Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain (right) with Nirvana, 1992. Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992
Background information
Birth name	Kurt Donald Cobain
Born	February 20, 1967 (1967-02-20) Aberdeen, Washington, USA
Died	c. April 5, 1994 (aged 27) Seattle, Washington, USA
Genre(s)	Alternative rock Grunge
Occupation(s)	Musician, Songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals Guitar
Years active	1987–1994
Associated acts	Nirvana Fecal Matter
Notable instrument(s)
Fender Jagstang Fender Stratocaster Fender Jaguar Fender Mustang

Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – c. April 5, 1994), was an American musician who served as lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the Seattle-based rock band Nirvana. Events 1472 - Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a Dowry payment Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Aberdeen (ˈæbɚdiːn is a city in Grays Harbor County Washington, United States, founded by Samuel Benn in 1884 Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Circa (often abbreviated c, ca, ca or cca and sometimes Italicized to show it is Latin) means "about" Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. The Fender Jag-Stang is an electric guitar that is a hybrid of two Fender Electric guitars a Fender Jaguar and a Fender Mustang. The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as the Strat, is a model of Electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton and Freddie Tavares The Fender Jaguar is an Electric guitar which was introduced in 1962 The Fender Mustang is an Electric guitar by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, introduced in 1964 as the basis of a major redesign of Fender's Events 1472 - Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a Dowry payment Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Circa (often abbreviated c, ca, ca or cca and sometimes Italicized to show it is Latin) means "about" Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a A guitarist is a Musician who plays the Guitar. Guitarists may perform solo pieces or play with ensembles and bands of a wide variety of genres A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington.

Cobain formed Nirvana in 1987 with Krist Novoselic. Krist Anthony Novoselic II (born May 16, 1965) is an American rock musician best known as the Bassist for Nirvana. 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. " Smells Like Teen Spirit " is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. Glam metal (also known as pop metal) is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States. Dance-pop is a style of Electronic dance music and a subgenre of Pop music that evolved from Disco, circa 1981 that combines dance beats with a pop Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of The music media eventually awarded the song "anthem-of-a-generation" status,^[1] and, with it, Cobain was labeled a "spokesman" for Generation X. Generation X is a term used to describe generations in the United States and other countries born between the approximate years of 1965 to 1981 the late 1950s and 1960s or

During the last years of his life, Cobain struggled with drug addiction and the media pressures surrounding him and his wife, Courtney Love. Drug addiction is widely considered a pathological state. The disorder of addiction involves the progression of acute Drug use to the development of drug-seeking Courtney Michelle Love (born Courtney Michelle Harrison on July 9 1964 is an American Rock musician and Golden Globe-nominated actress 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. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) A shotgun (also known as a scattergun) is a Firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number 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 city of Hoquiam, Washington before the family moved to Aberdeen. Events 1472 - Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a Dowry payment Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Aberdeen (ˈæbɚdiːn is a city in Grays Harbor County Washington, United States, founded by Samuel Benn in 1884 Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Hoquiam (ˈhoʊkwiəm is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. ^[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'. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 " Hey Jude " is a song by the English rock band The Beatles that was recorded in 1968 He had a lot of charisma from a very young age. The word charisma (origin from the Greek word χάρισμα (kharisma, "gift" or "divine favor" from kharizesthai, "to favor" "^[3]

Young Kurt Cobain, seen here in a yearbook picture. This picture was handed out at his memorial service.

Cobain's life changed at the age of eight 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. Montesano is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. ^[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. Human anatomy, which with physiology and biochemistry is a complementary basic medical science is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the adult Human body Cobain was friends with a gay student at his school, sometimes suffering bullying at the hands of homophobic students. Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. BenPhelpsJPG|thumb|right|Westboro Baptist Church picket signs with Ben Phelps grandson of Fred Phelps That friendship led some to believe that he himself was gay. In a 1993 interview with The Advocate, Cobain claimed that he was "gay in spirit" and "probably could be bisexual". The Advocate ( is a US -based LGBT -related biweekly Newsmagazine. He also stated that he used to spray paint "God is Gay" on pickup trucks around Aberdeen. He was arrested in 1985 for spray-painting "HOMO SEX RULES" on a bank. ^[8] However, Aberdeen police records show that the phrase for which he was arrested was actually "Ain't got no how watchamacallit". ^[9] In one of his personal journals, Cobain wrote, "I am not gay, although I wish I were, just to piss off homophobes. "^[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. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America (the term refers to the land not the ocean Eventually, Cobain began frequenting the practice space of fellow Montesano musicians the Melvins. The Melvins is an American Sludge metal band that usually perform as a Power trio.

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". The Wishkah River is a tributary of the Chehalis River, approximately 40 miles (64 km long in the U Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24 1991 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. Olympia is the Capital of Washington and is the County seat of Thurston County. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. ^[15] During his visits to Olympia, Cobain started a relationship with Tracy Marander.

Nirvana

Main article: Nirvana (band)

For his 14th birthday, Cobain's uncle gave him the option of a guitar or a bicycle as a gift; Cobain chose the guitar. Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. 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. AC/DC are an Australian Hard rock band formed in Sydney, Australia in 1973 by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. The Cars were an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s ^[6]

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. The Melvins is an American Sludge metal band that usually perform as a Power trio. Krist Anthony Novoselic II (born May 16, 1965) is an American rock musician best known as the Bassist for Nirvana. 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. ^[16]

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. Chad Channing (born January 31 1967 in Bainbridge Island, WA) was a Drummer for the band Nirvana from 1988 until 1990 Bleach is the debut album by the American Alternative rock band Nirvana. Sub Pop is an Independent record label (though funded and sharing distribution outlets with Warner Music founded by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman Cobain, however, became dissatisfied with Channing's style, leading the band to seek out a replacement, eventually settling on Dave Grohl. David Eric Grohl (born January 14 1969 is an American rock musician Singer and Songwriter. With Grohl, the band found their greatest success via their 1991 major-label debut, Nevermind. Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24 1991

Cobain struggled to reconcile the massive success of Nirvana with his underground roots. Underground music refers to a variety of post-1960s rock pop or dance subgenres that developed a Cult following despite their lack of Mainstream appeal visibility 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. The news media refers to the section of the Mass media that focuses on presenting current News to the public Frances Elena Farmer ( September 19, 1913 &ndash August 1, 1970) was an American film television and theater actress One incident particularly distressing to Cobain involved two men who raped a woman while singing the Nirvana song "Polly". Rape, also referred to as Sexual assault, is an Assault by a person involving Sexual intercourse with or Sexual penetration of another person " Polly " is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. 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'. For a bibliographic format for citing liner notes see WikipediaCiting sources/example style Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes Incesticide is a Compilation album by the American grunge band Nirvana. 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. Political correctness (adjectivally politically correct; both forms commonly abbreviated to PC) is a term applied to Language, ideas policies or behavior Courtney Michelle Love (born Courtney Michelle Harrison on July 9 1964 is an American Rock musician and Golden Globe-nominated actress Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the Confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. ^[17] According to journalist Everett True, the pair were formally introduced at an L7/Butthole Surfers concert in Los Angeles in May 1991. For the cartoon character see The Outbursts of Everett True. Everett True (born Jerry Thackray in 1961) is L7 (pronounced /ɛl ˈsɛvən/ was a band from Los Angeles that was active from 1985 to 2000 Butthole Surfers (also referred to as simply "the Buttholes" is an American Alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West ^[18] In the weeks that followed, after learning from Dave 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. ^[19]

Around the time of Nirvana's 1992 performance on Saturday Night Live, Love discovered that she was pregnant with Cobain's child. Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City A few days after the conclusion of Nirvana's Pacific Rim tour, on Monday, February 24, 1992, Cobain married Love on Waikiki Beach, Hawaii. The Pacific Rim refers to the countries and cities located around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Events 303 - Galerius, Roman Emperor, publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Waikiki ( Hawaiian: Waikīkī ʋaikiːkiː or waikiːkiː is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City & County of Honolulu, on the south The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the "In the last couple months I've gotten engaged and my attitude has changed drastically," Cobain said in an interview with Sassy magazine. Sassy Magazine is a defunct cult fave Teen magazine. It was founded in March 1988 by an Australian Feminist, Sandra Yates "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. "^[20] On August 18, the couple's daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, was born. Events 293 BC - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica. Frances Bean Cobain (born August 18, 1992) is the only child of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain and Wife Courtney Love. 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. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Vaselines were an Indie rock and punk band from Glasgow Scotland. Frances Elena Farmer ( September 19, 1913 &ndash August 1, 1970) was an American film television and theater actress ^[21]

Love was somewhat unpopular with Nirvana fans; her harshest critics said she was merely using him as a vehicle to make herself famous. ^[19] Critics who compared Cobain to John Lennon were also fond of comparing Love to Yoko Ono. John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born born in Tokyo on February 18 1933 is a Japanese Artist and Musician. 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. Live Through This is the second album by the Alternative rock band Hole. Hole was an American Alternative rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1989 and disbanded in 2002 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. A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of 7 inch Vinyl records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s 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. BoomBox is an American Rock band, which was founded in 2004 by singer/songwriter Zion Godchaux on the Guitar / Lead vocals and producer/DJ The Stranger is an Alternative weekly newspaper in Seattle Washington, USA noted for its Social commentary, Political opinion 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. "Old Age" redirects here See Old age. With the Lights Out is a Box set, containing 3 CDs and 1 DVD from the ) 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. Eric T Erlandson (born January 9, 1963, in Los Angeles, California) is the co-founder of and former lead guitarist ^[22]

In a 1992 article in Vanity Fair, Love admitted to using heroin while (unknowingly) pregnant. Vanity Fair is an American magazine of Culture, Fashion, and Politics published by Condé Nast Publications. Heroin ( INN: diacetylmorphine, BAN: diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid synthesized from Morphine, a derivative Love claimed that Vanity Fair had misquoted her,^[23] 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. A tabloid is a Newspaper industry term which refers to a smaller newspaper format per spread to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest 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. ^[21] 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. Bronchitis is an Inflammation of the Bronchi. More specifically it may refer to Acute bronchitis, caused by viruses or bacteria and lasting ^[24] This last condition was especially debilitating to him emotionally, and he spent years trying to find its cause. 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. Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person's spine is curved from side to side and may also be rotated

His first drug experience was with marijuana in 1980 at age 13. Cannabis, also known as marijuana or marihuana, or ganja (from Hindi / Sanskrit: गांजा gānjā hemp) is a 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. Heroin ( INN: diacetylmorphine, BAN: diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid synthesized from Morphine, a derivative Percodan is a potent compound Painkiller used to treat moderately severe to severe acute (short-term Pain. ^[25] Cobain used heroin sporadically for several years, but, by the end of 1990, his use had developed into a full-fledged addiction. The term " addiction " is used in many contexts to describe an obsession compulsion or excessive Physical dependence or psychological dependence such as 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. "^[26]

His heroin use eventually began affecting the band's support of Nevermind, with Cobain passing out during photo shoots. See also Unconscious mind. Unconsciousness, more appropriately referred to as loss of Consciousness or lack of consciousness is 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. Michael Azerrad is an American Author, Journalist and Musician. So I really didn't care. Obviously to them it was like practicing witchcraft or something. Witchcraft, in various historical anthropological religious and mythological contexts is the use of certain kinds of Supernatural or magical powers They didn't know anything about it so they thought that any second, I was going to die. "^[27]

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. Drug rehabilitation (often drug rehab or just rehab) is an umbrella term for the processes of medical and/or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency Immediately after leaving rehab, Nirvana embarked on their Australian tour, with Cobain appearing pale and gaunt while suffering through withdrawals. Withdrawal, also known as withdrawal/abstinence syndrome, refers to the characteristic signs and symptoms that appear when a drug that causes Physical dependence is Not long after returning home, Cobain's heroin use resumed.

Prior to a performance at the New Music Seminar in New York City in July 1993, Cobain suffered a heroin overdose. The City of New York The term drug overdose (or simply overdose or OD) describes the Ingestion or application of a Drug or other substance in quantities Rather than calling for an ambulance, Love injected Cobain with illegally acquired Narcan to bring him out of his unconscious state. Naloxone is a drug used to counter the effects of Opioid overdose, for example Heroin or Morphine overdose Cobain proceeded to perform with Nirvana, giving the public no indication that anything out of the ordinary had taken place. ^[28]

Cobain's final weeks and death

Main article: Death of Kurt Cobain

Following a tour stop at Terminal Eins in Munich, Germany, on March 1, 1994, Cobain was diagnosed with bronchitis and severe laryngitis. Kurt Cobain was found dead at his home in Seattle Washington on April 5, The Munich-Riem Airport was the main airport of Munich until it was closed in 1992 Munich (München; Minga is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Bronchitis is an Inflammation of the Bronchi. More specifically it may refer to Acute bronchitis, caused by viruses or bacteria and lasting Laryngitis is an Inflammation of the Larynx. It causes hoarse voice or the complete loss of the voice because of irritation to the Vocal folds He flew to Rome the next day for medical treatment, and was joined there by his wife on March 3. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 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). Champagne is a Sparkling wine produced by inducing the in-bottle Secondary fermentation of Wine to effect Carbonation. Flunitrazepam (ˌfluːnaɪˈtræzəpæm is a highly potent Hypnotic drug with powerful Sedative, Anxiolytic, Amnestic, and Skeletal 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. ^[29] Love later stated that the incident was Cobain's first suicide attempt. ^[30]

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. ^[31]

Love arranged an intervention concerning Cobain's drug use that took place on March 25. An intervention is an orchestrated attempt by one or often many people (usually family and friends to get someone to seek professional help with an addiction or some kind of traumatic The ten people involved included musician friends, record company executives, and one of Cobain's closest friends, Dylan Carlson. Dylan Carlson (born 1968 is the lead guitarist lead singer and only constant member of the Drone metal group Earth. 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. Detoxification, or detox for short is the removal of Toxic substances from the body ^[32] Cobain arrived at the Exodus Recovery Center in Los Angeles, California, on March 30. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. 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. Los Angeles International Airport is the primary Airport serving Los Angeles, California, the second-most populated metropolitan area of 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. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. On April 3, Love contacted a private investigator, Tom Grant, and hired him to find Cobain. Tom Grant is a Private investigator known for his involvement in high-profile cases involving celebrity clients

On April 8, 1994, Cobain's body was discovered at his Lake Washington home by an electrician who had arrived to install a security system. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Denny-Blaine is a neighborhood in east central Seattle Washington. 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 until he saw the shotgun pointing at his chin. Treatment of physical trauma is described here and in First aid. A suicide note was found that said, "I haven't felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music, along with really writing . A suicide note is a message left by someone who later attempts or commits Suicide. . . for too many years now". A high concentration of heroin and traces of Valium were also found in his body. Cobain's body had been lying there for days; the coroner's report estimated Cobain to have died on April 5, 1994. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) ^[33]

A public vigil was held for Cobain on April 10 at a park at Seattle Center which drew approximately seven thousand mourners. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Seattle Center is a fairground, Park and arts and entertainment center in Seattle Washington. ^[34] 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 chastising Cobain. Near the end of the vigil Love arrived at the park and distributed some of Cobain's clothing to those who still remained. ^[35] Cobain's body was cremated.

Musical influences

Cobain was a devoted champion of early alternative rock acts. Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of 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. Buzz Osborne (born 1964 also known as King Buzzo, (birth name Roger Osborne) is the Guitarist / Vocalist / Songwriter and technically The Melvins is an American Sludge metal band that usually perform as a Power trio. Black Flag was a Hardcore punk band formed in 1977 in southern California, largely as the brainchild of Greg Ginn: the guitarist Flipper is an influential punk band formed in San Francisco, California in 1979 continuing in often erratic fashion until the mid-1990s then reuniting MDC is an American Hardcore punk band formed in Austin, Texas in 1979. 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, Butthole Surfers, Captain Beefheart, and The Raincoats. The Vaselines were an Indie rock and punk band from Glasgow Scotland. Daniel Dale Johnston (born January 22 1961 is an American Singer, Songwriter, Musician, and Artist. "Meat Puppet" redirects here For other uses see Meat puppet. The Young Marble Giants were a Cardiff Post-punk band A trio formed in 1978, their music was constructed around the powerful and minimal instrumentation For the town in Belgium which was called 'Wipers' by British soldiers during World War One, see Ypres. Butthole Surfers (also referred to as simply "the Buttholes" is an American Alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary Don Van Vliet (born Donald Glen Vliet on January 15 1941, in Glendale California, U The Raincoats are a Post-punk band and were formed in 1977 by Ana da Silva ( vocals, Guitar) and Gina Birch (vocals Cobain was eventually able to convince record companies to reissue albums by The Raincoats (Geffen) and The Vaselines (Sub Pop). Geffen Records is an American Record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label Sub Pop is an Independent record label (though funded and sharing distribution outlets with Warner Music founded by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman Cobain also noted the influence of the Pixies, and commented that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" bore some similarities to their sound. Pixies are an American Alternative rock band formed in Boston Massachusetts in 1986 " Smells Like Teen Spirit " is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. 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. Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly Music Newspaper Surfer Rosa is the first full-length album by the American Alternative rock band Pixies, released in March 1988 on the British Independent James Newell Osterberg Jr (born April 21, 1947) better known by his Stage name Iggy Pop, is an American rock singer Songwriter Aerosmith is an American Hard rock band sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston " and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band" Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24 1991 ^[36]

The Beatles were an early and important musical influence on Cobain. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 Cobain expressed a particular fondness for John Lennon, whom he called his "idol" in his journals. John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born Kurt Cobain's Journals is a collection of writings and drawings done by Kurt Cobain, lead singer and guitarist of the Grunge band Nirvana, from Cobain once related that he wrote "About a Girl" after spending three hours listening to Meet the Beatles!. " About a Girl " is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. Meet The Beatles! is the second Beatles ' album released in the United States despite the "first album" claim on its cover ^[37] 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. Hardcore punk (now usually referred to as simply hardcore) is a subgenre of Punk rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s Black Flag was a Hardcore punk band formed in 1977 in southern California, largely as the brainchild of Greg Ginn: the guitarist The Sex Pistols are an English Punk rock band that formed in London in 1975

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. Led Zeppelin were Black Sabbath are an Kiss (also typeset as KISS) is an American rock band formed in New York City in December 1972 Neil Percival Young OM (born November 12, 1945, Toronto Ontario) is a Canadian Singer-songwriter, Musician 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?". " Immigrant Song " is the opening track on English rock band Led Zeppelin's third album, Led Zeppelin III "Dazed and Confused" is a song by Jake Holmes and by Led Zeppelin. " Heartbreaker " is a song from English rock band Led Zeppelin 's 1969 album Led Zeppelin II. Cobain also talked about the influence of bands like The Knack, Boston, and The Bay City Rollers. The Knack are a Los Angeles -based rock band that rose to fame with their first single " My Sharona " an international hit in 1979 (see Boston is an American rock band from Boston Massachusetts that achieved its most notable successes during the 1970s and 1980s The Bay City Rollers were a Scottish Pop/rock band of the 1970s

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. Huddie William Ledbetter, (January 1888 – December 6 1949 was an American folk and Blues Musician, notable for his clear and forceful singing 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. Greil Marcus (born 1945 is an American Author, music Journalist and cultural Critic. " Polly " is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. " Pretty Polly " "The Gosport Tragedy " or "The Cruel Ship's Carpenter " ( Roud 15 is a traditional English-language Moran Lee "Dock" Boggs ( February 7, 1898 &ndash February 7, 1971) was an influential old-time singer songwriter and

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. Eugene Kelly (1965 is a Scottish musician who was a member of the band The Vaselines and Eugenius, and has had a number of solo releases ^[38] 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. Pat Smear (born Georg Ruthenberg on August 5, 1959) is a musician who has been a regular member of several well-known bands albeit of different subgenres Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The Germs is an influential Punk rock band from Los Angeles formed in the late 1970s 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. MTV Unplugged in New York is a live album by the American grunge band Nirvana. Curt Kirkwood (born January 10, 1959) is an American singer guitarist and songwriter Cris Kirkwood (born October 22, 1960) is the bassist and a founding member of the Meat Puppets, an alternative/punk rock band Cobain also contributed backing guitar for a spoken word William S. Burroughs recording entitled "the "Priest" they called him". Spoken word is a form of literary Art or artistic performance in which Lyrics, Poetry, or stories are spoken rather than sung William Seward Burroughs II ( – ˈbʌroʊz was an American Novelist, Essayist, Social critic, painter and Spoken word The "Priest" They Called Him (1992 is a collaboration between William S ^[39]

Where Sonic Youth had served to help Nirvana gain wider success, Nirvana attempted to help other indie acts attain success. Sonic Youth is an American Alternative rock band formed in New York City in 1981 In Popular music, independent music, often abbreviated as indie, is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels and an autonomous 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. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The Jesus Lizard was a Rock music group formed in 1987 in Chicago Illinois.

Legacy

The bench in Viretta Park has become a de facto memorial to Cobain

In 2005, a sign was put up in Aberdeen, Washington that reads "Welcome to Aberdeen - Come As You Are" as a tribute to Cobain. Aberdeen (ˈæbɚdiːn is a city in Grays Harbor County Washington, United States, founded by Samuel Benn in 1884

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. In 2005, a sign was put up in Aberdeen, Washington that read "Welcome to Aberdeen - Come As You Are" as a tribute to Cobain. Aberdeen (ˈæbɚdiːn is a city in Grays Harbor County Washington, United States, founded by Samuel Benn in 1884 The sign was paid for and created by the Kurt Cobain Memorial Committee, a non-profit organization created in May 2004 to honor Cobain. A non-profit organization ( abbreviated "NPO" also "not-for-profit" is a legally constituted Organization whose objective is to support or engage 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. Viretta Park is a 18-acre Park in the Denny-Blaine neighborhood of Seattle Washington at the foot of E Lake Washington is the second largest natural Lake in state of Washington (after Lake Chelan) and the largest lake in King County. On the anniversary of his death, fans gather in the park to celebrate his life and memory. In June 2008 Cobain's ashes were stolen from Courtney Love's Los Angeles home along with thousands of dollars worth of clothes and jewelry. ^[40]

Gus Van Sant based his 2005 movie Last Days on what might have happened in the final hours of Cobain's life. Gus Green Van Sant Jr he has dealt unflinchingly with homosexual and other marginalized subcultures without being particularly concerned about providing positive role models Last Days ( 2005) is a Film by director Gus Van Sant, and is a fictionalized account of the last days of Nirvana frontman 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. The A-list is a term that alludes to major Movie stars and/or the most bankable in the Hollywood movie industry.

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. Come as You Are The Story of Nirvana is a 1993 Book by Michael Azerrad, covering the career of Nirvana from its inception 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. Kurt Cobain About a Son is a documentary about Kurt Cobain that debuted at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival.

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. Kurt and Courtney is a 1998 documentary film about Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, made by Nick Broomfield. Nicholas Broomfield (born 30 January 1948 in London) is an English documentary filmmaker Broomfield also spoke to Mentors bandleader Eldon "El Duce" Hoke, who claimed that Love had offered him $50,000 to kill Cobain. The Mentors is a Shock rock band who formed in 1976 in Seattle, then moved to Los Angeles in 1979 El Duce redirects here The Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was known as "Il Duce 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. Ian Halperin is a New York Times bestselling author/filmmaker who specializes in undercover investigations Max Wallace is a Canadian journalist filmmaker and human rights activist 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. 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. Love and Death The Murder of Kurt Cobain, published by Simon & Schuster, is a collaborative Investigative journalism book written by Ian Halperin

In 2001, writer Charles R. Cross published a biography of Cobain titled Heavier Than Heaven. Charles R Cross is a Rock music journalist and Author based in Seattle. A biography (from the Greek words bíos (βίος meaning "life" and gráphein (γράφειν meaning "to write" is an account Heavier Than Heaven is the name of a 2001 biography of musician Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of the grunge rock band Nirvana. For the book, Cross conducted over 400 interviews, and was given access by Courtney Love to Cobain's journals, lyrics, and diaries. ^[43] In 2002, a sampling of Cobain's writings was published as Journals. Kurt Cobain's Journals is a collection of writings and drawings done by Kurt Cobain, lead singer and guitarist of the Grunge band Nirvana, from The book is 280 pages with a simple black cover; the pages are arranged somewhat chronologically (although Cross 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. Privacy law is the area of law concerning the protection and preservation of the Privacy rights of individuals ^[44]

References

• Azerrad, Michael. Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana. Doubleday, 1994. ISBN 0-385-47199-8.
• Cross, Charles. Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain. Hyperion, 2001. ISBN 0-7868-8402-9.
• Summers, Kim. "Kurt Cobain". All Music Guide. allmusic (previously All Music Guide) is a Metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. Accessed on May 9, 2005. Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• Kitts, Jeff, et al. Guitar World Presents Nirvana and the Grunge Revolution. Hal Leonard, 1998. ISBN 0-79-35900-6X.

Notes

External links

• Kurt Cobain at the Internet Movie Database
• Kurt Cobain at the All Music Guide
• The Kurt Cobain Equipment FAQ - Detailed information on Cobain's guitars, amplifiers, and effects. allmusic (previously All Music Guide) is a Metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide.
• Official police reports into Cobain's death at The Smoking Gun. The Smoking Gun is a Website that posts legal documents arrest records and police Mugshots on a daily basis