Kurt Cobain biography, wife, daughter, age and casue of death

Biography of Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain was an American rock musician, singer, songwriter, artist, and lead vocalist of the iconic rock band Nirvana. Even during his lifetime, he became a symbol of his generation, and Nirvana's style influenced many musicians who are now well-known.

Childhood and Family

Kurt Donald Cobain was born on February 20, 1967, in the small town of Aberdeen, Washington, to a poor family of auto mechanic Donald Leland and homemaker Wendy Elizabeth. Kurt had Scottish, English, Irish, German, and French roots. In 1970, his sister Kim (Kimberly) was born.

According to family members, Kurt showed musical talent at the age of two when he was already singing The Beatles songs. Later, Cobain discovered the music of rock legends such as AC/DC, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Queen, and Kiss.

He often attended rehearsals with his aunt and uncle, who played in a country band. At seven, his aunt Mari Earle gave him a Mickey Mouse drum kit.

When he was just nine years old, his parents divorced. This greatly affected him—he became sullen and withdrawn, feeling like his world had collapsed before his eyes. Later, Cobain admitted:

"Back then, I was ashamed of my parents. Their divorce made it hard for me to socialize with classmates. I desperately wanted a normal, complete family with both a mother and a father. I craved the security and protection they could provide, and because I didn't have it, I was angry at my parents for several years."

For a time, Kurt lived with his mother, but then he moved in with his father. During this period, Kurt's uncle, whom he loved dearly, committed suicide. Soon after, his father remarried, but Kurt couldn't get along with his stepmother and left his father's house. He then alternated living with Donald's parents and his maternal relatives.

Kurt Cobain Became Interested in Punk Rock at 14

At 14, Kurt began learning to play the guitar. His first teacher was Warren Mason, a musician from The Beachcombers. Shortly after, Kurt met members of the Aberdeen band Melvins. This was when Cobain became interested in punk rock, influenced by the famous British band Sex Pistols, whose music he initially hadn't heard but read about in magazines. He was intrigued by the description of the Sex Pistols' style as "little music and lots of shouting," and he wanted to create something similar himself.

After finishing school, Kurt wandered a bit but eventually found a job—he worked as a janitor at the hospital where he was born. On May 18, 1986, Kurt was arrested for trespassing and alcohol consumption. He spent eight days in jail.

The Birth of Nirvana

In 1985, Kurt Cobain formed the band Fecal Matter, which included bassist Dale Crover, drummer Greg Hokanson, and Kurt Cobain himself as the vocalist and guitarist. The band broke up a year later. Kurt wanted to start a new band, so he began circulating a demo recording of Fecal Matter. Guitarist Krist Novoselic, a friend of Kurt's, heard the recording.

Kurt Cobain's musical tastes were influenced by the Sex Pistols

The new band, soon joined by a third member, drummer Aaron Burckhard, went through several name changes, finally settling on Nirvana. In 1988, the band's first single, “Love Buzz/Big Cheese,” was released, and in 1989, Nirvana's debut album, "Bleach," hit the shelves.

Kurt Cobain's first band broke up a year after its creation

In 1991, Nirvana's second album, "Nevermind," was released and took the world by storm. This was unexpected and not really desired by the band members themselves, who were keen on preserving their independent sound. The album sold 400,000 copies a week—numbers that their label mates, Sonic Youth, could only dream of. In 1992, "Nevermind" displaced Michael Jackson's "Dangerous" on the Billboard 200 chart.

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit

The album's major breakthrough was the song "Smells Like Teen Spirit," although initially, they planned to release the more melancholic yet equally explosive "Lithium" as the first single.

Later, Cobain admitted that he hated "Smells Like Teen Spirit" because of the countless times he had to perform it at concerts. Nevertheless, this song became an anthem and protest for Generation X and subsequent generations Y and Z. Cobain hated the fame even more—crowds of fans at concerts made him increasingly uncomfortable, and the mockery from alternative music enthusiasts annoyed him.

Nirvana - Lithium

In 1993, the band's new album, "In Utero," was released, featuring popular songs like "Heart-Shaped Box," "Rape Me," and "All Apologies." Despite the band's attempt to make the sound heavier, the album sold well, and its memorable tracks were a hit with listeners.

Nirvana was mostly an apolitical band, but Kurt often used his status to draw attention to issues like homophobia, sexism, and racism. At some concerts, he staged improvisational performances to shock the audience.

Nirvana - About A Girl

Although many consider Nirvana the pioneers of the grunge genre, that's not entirely accurate. Kurt Cobain's band brought this genre into the mainstream rock music scene, but its founding fathers can be said to be Soundgarden, Melvins, and The U-Men. Grunge is characterized by dirty guitar sounds, sound distortion, and "lazy" vocals with the use of rasp and scream.

Personal Life of Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain met Courtney Love around 1989 or 1990 at a concert in Portland, where she was also performing with her band. In 1991, Courtney met Kurt again, and they started a romance. In 1992, Kurt and Courtney got married on the Hawaiian island of Waikiki. At that time, Love was already pregnant, and on August 18, 1992, she gave birth to a girl, Frances Bean Cobain.

Shortly before her daughter's birth, Courtney mentioned in an interview that she used heroin during her pregnancy, but when she found out about her condition, she quit drugs. She didn't realize the consequences of such a confession: after Frances was born, a case was opened against the Cobains to deprive them of their parental rights. The court case lasted several months, and the Cobains won, but they were required to undergo regular drug tests. Kurt was deeply affected by these suspicions as he was a loving husband and caring father.

Drug Addiction

Since childhood, Cobain had weak health. He suffered from chronic bronchitis and severe stomach pain, which doctors could never diagnose. From the age of 13, Cobain used marijuana, smoked, and took drugs and hallucinogens like LSD. He started using heroin in hopes of relieving his stomach pain, but it only intensified, and the drug quickly became an addiction.

Kurt Cobain tried drugs for the first time at the age of 13

On March 4, 1994, in Rome, Cobain nearly died from a Rohypnol overdose. He took about fifty pills, which he washed down with champagne. Courtney found him unconscious and called for an ambulance. At that time, Kurt claimed it was accidental, but many believed it was a suicide attempt.

Kurt Cobain became a victim of drug addiction

In the 20s of March 1994, Cobain decided to undergo therapy at the "Exodus" rehabilitation center in California. On March 30, Kurt flew to Los Angeles to begin treatment. However, by April 1, he had escaped from the hospital.

Death

On April 8, 1994, at 8:30 AM, Kurt Cobain was found dead in his home at 171 Lake Washington Blvd East in Seattle. The musician shot himself in the head with a shotgun, leaving a suicide note. Some speculate that he took a large dose of heroin before committing suicide.

The Last 48 hours of Kurt Cobain

There are still mysteries surrounding his death—investigators confirmed that the body was only found three days later, and Cobain died on April 5. Soon, even a theory of murder emerged, with Courtney Love among the suspects, but the official version states "suicide."

The true cause of Kurt Cobain's death is still unknown to anyone

After cremation, part of Cobain's ashes was scattered over the Wishkah River in his hometown of Aberdeen, and Courtney kept some. An unofficial shrine to the singer's memory is a memorial bench in Viretta Park, located near Cobain's last home in Seattle. The greenhouse over the garage, where Kurt's body was found, was demolished in 1997, and the house was sold.

In addition to numerous documentaries about Kurt's life and death, Gus Van Sant dedicated his 2005 film "Last Days" to him, where Michael Pitt played the legendary musician.

Paul Avalos editor

Kurt Cobain

Photos: Kurt Cobain