It is not a coincidence that Kurt Cobain’s music has been influential to many generations of rock artists. He was the voice of a generation, and his music was the soundtrack for many people’s lives.
Kurt Cobain had a short but dazzling career in the music industry. He began playing guitar at age 11 and dropped out of high school to pursue his musical dreams. In 1985, he formed Nirvana with Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl, who would later become his wife Courtney Love’s husband as well.
In 1990, Nirvana released their first album, “Bleach” which was an instant success in the underground punk scene. In 1991 they released their second album “Nevermind” which became an international phenomenon and catapulted them into superstardom.1991 was the year Nirvana became a household name and Kurt Cobain became an icon who was as important to the outsiders of society as he was to those who were already part of it.
Early Years
Kurt Donald Cobain was born on 20 February 1967 in the small town of Aberdeen, Washington State, in the northwestern United States. His mother was an American housewife named Wendy Elizabeth Cobain (whose maiden name was Fradenburg) and his father was Donald Leland Cobain. He was a simple auto mechanic.
Her in-laws, Aunt Mary Earle and Uncle Chuck Fradenburg, sometimes took the boy with them to country band rehearsals. It was then that he tried singing for the first time.
The elder Cobain divorced in 1975, which was very traumatic for the impressionable boy.
Fecal Matter & Nirvana
Kurt formed his first band, Fecal Matter, in 1985, and they recorded seven songs. After meeting Chris Anthony Novoselic, the young men formed a new band. After numerous name changes, they settled on Nirvana.
They then invited drummer Chad Channing to join them, forming the backbone of the legendary Nirvana. In 1989 the band recorded their first LP, Bleach. Two years later they released their next album “Nevermind”, which was extremely popular.
The hits from this album were “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Lithium”, which were played on many international radio stations. The press spoke of Kurt Cobain as being the “voice of a generation”. Interestingly, the singer himself was not happy with the fame that suddenly came his way.
During the years of their creative biography, Kurt Cobain and his bandmates only recorded 3 studio albums, which, however, earned them worldwide recognition. In addition, the band released 2 mini-series, “Blew” and “Hormoaning”, and a dozen compilations and live albums.
Life and Death
Cobain’s relationship with Courtney Michelle Harrison (singer known as Courtney Love), who later became his wife, occurred during one of his concerts in 1990.
When Courtney became pregnant, the couple decided to legalise their relationship. It happened in Hawaii on 24.02.1992, and in August of the same year, the 18th, Courtney gave birth to their daughter Frances Bean Cobain.
On 08.04.1994, Kurt Donald Cobain was found with blood next to his left ear and a shotgun dumped in his house by electrician Gary Smith, who had come to install a security system.
The investigation officially concluded a drug-induced suicide, although many suspected a hit and some blamed Courtney Love. At the time of his death, Cobain was 27 years old, for which he is considered a member of the “27 Club”.
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