Kurt Cobain, the vocalist for Nirvana and a gifted but tormented grunge musician, became a rock phenomenon in the 1990s with the albums “Nevermind” and “In Utero.”
Who Was Kurt Cobain?
Nirvana, the grunge band that Kurt Cobain founded in 1988, did not sign with a major label until 1991 when they did so with Geffen Records. During this period, Cobain also started using heroin. Nirvana’s album Nevermind was a huge commercial success. The band’s subsequent album, In Utero, was released in 1993 and received widespread critical praise, immediately shot to the top of the music charts. On April 5, 1994, Kurt Cobain took his own life at the guest house located behind his house in Seattle.
Childhood
On February 20, 1967, Kurt Donald Cobain was born in the sleepy logging town of Aberdeen, Washington. Cobain was an artsy child who also had a good ear for music when he was little. When their parents divorced, he and his younger sister Kim, born in 1971, were kept apart for their childhood. Cobain moved in with his father when he was nine years old. His father eventually remarried, which caused their relationship to become increasingly strained.
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At the beginning of the 1980s, Kurt Cobain moved back to Aberdeen to live with his mother and her boyfriend, who were already there. The drawing was one of Kurt Cobain’s many passions, and he could show off his artistic abilities as a student in his hometown’s high school.
Troubled Youth
The moment that Cobain was first exposed to punk rock music was when a seed was sown in his life that would forever affect its trajectory. After learning about the band for the first time, he became acquainted with Buzz Osbourne, a member of the local punk rock band Melvins. However, Cobain’s newfound love for punk music did not dissuade him from engaging in destructive behaviours, as Osbourne introduced him to further punk bands. While a high school student, Cobain became increasingly involved in the drinking and drug culture. In addition, he had a conflict with his disturbed mother and a difficult relationship with his stepfather.
Cobain spent a significant portion of 1984 and 1985 living a nomadic lifestyle, either with friends or sleeping in public buildings to avoid dealing with the issues he was having at home. In July of 1985, Cobain was taken into custody for vandalizing some structures. He was subsequently fined and given a suspended sentence for his crimes. After a few months, Cobain put together his first band, Fecal Matter. The band never really got somewhere, although they recorded several recordings.
Aaron Burckhard, a local drummer, joined Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic in their musical endeavours after some time had passed. Cobain had previously begun working with Novoselic. In 1987, at a home party, the young band gave its very first performance in front of an audience.
Around this time, Cobain began a relationship with a young woman named Tracy Marander, which would turn out to be his first significant commitment. Despite their limited resources, the couple managed to maintain a positive outlook on life in Olympia.
Nirvana
In 1988, Kurt Cobain took his first steps toward achieving his goals in the music industry. His band decided to go by the name Nirvana, and they put out their debut single, “Love Buzz,” on a rather obscure label. During this same period, Chad Channing took over for Burckhard on drums, and the band continued to make strides forward in the musical landscape of Seattle. Bleach, Nirvana’s debut studio album released in 1989, was not particularly successful for the band. However, what was immediately apparent was Cobain’s talent as a songwriter and the band’s future signature sound, which was a fusion of heavy metal and punk.
As the band continued, 1990 became a pivotal year for Kurt Cobain and the rest of Nirvana. In 1990, Cobain and singer Courtney Love first crossed paths at a nightclub in Portland, although the two would not begin a romantic relationship for several years. Nirvana also had the opportunity to play with Sonic Youth during that year. After going through some lineup adjustments, the band recruited former member of Scream band Dave Grohl to replace Channing on drums.
‘Nevermind’
Nirvana became known as a “grunge” band after publishing their second studio album, Nevermind, in 1991. At that time, the band had just secured a recording contract with Geffen Records, a major record label.
Rapid Rise: “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
Nirvana achieved their greatest success with the single “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” which propelled their album to the top spot on the album charts and established Kurt Cobain as an exceptional songwriting genius of his era.
Cobain was torn as to which way he wanted to take his music because Nirvana’s popularity was exploding into the mainstream simultaneously. Cobain, an artist whose career was predicated on challenging the dominant cultural norms of his period, began to fear losing control of his life and its trajectory. He started using heroin to relieve his stress and some of his health problems.
Before the album Nevermind was released, Kurt Cobain had gotten back in touch with Courtney Love, who was leading the band Hole at the time. After a brief romance between the two, Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love tied the knot in February 1992 and welcomed a daughter, Frances Bean, in August of the same year.
However, since they were both serious drug users, the relationship was founded on an unstable footing. After Love’s interview with Vanity Fair was published, in which she admitted to shooting up heroin while carrying Frances, the family received a warning from child protective services that they would lose custody of their daughter. The couple prevailed in their effort to maintain the status quo of their family even after a protracted and costly legal struggle.
But Love and Cobain also had their share of disagreements with one another over their time together. In 1993, the police in Seattle were called to the couple’s home to quell a fight that had gotten out of hand. Since the two were fighting over Cobain’s guns at the apartment, the authorities were called and ended up seizing the weapons and arresting Cobain for assaulting Courtney Love.
Struggles with Drugs, ‘In Utero’ Release
Even though he was going through some tough times in his personal life, Kurt Cobain was professionally at the top of his game. Nirvana released its album “In Utero” in 1993 and quickly climbed to the top of the music charts. His deeply personal lyrics reflected his anger towards the recording industry with tracks like “Radio Friendly Unit Shifter” and his softer side with “Heart-Shaped Box,” which is said to have been about love. His songs included “Radio Friendly Unit Shifter,” “Radio Friendly Unit Shifter,” and “Heart-Shaped Box.”
Cobain and the band had a performance for MTV’s Unplugged in New York City in the fall of 1993, and they also went on tour in Europe then. During his time in Europe, Kurt Cobain spent time with Courtney Love and their daughter Frances. However, while staying at a hotel in Rome, Italy, he knowingly overdosed on narcotics and was induced into a coma to end his life. After he was reunited with his beloved, he was rushed to the nearest medical facility.
After returning to the United States, Kurt Cobain’s mental health continued to deteriorate. Love contacted the authorities on March 18, 1994, because she was concerned that Kurt Cobain had taken some medication and then shut himself in a room with guns. After they arrived, the police found that he did not have suicidal thoughts, but out of caution, they took away the prescription and weaponry.
Shortly after that, Love begged Kurt Cobain to stop using drugs, just as she was doing her best to do for herself. He checked into a rehabilitation centre in Los Angeles but fled a few days later.
Suicide and Legacy
Cobain took his own life on April 5, 1994, in the guest house located behind the house he owned in Seattle. He was 27 years old. He then pulled the trigger on the shotgun he had placed in his mouth, instantly ending his life. He left behind a lengthy statement for his loved ones, including his wife and little daughter, in which he expressed gratitude for all his supporters. Even though his passing was considered a suicide by the authorities, rumours are going about that Love may have had something to do with the circumstances surrounding his passing.
Soon after Cobain’s passing, Nirvana published their Unplugged session, which topped the album charts, and then, two years later, they released From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah, a collection of songs that also proved a commercial success for the band.
However, Grohl, Novoselic, and Love began to engage in legal battles involving Cobain’s unreleased compositions, and the conflict quickly escalated. Nirvana was released in 2002, followed by With the Lights Out (2004) and Sliver: The Best of the Box in subsequent years after the three ultimately reached some closure to their differences (2005).
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