“with sound!”). The lifeless “Lithium”-playing avatar in Guitar Hero 5 .

The humanity.

Though I may try to avoid it, celebrity exploitation constantly surrounds us. Many believe the recent release of Harper Lee’s long-buried novel, Go Set a Watchman , is an example of such, a financially motivated manipulation of an 89-year-old mentally fragile recluse. Dead celebrity exploitation – like what’s happening with Kurt — also is everywhere. We’ve even given dead celebrities a name, “delebs,” and they are a multi-billion-dollar business .

The Montage of Heck product line, which includes the HBO documentary and the forthcoming soundtrack/Kurt Cobain “solo album,” is the latest release in the posthumous Kurt Cobain machine. The film is sanctioned by Kurt’s estate — most notably his daughter, Frances, who was the executive producer of the documentary — and I’ve heard it’s a quality film, even if its script follows the convoluted myth-making tact so many other biographers, myself once included, have followed.

“Unfortunately, it matters very little what the facts are; what matters is what people believe,” Kurt’s good friend and mentor Buzz Osborne recently said in a review of the film. “And when it comes to Cobain, most of what they believe is fabricated nonsense.”

Those who knew Kurt know that he was a shy self-doubter who never would have allowed the public to view his drafts or his discards. The Kurt I knew practiced incessantly because he wanted his work to be as good as it could be before it was released for public consumption. The audio tapes being used for Kurt’s new solo album may have been made available, but that doesn’t mean we should listen to them.

Again, from Journals : “The most violating thing I’ve felt this year is not the media exaggerations or the catty gossip, but the rape of my personal thoughts ripped out of pages from my stay in hospitals and aeroplane rides hotel stays etc.”

That’s the quote I’m citing — and basing my actions on — these days.

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30 years after his death, bbc to air kurt cobain documentary.

'Moments That Shook Music: Kurt Cobain' aims to "demystify" the controversial death of the Nirvana frontman, who died on April 5, 1994.

By Pino Gagliardi

Pino Gagliardi

Deputy Editor, THR Roma

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Thirty years after the death of Kurt Cobain , the BBC will air a documentary that it says will “demystify” the Generation X icon and grunge music legend. Moments That Shook the Music: Kurt Cobain , a feature-length documentary directed by John Osborne and produced by Touchdown Films, airs Saturday, April 13, on BBC iPlayer and BBC 2, as part of programming entirely dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Cobain’s death. The Nirvana frontman died on April 5, 1994, in what was ruled a suicide.

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Top 7 Reveling Nirvana Books & Best Kurt Cobain Biographies (2023)

If you are a true punk rock lover, you probably know about Nirvana, Generation X’s flagship band and their legendary lead singer and songwriter Kurt Cobain. Chances are you have heard of these names, even if you are not a true fan.

But do you know their story? Be it behind their success, fallout, or personal lives. Having been a fan myself, I have curated a list of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana books that get to the bottom of their experiences- the good, the bad, and the ugly. So, let’s rock and roll.

Serving the Servant, by Danny Goldberg (2019)

This is a riveting Kurt Cobain biography to fill you in on his life and Nirvana’s journey. Danny was Cobain’s manager, and he gives a different perspective in this book. Instead of focusing on the dark side of Kurt’s life, he reflects on the lovely, insightful tender-hearted singer who was full of life and talented despite his untimely death.

When Danny took on the band, he had no idea that it would become one of the most sensational bands in America and that Kurt would be a legend in pop culture. Only comparable to the likes of Michael Jackson and John Lennon. This was just the beginning of a timeless story.

In this book, Danny reveals the success of the Nevermind album, the incredible life of Kurt meeting and marrying Courtney Love, and the critics that came with the ups and downs of their relationship. He also talks about hidden memory files and interviews with Kurt.

You will get to know about Kurt's inner circle and marvel at his love and ambition for music. Danny intriguely captures what other previously published books overshadowed: the portrait of a legendary artist and not a ‘tortured soul, troubled boy’ narrative.

Heavier than Heaven, by Charles R. Cross (2019)

Heavier than Heaven is one of the most gruesome and deeply revealing biography books of Kurt Cobain you will ever come across. It is a page-turner describing the actual events of the Nirvana band, with Kurt Cobain’s photos and all the happenings surrounding his addiction and drug abuse up to the point of his demise.

Through this book, Charles takes you through an exquisite craft of exposing Kurt’s private life- from the deep secrets revealed in more than 400 interviews, quotes and suicide notes. There is also an unreleased masterpiece by Nirvana in this book.

You will find scrutinized details of Kurt’s lies and how they played a part in his death. You will also see how Cobain’s love life became entangled with his art and some of the stories behind his popular hits.

Cross also unleashes gripping details about Cobain’s childhood trauma. Despite Kurt being a contradictory and famous teen athlete, he had suicidal genes from his relatives.

Find out the truth about Kurt sleeping with his best friend and stealing a car even as a millionaire. These thoughts may be disturbing, but you will relish how Cross puts to rest some of the misconceptions about Kurt’s life with interesting truths.

Nirvana, by Everett True (2009)

This book is thorough and refreshing for any Kurt Cobain enthusiast. Everett engages you with the story of Kurt Cobain and the Nirvana band intensely. The book outwardly gives an inside account of how young musicians get into the music industry and suddenly become poisoned with fame and self-obsession because of attention.

Everett was among the first interviewers of Kurt Cobain, and he covered the first scenes of the Seattle music scene. He also had an interview with Nirvana in the late 80s. Having brought famous bands into the international limelight, he introduced Kurt to Courtney Love. He was also the one who pushed Kurt into the stage of the Reading Festival in 1992 while in a wheelchair. So be sure to get authentic details about Kurt, Nirvana and their highs and lows.

Everett narrates performing with the Nirvana band and how he moved to several stages in different events. You will enjoy the author's inclusive and authentic voice as he talks about the evaluation of the band that has suffered criticism since 1994.

This book covers the life of Kurt, quotes, other drug dealers, seminars, music scenes, allies and close acquaintances in his life. It is a masterpiece if you want to truly see Kurt’s life through a friend’s point of view and will generally make you think about the development and effects of mental health issues.

Kurt Cobain, by Brett Morgen (2016)

Cobain’s first story was told through an HBO documentary Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck . This book was a sequel to the documentary, and its author was responsible for this film. The book not only accompanies Brett’s documentary but also delves further into discussing the film’s material. It is a realistic presentation and illumination of Nirvana’s legendary portrait and frontman, Kurt Cobain. The book also captures the contradictions that build up in Kurt’s character.

It features exclusive interviews to showcase Kurt’s archives as displayed in the film using incredible visions, rare photography, and Kurt’s journals. You will appreciate Brett’s points of view about the film’s creation and his ideas on Cobain’s mythos. With details that take you into and beyond the film, you will see the unparalleled ideas of Kurt Cobain’s world.

At its core, this book is the perfect complement to documentaries that may have influenced or changed your views about Kurt with the actual guts of his tale.

Love & Death, by Max Wallace (2005)

This book is for you if you only know about Kurt’s death from the internet. It will give you a different lens and broaden your mind about the situation. It is a groundbreaking yet chilling investigation of Kurt Cobain. It includes exclusive access to case tapes and imperative evidence to paint a picture of how everything happened. The details in this book will keep you intrigued and even make you wish that Kurt’s case could be reopened.

It was April 8, 1994, when a body was found in a room in Seattle. As per the authorities, this was an open-and-shut suicidal case. However, few knew that the body belonged to Kurt Cobain, Nirvana’s frontman. Contrary to what many have long believed, Kurt had been murdered.

This book draws evidence from case tapes that Courtney Love’s P.I gathered. This ensued after her husband’s escape from drug rehab. The book also uses police reports and forensic evidence to devour the long-standing theory that Kurt committed suicide.

Love & Death is a stunning representation and a convincing argument that the events surrounding Kurt’s death and the truth are yet to come out. It presents a plausible explanation of why Kurt is gone, most notably not in a theoretical way or through conspiracy.

Kurt Cobain, by Hourly History (2021)

This book will help you discover the remarkable life Kurt Cobain lived and also fill in your knowledge gaps regarding his experiences. As you may know, Kurt crafted songs and, more specifically, a narrative that would later become a generation’s anthem. However, you might be shocked that none of it was what he deliberately set out to do. Some say he was an accidental genius.

Kurt’s idea of life and art was always a continuous consciousness stream. He was never fixated on changing a generation, even when he made songs. His idea was only to play music and let his subconscious mind go beyond as he made memorable lyrics.

Kurt certainly changed the world, and his words evidently still resonate with many today, and this may be all you know. However, this book has more details about Kurt’s life covered in different topics like his troubled childhood, global success, superstar reluctance, how he went from guns to guitars, his marriage, disappearance, death, and more. This book is not just for Kurt or Nirvana’s fans, but it has valuable insights about life in general.

Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, by Andrew Earles (2016)

This is the book you need to get your hands on if you want to get the ins and outs of Nirvana- the band whose ride was comprehensive but all too brief. This updated edition gives you the illustrated story about this legendary band and its members Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl.

Kurt Cobain and Nirvana gives an account of the band’s history with a fresh perspective to let you know more about the band that brought about the return of punk-inspired rock.

The book features backstage and performance photography, ticket stubs, the band’s singles, handbills, gig posters and a lot of other memorabilia that complements Nirvana’s story. It will also hook you up with gear breakdowns, album reviews, and Cobain’s mini synopses of his favorite albums.

The content is well-researched and excellently put together, making this book a must-have if you were or are still a Nirvana fan or collector.

The Verdict

There you have it. These books will give you a fresh perspective into the life of Kurt Cobain and the Nirvana band in the purest form. They will help you extensively celebrate Kurt’s life and the band’s and appreciate their hard work in creating music that really rocked.

Check out also the best Led Zeppelin books .

My profession is online marketing and development (10+ years experience), check my latest mobile app called Upcoming or my Chrome extensions for ChatGPT. But my real passion is reading books both fiction and non-fiction. I have several favorite authors like James Redfield or Daniel Keyes . If I read a book I always want to find the best part of it, every book has its unique value.

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Kurt Donald Cobain Biography

Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – c. April 5, 1994), was an American musician, best known for his roles as lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the Seattle-based rock band Nirvana.

Cobain formed Nirvana in 1987 with Krist Novoselic. Within two years, the band became a fixture of the burgeoning Seattle grunge scene. In 1991, the arrival of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” marked the beginning of a dramatic shift of popular rock music away from the dominant genres of the 1980s (glam metal, arena rock, and dance-pop) and toward grunge and alternative rock. The music media eventually awarded the song “anthem-of-a-generation” status,[1] and, with it, Cobain was labeled a “spokesman” for Generation X.

During the last years of his life, Cobain struggled with drug addiction and the media pressures surrounding him and his wife, Courtney Love. On April 8, 1994, Cobain was found dead in his home in Seattle, the victim of what was officially ruled a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. In ensuing years, the circumstances of his death became a topic of fascination and debate. Life and career

Early life Kurt Cobain was born to Donald and Wendy Cobain on February 20, 1967 in Aberdeen, Washington and spent his first six months living in the village of Hoquiam, Washington before the family moved to Aberdeen.[2] He began developing an interest in music early in his life. According to his Aunt Mari, “He was singing from the time he was two. He would sing Beatles songs like ‘Hey Jude’. He had a lot of charisma from a very young age.”[3]

Cobain’s life changed at the age of seven when his parents divorced in 1975, an event which he later cited as having a profound impact on his life. His mother noted that his personality changed dramatically, with Cobain becoming more withdrawn.[4] In a 1993 interview, Cobain said, “I remember feeling ashamed, for some reason. I was ashamed of my parents. I couldn’t face some of my friends at school anymore, because I desperately wanted to have the classic, you know, typical family. Mother, father. I wanted that security, so I resented my parents for quite a few years because of that.”[5] After a year spent living with his mother following the divorce, Cobain moved to Montesano, Washington to live with his father, but after a few years his youthful rebellion became too overwhelming and he found himself being shuffled between friends and family.[6]

At school, Cobain took little interest in sports. At his father’s insistence, Cobain joined the junior high wrestling team. While he was good at it, he despised it. Later, his father signed him up for a local baseball league, where Cobain would intentionally strike out to avoid having to play.[7] Instead, Cobain focused on his art courses. He often drew during classes, including objects associated with human anatomy. Cobain was friends with a gay student at his school, sometimes suffering bullying at the hands of homophobic students. That friendship led some to believe that he himself was gay. In one of his personal journals, Cobain wrote, “I am not gay, although I wish I were, just to piss off homophobes.”[8] In a 1993 interview with The Advocate, Cobain claimed that he used to spray paint “God is Gay” on pickup trucks around Aberdeen. Cobain also claimed he was arrested in 1985 for spray-painting “HOMO SEX RULES” on a bank.[9] However, Aberdeen police records show that the phrase for which he was arrested was actually “Ain’t got no how watchamacallit”.[10] As a teenager growing up in small-town Washington, Cobain eventually found escape through the thriving Pacific Northwest punk scene, going to punk rock shows in Seattle. Eventually, Cobain began frequenting the practice space of fellow Montesano musicians the Melvins.

In the middle of tenth grade, Cobain moved back to live with his mother in Aberdeen. Two weeks before his graduation, Cobain dropped out of high school after realizing that he did not have enough credits to graduate. His mother gave him a choice: either get a job or leave. After a week or so, Cobain found his clothes and other belongings packed away in boxes.[11] Forced out of his mother’s home, Cobain often stayed at friends’ houses and sneaked into his mother’s basement occasionally.[12] Cobain later claimed that when he could not find anywhere else to stay, he lived under a bridge over the Wishkah River,[12] an experience that inspired the Nevermind track “Something in the Way”. However, Krist Novoselic claimed that Cobain never really lived there, saying, “He hung out there, but you couldn’t live on those muddy banks, with the tides coming up and down. That was his own revisionism.”[13]

In late 1986, Cobain moved into the first house he lived in alone and paid his rent by working at a coastal resort twenty miles from Aberdeen.[14] At the same time, Cobain was traveling more frequently to Olympia, Washington to check out rock shows.[15] During his visits to Olympia, Cobain started a relationship with Tracy Marander.

Nirvana For his 14th birthday, Cobain’s uncle gave him the option of a guitar or a bicycle as a gift; Cobain chose the guitar. He started learning a few covers, including AC/DC’s “Back in Black” and The Cars’ “My Best Friend’s Girl”, and soon began working on his own songs.[16]

In high school, Cobain rarely found anyone to jam with. While hanging out at the Melvins practice space, he met Krist Novoselic, a fellow devotee of punk rock. Novoselic’s mother owned a hair salon and Cobain and Novoselic would occasionally practice in the upstairs room. A few years later, Cobain tried to convince Novoselic to form a band with him by lending him a copy of a home demo recorded by Cobain’s earlier band, Fecal Matter. After months of asking, Novoselic finally agreed to join Cobain, forming the beginnings of Nirvana.[17]

During their first few years playing together, Novoselic and Cobain were hosts to a rotating list of drummers. Eventually, the band settled on Chad Channing, with whom Nirvana recorded the album Bleach, released on Sub Pop Records in 1989. Cobain, however, became dissatisfied with Channing’s style, leading the band to seek out a replacement, eventually settling on Dave Grohl. With Grohl, the band found their greatest success via their 1991 major-label debut, Nevermind.

Cobain struggled to reconcile the massive success of Nirvana with his underground roots. He also felt persecuted by the media, comparing himself to Frances Farmer, and harbored resentment for people who claimed to be fans of the band but who completely missed the point of the band’s message. One incident particularly distressing to Cobain involved two men who raped a woman while singing the Nirvana song “Polly”. Cobain condemned the episode in the liner notes of the US release of the album Incesticide: “Last year, a girl was raped by two wastes of sperm and eggs while they sang the lyrics to our song ‘Polly’. I have a hard time carrying on knowing there are plankton like that in our audience. Sorry to be so anally P.C. but that’s the way I feel.”

Marriage Courtney Love first saw Cobain perform in 1989 at a show in Portland, Oregon; the pair talked briefly after the show and Love developed a crush on him.[18] According to journalist Everett True, the pair were formally introduced at an L7/Butthole Surfers concert in Los Angeles in May 1991.[19] In the weeks that followed, after learning from Grohl that she and Cobain shared mutual crushes, Love began pursuing Cobain. After a few weeks of on-again, off-again courtship in the fall of 1991, the two found themselves together on a regular basis, often bonding through drug use.[20]

Around the time of Nirvana’s 1992 performance on Saturday Night Live, Love discovered that she was pregnant with Cobain’s child. A few days after the conclusion of Nirvana’s Pacific Rim tour, on Monday, February 24, 1992, Cobain married Love on Waikiki Beach, Hawaii. “In the last couple months I’ve gotten engaged and my attitude has changed drastically,” Cobain said in an interview with Sassy magazine. “I can’t believe how much happier I am. At times I even forget that I’m in a band, I’m so blinded by love. I know that sounds embarrassing, but it’s true. I could give up the band right now. It doesn’t matter, but I’m under contract.”[21] On August 18, the couple’s daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, was born. The unusual middle name was given to her because Cobain thought she looked like a kidney bean on the first sonogram he saw of her. Her namesake is Frances McKee of British band The Vaselines and not Frances Farmer as is sometimes reported.[22]

Love was somewhat unpopular with Nirvana fans; her harshest critics said she was merely using him as a vehicle to make herself famous.[20] Critics who compared Cobain to John Lennon were also fond of comparing Love to Yoko Ono. Rumors persist that Cobain wrote most of the songs on the breakthrough album Live Through This of Love’s band Hole, partially fueled by the 1996 appearance of a rough mix of “Asking for It” with Cobain singing backing vocals. However, there is no specific evidence to support the assertion.

At the same time, one song by Hole was discovered to be a song originally written by Nirvana. The song “Old Age” appeared as a B-side on the 1993 single for Beautiful Son, credited to Hole. Initially, there was no reason to believe it was anything other than a Hole-penned song. However, in 1998, a boombox recording of the song performed by Nirvana (with significantly different lyrics) was surfaced by Seattle newspaper The Stranger. In the article that accompanied the clip, Novoselic confirmed that the recording was made in 1991 and that “Old Age” was a Nirvana song, leading to more speculation about Cobain’s involvement in Hole’s catalog. Nirvana had even attempted to record “Old Age” during the sessions for Nevermind, but it was left incomplete as Cobain had yet to finish the lyrics and the band had run out of studio time. (The incomplete recording appeared on the 2004 compilation With the Lights Out, credited to Cobain.) As for Hole’s version, guitarist Eric Erlandson noted that he believed Cobain wrote the music for the song, but that Love had written the lyrics for their version.[23]

In a 1992 article in Vanity Fair, Love admitted to using heroin while (unknowingly) pregnant. Love claimed that Vanity Fair had misquoted her,[24] but her admission created controversy for the couple. While Cobain and Love’s romance had always been something of a media attraction, the couple found themselves hounded by tabloid reporters after the article was published, many wanting to know if Frances was addicted to drugs at birth. The Los Angeles County Department of Children’s Services took the Cobains to court, claiming that the couple’s drug usage made them unfit parents.[22] Two-week-old Frances Bean Cobain was ordered by the judge to be taken from their custody and placed with Courtney’s sister Jamie for several weeks, after which the couple obtained custody, but had to submit to urine tests and a regular visit from a social worker. After months of legal wrangling, the couple were eventually granted full custody of their daughter.

Drug addiction Throughout most of his life, Cobain battled chronic bronchitis and intense physical pain due to an undiagnosed chronic stomach condition.[25] This last condition was especially debilitating to his emotional welfare, and he spent years trying to find its source. However, none of the doctors he consulted were able to pinpoint the specific cause, guessing that it was either a result of Cobain’s childhood scoliosis or related to the stresses of performing.

His first drug experience was with marijuana in 1980 at age 14. Cobain’s first experience with heroin occurred sometime in 1986, administered to him by a local drug dealer in Tacoma, Washington, who had previously been supplying him with Percodan.[26] Cobain used heroin sporadically for several years, but, by the end of 1990, his use had developed into a full-fledged addiction. Cobain claimed that he was “determined to get a habit” as a way to self-medicate his stomach condition. Related Cobain, “It started with three days in a row of doing heroin and I don’t have a stomach pain. That was such a relief.”[27]

His heroin use eventually began affecting the band’s support of Nevermind, with Cobain passing out during photo shoots. One memorable example came the day of the band’s 1992 performance on Saturday Night Live, where Nirvana had a shoot with photographer Michael Levine. Having shot up beforehand, Cobain nodded off several times during the shoot. Regarding the shoot, Cobain related to biographer Michael Azerrad, “I mean, what are they supposed to do? They’re not going to be able to tell me to stop. So I really didn’t care. Obviously to them it was like practicing witchcraft or something. They didn’t know anything about it so they thought that any second, I was going to die.”[28] Cobain also overdosed on the same night, after performing on Saturday Night Live.

Cobain’s heroin addiction worsened as the years progressed. Cobain made his first attempt at rehab in early 1992, not long after he and Love discovered they were going to become parents. Immediately after leaving rehab, Nirvana embarked on their Australian tour, with Cobain appearing pale and gaunt while suffering through withdrawals. Not long after returning home, Cobain’s heroin use resurfaced. Prior to a performance at the New Music Seminar in New York City in July 1993, Cobain suffered a heroin overdose. Rather than calling for an ambulance, Love injected Cobain with illegally acquired Narcan to bring him out of his unconscious state. Cobain proceeded to perform with Nirvana, giving the public no indication that anything out of the ordinary had taken place.[29]

Cobain’s final weeks and death Following a tour stop at Terminal Eins in Munich, Germany, on March 1, 1994, Cobain was diagnosed with bronchitis and severe laryngitis. He flew to Rome the next day for medical treatment, and was joined there by his wife on March 3. The next morning, Love awoke to find that Cobain had overdosed on a combination of champagne and Rohypnol (Love had a prescription for Rohypnol filled after arriving in Rome). Cobain was immediately rushed to the hospital, and spent the rest of the day unconscious. After five days in the hospital, Cobain was released and returned to Seattle.[30] Love later stated that the incident was Cobain’s first suicide attempt.[31]

On March 18, Love phoned police to inform them that Cobain was suicidal and had locked himself in a room with a gun. Police arrived and confiscated several guns and a bottle of pills from Cobain, who insisted that he was not suicidal and had locked himself in the room to hide from Love. When questioned by police, Love admitted that Cobain had never mentioned that he was suicidal and that she had not seen him with a gun.[32]

Love arranged an intervention concerning Cobain’s drug use that took place on March 25. The ten people involved included musician friends, record company executives, and one of Cobain’s closest friends, Dylan Carlson. Former Nirvana manager Danny Goldberg described Cobain as being “extremely reluctant” and that he “denied that he was doing anything self-destructive.” However, by the end of the day, Cobain had agreed to undergo a detox program.[33] Cobain arrived at the Exodus Recovery Center in Los Angeles, California, on March 30. The following night, Cobain walked outside to have a cigarette, then climbed over a six-foot-high fence to leave the facility. He took a taxi to Los Angeles Airport and flew back to Seattle. Over the course of April 2 and April 3, Cobain was spotted in various locations around Seattle, but most of his friends and family were unaware of his whereabouts. On April 3, Love contacted a private investigator, Tom Grant, and hired him to find Cobain. The next day, a person claiming to be Cobain’s mother filed a missing person report. The report stated that Cobain “may be suicidal” and had purchased a shotgun.[34]

On April 8, 1994, Cobain was discovered in the spare room above the garage at his Lake Washington home by Veca Electric employee Gary Smith. Smith arrived at the house that morning to install security lighting and saw him lying inside. Apart from a minor amount of blood coming out of Cobain’s ear, Smith reported seeing no visible signs of trauma, and initially believed that Cobain was asleep. Smith found what he thought might be a suicide note with a pen stuck through it beneath an overturned flowerpot. A shotgun, purchased for Cobain by Dylan Carlson, was found at Cobain’s side. Cobain’s death certificate concluded Cobain’s death was a result of a “self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head.” The report estimates Cobain to have died on April 5, 1994.

On April 10, a public vigil was held for Cobain at a park at Seattle Center which drew approximately seven thousand mourners.[35] Prerecorded messages by Krist Novoselic and Courtney Love were played at the memorial. Love read portions of Cobain’s suicide note to the crowd and broke down, crying and chastizing Cobain. Near the end of the vigil Love arrived at the park and distributed some of Cobain’s clothing to those who still remained.[36] Cobain’s body was cremated.

Musical influences Cobain was a devoted champion of early alternative rock acts. His interest in the underground started when Buzz Osborne of the Melvins let him borrow a tape with songs by punk bands such as Black Flag, Flipper, and Millions of Dead Cops. He would often make reference to his favorite bands in interviews, often placing a greater importance on the bands that influenced him than on his own music. Interviews with Cobain were often littered with references to obscure performers like The Vaselines, The Melvins, Daniel Johnston, The Meat Puppets, Young Marble Giants, The Wipers, Flipper, and The Raincoats. Cobain was eventually able to convince record companies to reissue albums by The Raincoats (Geffen) and The Vaselines (Sub Pop). Cobain also noted the influence of the Pixies, and commented that “Smells Like Teen Spirit” bore some similarities to their sound. Cobain told Melody Maker in 1992 that hearing Surfer Rosa for the first time convinced him to abandon his more Black Flag-influenced songwriting in favor of the “Iggy Pop / Aerosmith” type songwriting that appeared on Nevermind.[37]

The Beatles were an early and important musical influence on Cobain. Cobain expressed a particular fondness for John Lennon, whom he called his “idol” in his journals. Cobain once related that he wrote “About a Girl” after spending three hours listening to Meet the Beatles!.[38] He was heavily influenced by punk rock and hardcore punk, and often credited bands such as Black Flag and the Sex Pistols for his artistic style and attitude.

Even with all of Cobain’s indie influences, Nirvana’s early style was influenced by the major rock bands of the ’70s, including Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Kiss, and Neil Young. In its early days, Nirvana made a habit of regularly playing cover songs by those bands, including Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song”, “Dazed and Confused”, “Heartbreaker”, and made a studio recording of Kiss’ “Do You Love Me?”. Cobain also talked about the influence of bands like The Knack, Boston, and The Bay City Rollers.

There were also earlier influences: Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged concert ended with a version of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night”, a song popularized by blues artist Lead Belly, whom Cobain called one of his favorite performers. Critic Greil Marcus suggested that Cobain’s “Polly” was a descendant of “Pretty Polly”, a murder ballad that might have been a century old when Dock Boggs recorded it in 1927.

Cobain also made efforts to include his favorite performers in his musical endeavors. At the 1991 Reading Festival, Eugene Kelly of the Vaselines joined Nirvana onstage for a duet of “Molly’s Lips”, which Cobain would later proclaim to be one of the greatest moments of his life.[39] In 1993, when he decided that he wanted a second guitarist to help him on stage, he recruited Pat Smear of the legendary L.A. punk band The Germs. When rehearsals of three Meat Puppets covers for Nirvana’s 1993 performance for MTV Unplugged went awry, Cobain placed a call to the two lead members of the band, Curt and Cris Kirkwood, who ended up joining the band on stage to perform the songs. Cobain also contributed backing guitar for a spoken word William S. Burroughs recording entitled “the “Priest” they called him”.[40]

Where Sonic Youth had served to help Nirvana gain wider success, Nirvana attempted to help other indie acts attain success. The band submitted the song “Oh, the Guilt” to a split single with Chicago’s The Jesus Lizard, helping Nirvana’s indie credibility while opening The Jesus Lizard to a wider audience.

Legacy In 2005, a sign was put up in Aberdeen, Washington that read “Welcome to Aberdeen – Come As You Are” as a tribute to Cobain. The sign was paid for and created by the Kurt Cobain Memorial Committee, a non-profit organization created in May 2004 to honor Cobain. The Committee also planned to create a Kurt Cobain Memorial Park and a youth center in Aberdeen.

As Cobain has no gravesite, many Nirvana fans visit Viretta Park, near Cobain’s former Lake Washington home, to pay tribute. On the anniversary of his death, fans gather in the park to celebrate his life and memory. In the years following his death, Cobain is now often remembered as one of the most iconic rock musicians in the history of alternative music.

Gus Van Sant based his 2005 movie Last Days on what might have happened in the final hours of Cobain’s life. In January 2007, Courtney Love began to shop the biography Heavier Than Heaven to various movie studios in Hollywood to turn the book into an A-list feature film about Cobain and Nirvana.

Books and films on Cobain Prior to Cobain’s death, writer Michael Azerrad published Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana, a book that chronicled Nirvana’s career from its beginning, as well as the personal histories of the band members. The book explored Cobain’s drug addiction, as well as the countless controversies surrounding the band. After Cobain’s death, Azerrad re-published the book to include a final chapter discussing the last year of Cobain’s life. The book is notable for its involvement of the band members themselves, who gave interviews and personal information to Azerrad specifically for the book. In 2006, Azerrad’s taped conversations with Cobain were transformed into a documentary about Cobain, titled Kurt Cobain About a Son.

In the 1998 documentary Kurt & Courtney, filmmaker Nick Broomfield investigated Tom Grant’s claim that Cobain was actually murdered, and took a film crew to visit a number of people associated with Cobain and Love, including Love’s father, Cobain’s aunt, and one of the couple’s former nannies. Broomfield also spoke to Mentors bandleader Eldon “El Duce” Hoke, who claimed that Love had offered him $50,000 to kill Cobain. Though Hoke claimed that he knew who killed Cobain, he failed to mention a name, and offered no evidence to support his assertion. Broomfield inadvertently captured Hoke’s last interview, as he died days later, reportedly hit by a train while drunk. In the end, however, Broomfield felt he hadn’t uncovered enough evidence to conclude the existence of a conspiracy. In a 1998 interview, Broomfield summed it up by saying, “I think that he committed suicide. I don’t think that there’s a smoking gun. And I think there’s only one way you can explain a lot of things around his death. Not that he was murdered, but that there was just a lack of caring for him. I just think that Courtney had moved on, and he was expendable.”[41]

Journalists Ian Halperin and Max Wallace took a similar path and attempted to investigate the conspiracy for themselves. Their initial work, the 1999 book Who Killed Kurt Cobain? argued that, while there wasn’t enough evidence to prove a conspiracy, there was more than enough to demand that the case be reopened.[42] A notable element of the book included their discussions with Grant, who had taped nearly every conversation that he had undertaken while he was in Love’s employ. In particular, Halperin and Wallace insisted that Grant play them the tapes of his conversations with Carroll so that they could confirm his story. Over the next several years, Halperin and Wallace collaborated with Grant to write a second book, 2004’s Love and Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain.

In 2001, writer Charles R. Cross published a biography of Cobain titled Heavier Than Heaven. For the book, Cross conducted over 400 interviews, and was given access by Courtney Love to Cobain’s journals, lyrics, and diaries.[43] However, neither Dave Grohl nor Cobain’s mother contributed to the book.[44]

In 2002, a sampling of Cobain’s writings was published as Journals. The book is 280 pages with a simple black cover; the pages are arranged somewhat chronologically (although Cobain generally did not date them). The journal pages are reproduced in color, and there is a section added at the back that has explanations and transcripts of some of the less legible pages. The writings begin in the late 1980s, around the time the band started, and end in 1994. A paperback version of the book, released in 2003, included a handful of writings that were not offered in the initial release. In the journals, Cobain talked about the ups and downs of life on the road, made lists of what music he was enjoying, and often scribbled down lyric ideas for future reference. Upon its release, reviewers and fans were conflicted about the collection. Many were elated to be able to learn more about Cobain and read his inner thoughts in his own words, but were disturbed by what was viewed as an invasion of his privacy.[45]

References â–ª Azerrad, Michael. Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana. Doubleday, 1994. ISBN 0-385-47199-8. â–ª Cross, Charles. Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain. Hyperion, 2001. ISBN 0-7868-8402-9. â–ª Summers, Kim. “Kurt Cobain”. All Music Guide. Accessed on May 9, 2005. â–ª Kitts, Jeff, et al. Guitar World Presents Nirvana and the Grunge Revolution. Hal Leonard, 1998. ISBN 0-79-35900-6X.

Notes 1. ^ Garofalo, p. 447 2. ^ Azerrad, p. 13 3. ^ Gaar, Gillian. “Verse Chorus Verse: The Recording History of Nirvana.” Goldmine Magazine. February 14, 1997. 4. ^ Azerrad, p. 17 5. ^ Savage, Jon. “Kurt Cobain: The Lost Interview”. Guitar World. 1997. 6. ^ Azerrad, p. 22 7. ^ Azerrad, pp. 20-25 8. ^ Cobain, Kurt (2002). Journals. Riverhead Hardcover. ISBN 978-1573222327. 9. ^ Allman, Kevin. “The Dark Side of Kurt Cobain”. The Advocate. February 1993. 10. ^ Cross, p. 68 11. ^ Azerrad, p. 35 12. ^ a b Azerrad, p. 37 13. ^ Cross, Charles R. “Requiem for a Dream.” Guitar World. October 2001. 14. ^ Azerrad, p. 43 15. ^ Azerrad, p. 46 16. ^ Azerrad, p. 22 17. ^ Azerrad, p. 45 18. ^ Azerrad, p. 169 19. ^ True, Everett. “Wednesday 1 March”. Plan B Magazine Blogs. March 1, 2006. 20. ^ a b Azerrad, p. 172. Courtney Love: “We bonded over pharmaceuticals.” 21. ^ Kelly, Christina. “Kurt and Courtney Sitting in a Tree”. Sassy Magazine. April 1992. 22. ^ a b Azerrad, p. 270 23. ^ LIVE NIRVANA SESSIONS HISTORY: Spring 1991-Fall 1992. LiveNirvana.com. 24. ^ Azerrad, p. 266 25. ^ Azerrad, p. 66 26. ^ Azerrad, p. 41 27. ^ Azerrad, p. 236. 28. ^ Azerrad, p. 241 29. ^ Cross, p. 296-297 30. ^ Halperin, Ian & Wallace, Max (1998). Who Killed Kurt Cobain?. Birch Lane Press. ISBN 1-55972-446-3. 31. ^ David Fricke, “Courtney Love: Life After Death”, Rolling Stone, December 15, 1994. 32. ^ Seattle Police Department (1994). Incident Report – March 18. Retrieved on March 13, 2006. 33. ^ The Seattle Times (1994). Questions Linger After Cobain Suicide. Retrieved on March 13, 2006. 34. ^ Seattle Police Department (1994). Missing Person Report. Retrieved on March 13, 2006. 35. ^ Azerrad, p. 346 36. ^ Azerrad, p. 350 37. ^ Cobain, Kurt. “Kurt Cobain of Nirvana Talks About the Records That Changed His Life”. Melody Maker. August 29, 1992. 38. ^ Cross, p. 121. 39. ^ Cross, p. 195 40. ^ Cross, p. 301 41. ^ Miller, Prairie. “Kurt and Courtney: Interview with Nick Broomfield”. Minireviews.com. 1998. 42. ^ ;Halperin & Wallace, p. 202 43. ^ Heavier than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain. HyperionBooks.com. 44. ^ vanHorn, Terri. “Cobain Book Shows Singer’s Life ‘Heavier’ Than Most Imagined”. MTVNews.com. September 10, 2001. 45. ^ Hartwig, David. “Nirvana releases a hit and miss.” Notre Dame Observer. November 19, 2002.

Source: Wikipedia

93 responses

He will live in our hearts 4-ever

bitch to long

Kurt was the best and still is long live Nirvana.

greetings. kurt cobain long live you.

R.I.P. Kurt Cobain 1967 – forever

Come as you are, we will always love you.

“A human is only relly dead if nobody remembers him” Kurt Cobain shall live forever!

To figure out who killed him or if he killed him self ,they should have traced the finger prints on the gun!!!!I still believe CL did itî“î‘Shes a bitch either or.But anyway,……Kurt….:) Oh Kurt:) Do you Know how much i love you?I do.I love you more than anything in the world!!!I miss and love you and will always.<3 Lets hope we'll all soon know the truth.And if ibecome famous,I wobt be embarressed to say that i still have a crush on you…More like im in love with you.And i know you want me to stop talking about you.But i cant and will never get over you:(And i know your dead,you want us to get over it.Just like your tombstone said ,"Stop Talking About Me You Worthless Piss Fuckheads,Im Dead,Get over it"-Kurt Cobain.And i will try babe:) I love you:) i woul do any thing to make you be alive.I would kiss you if i could:)bye .i love you soooo much

mr cobain is an inparation to millions! anyonw who cant see that should go die in a whole…………..with crocodiles!

i learned so much about kurt…..i didnt know what i do now im doing a chosen speach on him in oral comunication and this site has helped me alot i LOVE nirvanas music….rip kurt

and i agree long live kurt!!!!

and i find all of your spelling very hard to master bate too

does anyone know who wrote this because I’m writing a paper and I need an author

FIrst of all, there is no author because whoever wrote it knows it is full of lies so they are either too embarrassed to admit it , or they are afraid of being sued for plagarism. Second, There was absolutely NOT a mutual romantic feeling between Kurt and HER!! Kurt was quoted as saying he couldn’t stand her at first, she was just an annoying, loud mouthed, groupie that showed up a lot. Yeah, he did eventually start to like her, but that was only for the drugs she was supplying him with. She made sure he had plenty, actually too much, she needed him drugged up night and day, to the point where he could hardly even think for himself. It all fit in her plan , she controlled every aspect of his life. She made sure he had no more friends of his own, only her friends were allowed to hang around, she told everyone her friends wre Kurts friends, when in reality, they were actually paid to keep a very close eye on Kurt at all times. She forged all kinds of documents with his name, she got pregnant on purpose to trap him so that he had to marry her. I could go on, but I’ve explained all of this so many times, just don’t believe ANYTHING C.L.or her endless list of sidekicks, such as : Everett True; Charles Cross; Christopher Sanford;, etc…..

Inside Kurt Cobain's Final Days Before His Suicide

Lanegan’s intuition proved to be correct. On the morning of April 8, an electrician found 27-year-old Cobain dead of an apparent suicide in a greenhouse above the garage of his Seattle home. According to Rolling Stone , a 20-gauge shotgun was lying across his chest, and, as a medical examiner’s report later revealed, Cobain, who had already been dead two and a half days at that point, had a high concentration of heroin and traces of Valium in his bloodstream. The magazine also reported that he was identifiable only by his fingerprints.

Cobain wanted to quit Nirvana

Because he had been missing for six days prior to his dead body being discovered, many tried to piece together the last days of Cobain’s life. By all accounts, he had already been in a downward spiral for years before he died, battling depression and chronic drug addiction. In an interview with MTV, Cobain’s wife, Courtney Love , claimed that not long before her husband’s suicide, he told her that he hated being in Nirvana and couldn’t play with them anymore and only wanted to work with R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe. All things considered, his loved ones’ alarm reached a fever pitch.

His loved ones staged an intervention

In fact, following Cobain’s failed suicide attempt in March 1994, Love, along with several of his friends and bandmates, enlisted the help of intervention counselor Steven Chatoff. “They called me to see what could be done,” Chatoff explained to Rolling Stone . “He was using, up in Seattle. He was in full denial. It was very chaotic. And they were in fear for his life. It was a crisis.”

In late March, Love, Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, along with several other friends went through with staging an intervention at Cobain’s home. During the meeting, Love reportedly threatened to leave Cobain , with whom she shared daughter Frances Bean , and his band also issued an ultimatum of breaking up the band, should he not agree to seek treatment at a rehabilitation facility.

READ MORE: The Destructive Romance of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love

Cobain bought a shotgun six days before using it to kill himself

Several days later, Cobain would do just that, but first, he paid a visit to pal Dylan Carlson, who also participated in the aforementioned intervention, at his Seattle home on March 30. Citing problems with trespassers on his property, Cobain asked for help securing a firearm. “He seemed normal, we’d been talking,” Carlson later said. “Plus, I’d loaned him guns before.”

Per Carlson, Cobain gave him about $300 to buy a 20-gauge shotgun and a box of ammunition from Stan’s Gun Shop. Knowing that Cobain was about to depart for treatment near Los Angeles, Carlson said that his friend’s need for the purchase did give him pause: “It seemed kind of weird that he was buying the shotgun before he was leaving. So I offered to hold on to it until he got back.”

Cobain, however, insisted on keeping the weapon himself, and, according to police, he likely dropped off the gun at his home before traveling to Exodus Recovery Center in Marina del Rey, California, later that day.

He spent two days in rehab before fleeing the treatment center

On April 1, Cobain phoned Love with a cryptic message. According to an account, the Hole frontwoman gave a local Seattle newspaper, he said, in part, “Just remember no matter what, I love you.” Later that night — after spending just two days in rehab — staffers said he alerted them that he was stepping out to smoke a cigarette on the patio. Love explained that’s when he allegedly jumped over a more than six-feet-high brick wall and disappeared.

Police suspect he flew back to Seattle where he spent his final days wandering, with neighbors claiming to have spotted an ill-looking Cobain in a park near his home dressed in a heavy coat, which they deemed inappropriate for the April weather. Others have suggested he may have spent a night with an unidentified friend at his nearby summer home.

READ MORE: Kurt Cobain: The Inspiration and Meaning Behind Nirvana's Hit 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'

An electrician discovered Cobain's body more than two days after he shot himself

By April 5, however, law enforcement officials believe Cobain had barricaded himself inside the greenhouse where an electrician who came to the home to install a security system discovered his body, days later. Love later recounted to MTV that after taking drugs, Cobain used the shotgun Carlson had helped him purchase days earlier to shoot himself in the head, thus ending his short life. She also said that her husband left a note in red ink that she read from at a Seattle memorial service.

The loss of the talented musician remained unimaginable for his adoring fans, as well as all of those who knew him personally. "I remember the day after that I woke up and I was heartbroken that he was gone,” Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl later recalled. "I just felt like, 'Okay, so I get to wake up today and have another day and he doesn't.'"

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Kurt Cobain's legacy is evident in the music from the year he died

Nirvana's Kurt Cobain on MTV Unplugged in 1993

Why is Kurt Cobain so important?

Variations of this question about the Nirvana frontman/grunge icon pop up regularly on the popular social forum Reddit.

Why did Kurt have such a cult following? What made Kurt Cobain stand out? Explain to me like I'm five the cultural significance of Kurt Cobain. What made Nirvana so special? Can someone explain Nirvana's influence and importance?

Typically the questions are asked by people who weren't alive when Cobain, who was 27 and at the height of his fame, died by suicide 30 years ago this week.

The three members of Nirvana pose for a photo.

The questions are worthwhile — in the time of Spotify, TikTok and Taylor Swift, it's hard to fathom how one singer-songwriter and his little rock band could have such a profound impact on music.

There are many ways to answer this question, but perhaps the best one can be found by examining the musical landscape from 1994, the year Cobain died.

Tear down that wall

But first, let's rewind back to the '80s.

Back then the American music world was divided .

On the shiny, glittery surface, MTV-approved pop stars and poodle-haired rockers dominated the Billboard charts and radio playlists.

Beneath that, in the so-called underground of sweaty clubs and college radio, bands toiled away under the loose umbrella of "alternative music" — punk, metal, grunge, indie rock, shoegaze — rarely worrying the charts or appealing to the tastemakers at record labels and the mainstream music media.

The wall between the two worlds was rarely breached, but as the '80s went on, a handful of bands began to scale that wall.

A man with blue face paint stands next to a microphone.

Alt-rock band REM reached the Billboard top 10 in 1987 with their album Document, thrash metallers Metallica did the same the following year with …And Justice For All, underground acts such as Jane's Addiction and Soundgarden signed with major labels, and a previously unknown band named Faith No More combined rap, funk and metal to score an unlikely top 10 hit with the track Epic in 1990 .

MTV began to pay attention, more so-called alternative bands caught the ears of the major labels, and suddenly the underground was creeping into the sunlight.

In 1991, the paradigm shifted even further.

REM, now signed to major label Warner Bros, went to #1 with their album Out Of Time, and in the months that followed gangsta rappers NWA and Metallica also topped the US album charts .

Then, on January 11, 1992, a scruffy Seattle trio named Nirvana scored a symbolic win for the burgeoning grunge movement when its album Nevermind deposed the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, from the top of the Billboard album charts.

"A record by a band no-one had ever heard of, which had hardly been promoted at all, had knocked Michael Jackson off the top of the chart," Craig Schuftan summarised in his book Entertain Us!: The Rise and Fall of Alternative Rock in the Nineties.

"A revolt from below had taken place."

What followed was indeed a musical revolution — the alternative music scene that had been bubbling away beneath the mainstream suddenly came to a boil, sweeping like a tsunami across the US and the world, up-ending decades of traditional music industry thinking.

Bands that had previously only dreamed of getting their music on MTV or pay-to-play radio playlists or in prime positions in record stores were suddenly doing all that and more, finding new legions of fans and selling millions of records in the process.

Over the two years that followed Nirvana's symbolic regicide, major labels scrambled and ambitious indies rose, all searching for "the new Nirvana", the next unexpected success.

By 1994, these searches had made the music scene unrecognisable compared to a decade earlier.

The beginning of the end for grunge

The Seattle grunge scene had spurred the diversification and growing democratisation of the music industry, but Cobain's death in April 1994 was a sad signpost that the end of a short-lived grunge era was nigh.

Despite this, 1994 was still technically a banner year for the rock sub-genre.

Of the so-called big four of grunge — Nirvana, Pearl Jam , Alice In Chains and Soundgarden — the latter was the first to sign to a major label but the last to score a blockbuster record.

Success finally arrived for Soundgarden in '94 with Superunknown, which sold nine million copies worldwide thanks to its rampaging riffs (Spoonman), brooding grooves (Fell On Black Days), haunting epics (Black Hole Sun), and Chris Cornell's incredible vocal range which seemingly spanned from heaven to hell.

Not to be outdone, Pearl Jam's third album Vitalogy became the second-fastest-selling album in US history (behind only Pearl Jam's previous record Vs), and pushed the band forward sonically — it's a punkier, less grungy, more diverse album that also features Better Man, one of the band's biggest singles.

Meanwhile Alice In Chains followed up their massive 1992 record Dirt With Jar Of Flies, a largely acoustic mini-album that became the first EP to top the Billboard album charts.

For Nirvana, their Icarus-like career was over following Cobain's death, meaning the release in November 1994 of their MTV Unplugged concert recorded 12 months earlier served as a quiet epitaph for the band that had instigated a musical revolution.

The acoustic live album went #1 globally, has sold more than 12 million copies, and in Australia was among the top 50 best-selling albums for three years running.

Beyond the big four, enthusiasm for grunge continued — L7's Hungry For Stink, 7 Year Bitch's Viva Zapata, and Melvins' Stoner Witch all sold well, while Stone Temple Pilots' Purple is another highlight of the genre from 1994.

But one of the best grunge albums of all time landed just days after Cobain's death, and it came from Hole — the band starring Cobain's wife Courtney Love .

Live Through This is part ferocious feminist roar, part fragile confession, set to a barrage of barnstorming riffs and burning melodies that was long overshadowed by the widowing of Love, but has come to be re-appraised as one of the great rock records of the '90s.

The post-grunge wave begins

The term "post-grunge" began as a put-down — a sneering label hinting at a perceived lack of authenticity in the sound and attitude of the bands who rose in grunge's wake.

But for every terrible band that was tarred with the post-grunge brush, there were some great ones, and in 1994 they released some great albums.

Some, like Veruca Salt 's American Thighs and Weezer's debut self-titled record (AKA The Blue Album) were rightly revered upon release, melding the abrasive edges of grunge with the sweetness of power-pop.

Meanwhile albums such as Live's Throwing Copper and Bush's Sixteen Stone won devotees and detractors in equal measure.

The haters dissed both bands as corporate cynical cash-ins riding the coat-tails of Nirvana and co, but the fans couldn't get enough.

Live's big break scored three songs in the 1995 triple j Hottest 100 (I Alone amazingly appeared in both the 1994 and 1995 countdown) and Throwing Copper stayed at the pointy end of the ARIA album charts for four years.

Bush's Sixteen Stone had four songs in the Hottest 100 across the '95 and '96 countdowns, and slowly won over a huge following — released in December 1994, it took 16 months to crack the ARIA top 50, where it stayed for almost a year.

The return of punk

Punk rock's influence on grunge was evident, but as a standalone genre it had been languishing in the underground since its late '70s heyday, much of its potency as a movement seemingly long forgotten.

But two albums from the Californian punk scene brought spiky-haired power chords and snotty attitude back to the fore, selling about 30 million copies in the process — The Offspring's Smash and Green Day's Dookie .

Both records are fast, sweary, fun, honest and as catchy as a cold.

They also helped open the door for older punks such as Bad Religion and NOFX to enjoy more success and are two of the biggest albums of 1994.

The Offspring 's Smash remains the best-selling indie album of all time — its big singles Self Esteem and Come Out And Play spent six months each on the Billboard charts and were voted in at #3 and #4 respectively in the triple j Hottest 100.

Meanwhile Dookie, the bigger of the two albums, tapped into the angst and anxieties of teenagers the world over, and its popularity lingers — singles Basket Case and When I Come Around have just passed one billion and half a billion plays respectively on Spotify.

Further down the spiral

Few albums exemplify how far Nirvana had pushed the boundaries in 1994 than Nine Inch Nails' second record The Downward Spiral — a noisy, violent slice of industrial rock that peaked at #2 in the US and #12 in Australia, and sold about 4.5 million copies worldwide.

Recorded in the Los Angeles home where members of the Manson family murdered Sharon Tate, the concept album follows a man on his path to suicide, and tackles themes such as religion, addiction, violence, depression, nihilism and more.

A grim yet immaculately produced record, The Downward Spiral spawned the songs Hurt, later a surprise hit for Johnny Cash, and depraved funk banger Closer, which incredibly reached #3 on the ARIA charts and #2 in triple j's Hottest 100.

This mainstream acceptance of the heavier and darker undersides of the alternative scene proved highly influential for generations of metal musos who followed.

Mind you, 1994 also spawned the first album of Marilyn Manson, so it wasn't without its downsides.

What is alternative?

The broad scope of what "alternative rock" was meant that you could walk into a record store in 1994 and find some pretty disparate albums sitting in the same section.

For example, you couldn't get musically further from Nine Inch Nails ' The Downward Spiral than Jeff Buckley's Grace , both of which are considered alt-rock masterpieces.

The only studio album released by Buckley during his lifetime, Grace is a spellbinding showcase for his remarkable voice, versatile guitar work, passionate songwriting and talent as an interpreter of other people's songs — while his originals Last Goodbye and Grace were the songs that made it into the '95 Hottest 100, it's Buckley's version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah that has become his legacy.

Grace's esteem has grown over the past 30 years, but the album was largely ignored upon release except in Australia, where the album climbed into the top 10 in September 1995 and has sold more than half a million copies.

Alternative music wasn't just about guitars — Tori Amos took her heart-on-her-sleeve piano-driven rock songs to new heights on her second record, which remains her most successful.

Driven by the wonderfully cryptic lead single Cornflake Girl (#35 in the Hottest 100, #19 on the ARIA charts) and debuting at the top of the UK charts, the album sold about 2.5 million copies worldwide and cemented the American singer-songwriter as one of the most vital voices of the '90s.

The opening of the alt-rock floodgates meant that albums that sounded unlike anything that had come before suddenly had the potential to sell millions.

Exhibit A: the jangly/scuzzy imprecise science that is Pavement, who stuck with indie labels amid the alternative boom of the '90s and scored big with the "slacker" anthems on their second album Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain , including Cut Your Hair, Range Life, and Gold Soundz.
Exhibit B: cult favourites Ween, who were never going to sell millions but stunned the world in 1992 with the most unlikeliest of hits, Push Th' Little Daisies — a song that never would have sold like it did without Nirvana upsetting the mainstream apple cart.

In 1994, Ween dropped Chocolate & Cheese , a cherished collection of genre-hopping absurdity that includes the singles Freedom Of '76 and Voodoo Lady and made it to #80 on the ARIA album charts.

Exhibit C: Kyuss, who were as cultish as Ween and just as influential, and who brought stoner rock to the world, reaching #53 on the ARIA charts with their '94 album Welcome To Sky Valley and paving the way for Queens Of The Stone Age .

So broad was the term alternative rock that it also included Hootie & The Blowfish, who were passed over by most major labels because they weren't grunge enough but who were lumped under the alt umbrella as a marketing ploy by their eventual signers Atlantic Records.

Their debut album Cracked Rear View, released July 1994, was the biggest-selling album in the US in 1995 and is estimated to have sold 21 million copies in the US alone.

Meanwhile, in Australia ...

Nirvana's success dramatically changed the American music industry, as well as Australia's, which was structured with a similar divide between the mainstream and the underground.

The first ripples of the alt-rock uprising reached Down Under in 1991 and bands such as Ratcat , The Clouds, You Am I and Cosmic Psychos began to make waves.

But as former triple j presenter Richard Kingsmill put it , Australia needed its own Smells Like Teen Spirit moment to "really stamp how great all this Aussie music really was".

"And that was Tomorrow by Silverchair."

Cheekily dubbed "Nirvana In Pyjamas" by some, the Newcastle teens' debut single, released in September 1994, was a rare worldwide hit for an Australian band and helped drag our own alt-rock movement out of the shadows.

Anarchy in the UK

The grunge band's influence on the UK was less profound — the British music scene was already open to harder-edged sounds.

For example, American alt-rockers Pixies, who had a profound influence on Nirvana, had three top-10 albums in the UK before they even cracked the Billboard top 60.

But the rise of Nirvana and grunge ended up having an oddly inverse effect in England by 1994.

While American guitar music was embracing its abrasiveness, the British equivalent leaned into its Englishness almost as a direct response to the grimness of grunge.

As Blur frontman Damon Albarn told Melody Maker in 1993 upon the release of their album Modern Life Is Rubbish: "Our last album killed baggy — this one will kill grunge."

And so rose Britpop , a burgeoning alt-rock sub-genre that would go on to dominate the mid-'90s much like grunge had dominated the first part of the decade.

The Seattle sound was out and Cool Britannia — led by Blur, Oasis, Pulp, Suede, Elastica, Manic Street Preachers and Radiohead — was in.

The end, but not the end

Nirvana's legacy extends beyond 1994, of course.

The number of kids who picked up a guitar because of Cobain, or drumsticks to emulate Dave Grohl, or a bass to play the loping lines of Krist Novoselic is innumerable, and continues to this day.

You could argue that if it hadn't been Nirvana, it would have been another band that stood on the shoulders of giants such as REM and Pixies and The Replacements and Sonic Youth, and dived over the wall that kept the underground away from the mainstream.

But in the end, it was Nirvana.

Their influence wasn't just created by their sound or their industry impact though.

The underdog status of Nirvana — the band no-one had heard of who dethroned the King of Pop — made them the band that other up-and-coming bands looked at and went "maybe we could do that".

But 30 years on from Cobain's passing, the music industry is such a different place that it's hard to understand how profound an impact he and his band had.

But listening to the music from the year he died isn't a bad place to start.

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The 15 Best Documentaries About Kurt Cobain and Nirvana

Jul 9, 2023 | Best Of , Music , People

Kurt Cobain was an extraordinary figure in the music industry and a true legend that left an indelible mark on pop culture. His presence is still felt today, with many people eager to learn more about him and his life. Fortunately, there are some amazing documentaries out there that explore various aspects of Kurt Cobain’s story and Nirvana’s story. In this article, we will be looking at eight of the best documentaries about Kurt Cobain and his band Nirvana that give us insight into who he truly was as a person and performer. So read on if you want to find out more!

1. Montage Of Heck (2015)

2. Kurt Cobain: About A Son (2007)

3. Soaked in Bleach (2015)

4. Nirvana: Up Close And Personal (2007)

5. Kurt and Courtney (1998)

The 10 Best Free Documentaries About Kurt Cobain

1. did courtney love murder kurt cobain.

Are you a fan of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana? Then check out this video where we have compiled 8 of the best documentaries about his life. Get ready to dive deep into the mysterious death of one of music’s most iconic figures. We’ll explore the theories surrounding Courtney Love, who some believe had something to do with his death. Soaked in Bleach is also included, which follows an investigator hired to find Cobain after he left rehab only to discover his body within a week. Watch now and draw your own conclusions about what really happened on that fateful day!

2. The Last 48 Hours of Kurt Cobain

This documentary is an inside look at the last 48 hours of Kurt Cobain’s life. Directed by John Dower, it features interviews with artists such as Duff McKagan and shows detailed footage of those final days. It also explores Cobain’s frequent visits to Aurora Avenue where he took drugs. Get a firsthand account of one of the most iconic musicians in history when you watch The Last 48 Hours of Kurt Cobain!

3. All Apologies

Kurt Cobain, the frontman of Nirvana, left a huge impact on millions of people when he died. The circumstances surrounding his death remain mysterious and controversial to this day. All Apologies: A Documentary about Kurt Cobain is an exploration into the life of this iconic musician in his final days. This film dives deep into the details behind Kurt’s untimely demise and provides insight from Courtney Love, who was married to him at the time. Fans of Nirvana will not want to miss out on this compelling look at one of music’s most beloved figures!

4. Last Days: A Gus Van Sant film

Are you looking for a documentary about Kurt Cobain, the legendary lead vocalist of Nirvana? Last Days is an insightful film that explores the life of the musical icon and delves into his untimely death. It was written, produced and directed by Gus Van Sant in 2005.

This documentary offers an interesting look into Cobain’s life, exploring his fame as well as its overwhelming demands on him. If you’re curious to learn more about this rock star’s journey and legacy, then don’t miss out on this must-see film!

5. Kurt Cobain Biography

Kurt Cobain was an iconic figure in the music world, and his life story is one that deserves to be told. This documentary brings together essential information about Cobain’s life – from his childhood up to the tragic day of his death. It will give you a better understanding of how he entered the music industry, met his wife Courtney Love, and what might have been behind the cause of this tragedy. Be sure to watch this amazing documentary to know more about Kurt Cobain!

6. Soaked in Bleach

This 2015 movie entitled “Soaked in Bleach” explores the events that led to Kurt Cobain’s death. Written by Donnie Eichar, Richard Middelton, and directed by Benjamin Statler, this documentary dives into the perspective of a private detective hired by Courtney Love. It examines the possibility that Cobain’s death was not suicide and recreates his final days.

7. Kurt Cobain: The Paradox of a Generational Icon

Kurt Cobain was a rock star, songwriter and artist who changed the world with his music. If you’re looking to understand more about him and his legacy, then these 8 documentaries are a great place to start. Featuring interviews from those closest to him, rare archival footage of Kurt in action, and insight into the man behind the myth, these films will give you an intimate look at one of music’s most influential figures. And if someone you know is struggling or in crisis don’t hesitate – help is available 24/7 just by calling or texting 988 in the US for free and confidential emotional support.

8. Kurt Cobain’s Last Days

Kurt Cobain’s legacy still lives on today. He was the lead singer of Nirvana and his music continues to inspire people all around the world. In this series of documentaries, we explore Kurt’s life from his early days as a musician to his untimely death and beyond. We will also look into the controversial circumstances surrounding Kristen Pfaff’s death and how it relates to Kurt’s story. Watch these 8 best documentaries about Kurt Cobain and find out more about one of rock music’s most iconic figures!

9. The Final Days Of Kurt Cobain

The documentary follows Kurt Cobain’s personal journey from success to pain, culminating in his death in 1994. Featuring never-before-seen footage, interviews with friends and family, and music by Nirvana & Kurt Cobain himself, this film provides a unique insight into Cobain’s life and legacy. Through its exploration of his struggles with addiction, mental health issues, relationships, and fame, The Final Days Of Kurt Cobain paints a portrait that is both heartbreaking yet inspiring. Ultimately it leaves us with a sense of respect for Cobain’s resilience and determination as he tried to make sense of his untimely demise.

10. Something In The Way

If you’re looking for an even deeper dive into Kurt Cobain’s life, Montage Of Heck is the documentary for you. This film follows Cobain from childhood up until his untimely death. Through home movies, animation and audio recordings, viewers get a unique perspective on what made Cobain such an icon. Prepare to be taken through the highs and lows of Kurt’s life and musical career as you dive deeper into his story.

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Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love lie in bed with their baby daughter, Frances Bean, in September 1992.

Unseen photos show a day in the life of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love

Photographs by Guzman Story by Kyle Almond Published April 5, 2024

They were greeted at the front door by rock star Courtney Love, who welcomed them into the Los Angeles home she shared with her husband, Kurt Cobain.

She offered coffee and a slice of “just delivered” guava pie.

Photographers Constance Hansen and Russell Peacock politely declined, eager to get to work. They were on assignment for Spin magazine, which was doing a cover story on the famous couple.

Love showed them around the house, a modest three-bedroom Craftsman in the Hollywood Heights neighborhood, as they waited for Cobain to come downstairs.

He never came down.

So instead, they went up to him.

When they got to Cobain’s room, they found the Nirvana frontman still in bed.

They introduced themselves and asked him if it was OK to take pictures. He nodded. He seemed unfazed by the whole thing. Meeting strangers in bed? No big deal, it seemed.

“Thirty years later, we thought, well maybe that was the whole plan all along. Because he was wearing this fancy robe, and that’s not something he would ever wear normally,” said Peacock, who along with Hansen forms the photography duo known simply as Guzman .

The photos that followed would come to be known as some of Cobain’s most famous. And a soon-to-be-released book, “Family Values: Kurt, Courtney & Frances Bean,” includes nearly 100 photos from the day, most of which have never been published.

These photos were taken in September 1992, a year after the album “Nevermind” launched Nirvana — and Cobain — into superstardom. But over that time there were some personal struggles.

Cobain was in rehab for heroin addiction earlier in the month, and he had checked into a hospital a month before that to detox, according to Nirvana biographer Michael Azerrad, who wrote the photo book’s introduction. A story in Vanity Fair magazine, released weeks before this photo session, didn’t paint the couple in the greatest light, and they were fighting for custody of their newborn daughter, Frances Bean. When Hansen and Peacock visited their home, there was a court-mandated nanny there.

The Spin magazine story gave the rock stars a chance to reframe the narrative.

When Hansen and Peacock were first given the assignment, they came up with a fun premise they thought they might try at first.

“We were going to (show) them homemaking, doing domestic chores and things like that,” Hansen remembers. “We were laughing on the way out (to Los Angeles). We were like, yeah, they’ll be mowing the lawn or ironing or cooking.”

Soon after arriving to the house, they quickly realized that wouldn’t be the vibe. They followed their subjects’ lead, and it all started with Cobain in bed.

It worked out for the best.

“Photographing someone in bed is great, because they’re vulnerable and it’s very personal,” Peacock said.

The duo took photos of Cobain and his room, which he said he was fine with. But he was never as comfortable in front of the camera as his wife was.

A short while later, Love came up with their baby girl and everything changed.

“Having the baby there made a big difference, I think. It made him more open,” Peacock said. “And so it was kind of fortuitous to have the baby there. We kind of joked like, wow, we should bring babies on more shoots because they open people up.”

Now the entire family was in bed together, and Hansen remembers how beautiful it was to see everyone in sync. “They just were loving Frances. It was really so apparent,” she said. “It was really about her. They were oblivious to us in a lot of cases, anytime they had the baby.”

Eventually, everyone would come back downstairs for more photos, including individual portraits for both Cobain and Love.

At one point, Cobain grabbed a marker and began writing the words “family values” on his wife’s stomach. At the time in 1992, “family values” was also a campaign theme for the Republican Party going into November’s election.

“We just went with it. We didn’t know (what it meant),” Hansen said.

On his own stomach, Cobain wrote “diet grrrl,” a play on words with the feminist punk movement “riot grrrl.”

Hansen and Peacock spent a few hours taking photos for what is now known among music fans as the “family values” story. They often took photos simultaneously, and they used many different types of cameras and setups to get a variety of looks. Some are more polished and posed. Others are more gritty and spontaneous.

When the story was published by Spin, only a few images were included. The rest were tucked away in storage. Recently, friends from the LABspace gallery in New York asked Hansen and Peacock about that day and wanted to see more. The photos were exhibited at the gallery before becoming a book.

Many people remember the Spin article and tell the photographers that they had it on their wall when they were growing up.

“We didn’t realize the effect that those pictures had,” Hansen said.

The photos are now especially poignant because of Cobain’s tragic suicide.

Thirty years ago, in April 1994, Cobain took his own life at the age of 27. It was a shocking story that shook a generation of music fans.

“He was an extraordinary musician and lyricist,” Hansen said. “He was really different, too. He took it to another level. He wasn’t derivative, He was just really special.”

Peacock said Cobain and Nirvana came at the perfect time, ushering in rock’s grunge era.

“The timing was just right for that music, and it embedded itself in the culture like the Beatles or the Rolling Stones,” he said.

After Cobain died, Hansen and Peacock sent a few snapshots of him to Love at her request. They would later work with her on an album cover for her band Hole.

They’re looking forward to going on the book tour later this year, to hear more about how Cobain and Nirvana impacted lives. “Their music still resonates with people,” Peacock said. “We were in a coffee shop a couple weeks ago and there’s a young girl in a Nirvana T-shirt. It’s interesting.”

Working on the book has made the photographers think deeper about the Spin assignment and what might have been going on beneath the surface.

“I think there was a lot of vulnerability in the house at that moment,” Peacock said. “I didn’t think about it at the time, but looking back, everything swirling around them, it must have been very intense to be so successful so quickly and struggle with that. Looking back, that feeling is there.”

The book “Family Values: Kurt, Courtney & Frances Bean” "> “Family Values: Kurt, Courtney & Frances Bean” is being published by powerHouse Books and can now be pre-ordered.

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Frances Bean Cobain Writes Moving Tribute on 30th Anniversary of Kurt Cobain's Death: 'I Wish I Could've Known My Dad'

The frontman of Nirvana died at age 27 on April 5, 1994

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Frances Bean Cobain is opening up about her grief on the 30th anniversary of her father Kurt Cobain 's death.

As Friday, April 5 marks 30 years since the Nirvana frontman died by suicide at age 27, his only daughter — whom he welcomed in August 1992 with wife Courtney Love — shared a moving tribute to Instagram on Friday.

Frances Bean, 31, posted a carousel of images, including throwbacks of Kurt from his childhood, photos of the father-daughter duo from "the last time [they] were together" and a black-and-white shot of his hands. Text revealed that the latter was taken by R.E.M. 's Michael Stipe , who was a close friend of the grunge star and Frances Bean's godfather.

In her thoughtful caption, the artist wrote beautifully of how she's often been told that her hands resemble her father's. She also reflected upon feeling as though she wished that she could've known her father more closely, as she was just under 18 months old when he died.

"30 years ago my dad’s life ended," Frances Bean's post began. "The 2nd & 3rd photo capture the last time we were together while he was still alive."

She continued, "His mom Wendy would often press my hands to her cheeks & say, with a lulling sadness, 'you have his hands'. She would breathe them in as if it were her only chance to hold him just a little bit closer, frozen in time. I hope she’s holding his hands wherever they are."

"In the last 30 years my ideas around loss have been in a continuous state of metamorphosing," the model wrote. "The biggest lesson learned through grieving for almost as long as I’ve been conscious, is that it serves a purpose. The duality of life & death, pain & joy, yin & yang, need to exist along side each other or none of this would have any meaning. It is the impermanent nature of human existence which throws us into the depths of our most authentic lives. As It turns out, there is no greater motivation for leaning into loving awareness than knowing everything ends."

Her tribute continued, "I wish I could’ve known my Dad. I wish I knew the cadence of his voice, how he liked his coffee or the way it felt to be tucked in after a bedtime story. I always wondered if he would’ve caught tadpoles with me during the muggy Washington summers, or if he smelled of Camel Lights & strawberry nesquik (his favorites, I’ve been told)."

"But there is also deep wisdom being on an expedited path to understanding how precious life is," Frances Bean added. "He gifted me a lesson in death that can only come through the LIVED experience of losing someone. It’s the gift of knowing for certain, when we love ourselves & those around us with compassion, with openness, with grace, the more meaningful our time here inherently becomes."

The singer also mentioned that she's held onto a letter her father wrote her before she was born that includes a line that reads, "Where you go or wherever I go, I will always be with you." She shared, "He kept this promise because he is present in so many ways. Whether it’s by hearing a song or through the hands we share, in those moments I get to spend a little time with my dad & he feels transcendent. ✨"

Frances Bean concluded by adding a touching note for others who have experienced loss. "To anyone who has wondered what it would’ve looked like to live along side the people they have lost, I’m holding you in my thoughts today. The meaning of our grief is the same 🕊️🌅," she said.

Frances Bean Cobain/Instagram

On her Instagram Stories , Frances Bean also posted a vintage home video of herself as a baby being held by her dad. Kurt appears to be overjoyed to be spending time with his daughter in the footage and is captured lovingly saying to her, "Wanna barf in my mouth again? Three times a charm."

"Are you getting all of this?" the rock star asks Love, who is behind the camera and responds with a yes.

"Aren't we lucky?" Kurt sweetly adds.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Last year on the anniversary of Kurt's death, his wife, 59, shared the same photo of his hands that Frances Bean posted on Friday. The Hole frontwoman similarly wrote a heartfelt message about how much she loved them.

Love wrote, "I love beautiful hands, it's the first thing I look at in another. I love that the only photograph of Kurt that @michaelstipe took, despite being a lover of all sorts of beauty ... Michael saw these hands."

The musician also described the photo she posted as "one of the only images (or sounds/ tastes etc) that makes me miss him deeply" and noted how much she loves and misses him.

Last October, Frances Bean and Riley Hawk , the son of Tony Hawk , were married in a ceremony that was officiated by Stipe, 64.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org .

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COMMENTS

What is the best Kurt Cobain biography to read? : r/Nirvana
What is the best Kurt Cobain biography to read? I'm assembling my summer reading list and want to add a biography of Cobain but I'm not sure which one to choose so which is the best one in your opinion? Nirvana: The Biography by Everett True. It's uncompromising, and he makes sure to include a lot of opposing viewpoints on things.
Kurt Cobain
Best Known For: A talented yet troubled grunge performer, Kurt Cobain was the frontman for Nirvana and became a rock legend in the 1990s with albums 'Nevermind' and 'In Utero.' Industries Punk
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 - c. April 5, 1994) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge rock band Nirvana.Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establishment persona, his compositions widened the thematic conventions of mainstream rock music. He was heralded as a spokesman of Generation X and is widely ...
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Allison + Busby. This 2004 best-selling book, co-written by Ian Halperin and Max Wallace, arrived as a controversial work of investigative journalism. Drawing on dozens of hours of conversation ...
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Cobain's death marked, in many ways, the end of the brief grunge movement and was a signature event for many music fans of Generation X.He remained an icon of the era after his death and was the subject of a number of posthumous works, including the book Heavier than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain (2001) by Charles R. Cross and the documentaries Kurt & Courtney (1998) and Kurt Cobain ...
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April 5, 2019. Twenty-five years ago, on April 5, 1994, Kurt Cobain died at the age of 27, a victim of suicide. He left behind the epochal rock music he made as the singer and guitarist for ...
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Kurt smells like Teen Spirit. Cobain later noted that he thought the phrase referred to their earlier discussion about teen revolution and was suggesting, however ironically, that he was an ...
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Kurt Cobain: 1967-1994. Because his songs captured what people felt before they knew they felt it, the Nirvana singer became the unwilling spokesman of a generation. By Anthony DeCurtis. June 2 ...
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Even in His Youth. Kurt Donald Cobain was born on February 20, 1967, at Aberdeen's Grays Harbor Community Hospital, the only son of Donald and Wendy Fradenburg Cobain. Don worked as a Chevron gas-station mechanic near their rental home at 2830½ Aberdeen Avenue in Hoquiam. In August the young family moved to 1210 E 1st Street in Aberdeen.
Heavier Than Heaven : A Biography of Kurt Cobain
Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain. Charles R. Cross. Hachette Books, Mar 13, 2012 - Music - 432 pages. The New York Times bestseller and the definitive portrait of Kurt Cobain--as relevant as ever, as we remember the impact of Cobain on our culture twenty-five years after his death--now with a new preface and an additional final ...
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Michael Azerrad — who more than doubled the length of his legendary Nirvana book for a new edition — looks back on his time with Kurt Cobain, the making of In Utero, and more. By Brian Hiatt ...
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Kurt Cobain. Soundtrack: The Batman. Kurt Cobain was born on February 20 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington. Kurt and his family lived in Hoquiam for the first few months of his life then later moved back to Aberdeen, where he had a happy childhood until his parents divorced. The divorce left Kurt's outlook on the world forever scarred. He became withdrawn and anti-social. He was constantly placed ...
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August 19, 2015 9:13 AM EDT. Jeff Burlingame is an NAACP Image Award-winning author, the winner of the 2013 Sigma Delta Chi award for public service journalism, and the author of Kurt Cobain: Oh ...
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Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain. Paperback - April 2, 2019. The New York Times bestseller and the definitive portrait of Kurt Cobain--as relevant as ever, as we remember the impact of Cobain on our culture twenty-five years after his death--now with a new preface and an additional final chapter from acclaimed author Charles R ...
About
About. Kurt Donald CobainÂ (February 20, 1967-April 5, 1994) was the lead singer and guitarist for Nirvana. Cobain wasÂ born in Aberdeen, Washington and helped establish the Seattle music scene, as well as the style known as Grunge. He was married to the Lead Singer of the band Hole Courtney Love in which in 1992 the couple had a daughter ...
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Heavier than Heaven, by Charles R. Cross (2019) Heavier than Heaven is one of the most gruesome and deeply revealing biography books of Kurt Cobain you will ever come across. It is a page-turner describing the actual events of the Nirvana band, with Kurt Cobain's photos and all the happenings surrounding his addiction and drug abuse up to the ...
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Kurt Cobain died at his home in Seattle on April 5, 1994, at the age of 27. By. Nicole Briese. Updated on April 5, 2024 01:45PM EDT. Kurt Cobain performs with his group Nirvana at a taping of the ...
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This is the first in-depth biography of the troubled genius Kurt Cobain. Based on exclusive access to Cobains unpublished diaries, more than 400 interviews, four years of research, and a wealth of documentation, Heavier Than Heaven traces Cobains life from his early days in a double-wide trailer outside of Aberdeen, Washington, to his rise to fame, fortune, and the adulation of a generation.
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Kurt Cobain's Best Moments in Pictures. The Nirvana rocker died on April 5, 1994, at just 27 years old. By. Kate Hogan. Updated on April 2, 2024 04:23PM EDT. Kurt Cobain performing with Nirvana at ...
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Kurt Donald Cobain Biography. Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 - c. April 5, 1994), was an American musician, best known for his roles as lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the Seattle-based rock band Nirvana. Cobain formed Nirvana in 1987 with Krist Novoselic. Within two years, the band became a fixture of the burgeoning Seattle ...
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3. Soaked in Bleach (2015) In the world of rock and roll, Kurt Cobain's death is one that will never be forgotten. The lead singer of Nirvana was a musical icon who tragically passed away in 1994 at the young age of 27. But what really happened on that fateful day has been shrouded in mystery for decades.
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Your complete Kurt Cobain reading guide: Journals, biographies, and more

Reading to remember

Journals by Kurt Cobain

Heavier Than Heaven by Charles R. Cross

Love & Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain by Max Wallace and Ian Halperin

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck by Brett Morgen

Godspeed by Barnaby Legg & Jim McCarthy & Flameboy

Kurt Cobain: The Last Session by Jesse Frohman & Glenn O'Brien & Jon Savage

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Inside Kurt Cobain's Final Days Before His Suicide

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