Kurt Cobain was born at Grays Harbor Hospital in Aberdeen, Washington on February 20, 1967, to a waitress, Wendy Elizabeth, and an automotive mechanic, Donald Leland Cobain.
He had a happy childhood until his parents divorced when he was 7-years-old. The divorce left Kurt's outlook on the world forever scared. He became withdrawn and antisocial. He was constantly placed with one relative to the next and at times even homeless, forcing him to sleep under a bridge.
Kurt's talent as an artist was evident from an early age. His bedroom was described as having taken on the appearance of an art studio, where he would accurately draw his favorite characters from films and cartoons such Disney characters like Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, and Pluto.
Kurt Cobain was not the most popular person in high school, getting picked on by "jocks" and being labelled as "queer".
Although not interested in sports, Kurt was enrolled in a junior high school wrestling team at the insistence of his father. Kurt was a skilled wrestler, yet despised the experience.
Kurt Cobain dropped out of high school, then worked there as a janitor.
On his 14th birthday on February 20, 1981, Cobain's uncle offered him either a bike or a used guitar. He chose the guitar. Soon, Cobain began working on his own songs.
The first song that Kurt Cobain learned to play on the guitar was AC/DC's "Back In Black."
The first concert he attended was Sammy Hagar and Quarterflash at the Seattle Center Coliseum in 1983.
Cobain formed Nirvana with bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1985 and established it as part of the Seattle music scene.
Nirvana's first single was a cover. They recorded "Love Buzz," by The Shocking Blue, in 1988.
Initially, Nirvana's In Utero was going to be called "I Hate Myself and I Want to Die"—Kurt Cobain's typical response to "How are you?"
Kurt Cobain admitted when he wrote "Smells Like Teen Spirit" he was trying to write the ultimate pop song. “I was basically trying to rip off the Pixies.”
Kurt's mother predicted the impact that Nirvana's breakthrough album, Nevermind, would have on him. She describes in Brett Morgen's 2015 documentary Montage of Heck almost crying from fear when he first brought home the record's final master cut back home to Aberdeen "This is going to change everything," she recalled telling her son. "You better buckle up, because you are not ready for this."
Kurt Cobain, along with Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, and Krist Novoselic were kicked out of their own Nevermind release party at the Re-Bar in Seattle on Friday, September 13, 1991, after starting a food fight. The party was hosted by their record label, DGC Records, and was attended by a number of music industry executives and other guests.
In 1992 Nirvana played a sold out concert in Buenos Aires that was opened by an all female band. When the crowd mistreated that band by throwing mud, Kurt Cobain had the band play none of their famous songs and played the intro to 'Smells like Teen Spirit' before every song.
Cobain was married to Courtney Love from the group Hole. They first met at an L7 and Butthole Surfers concert having been introduced by Nirvana's drummer Dave Grohl.
Cobain and Love got married on February 24, 1992 on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii. Cobain wore green pajamas as he had been "too lazy to put on a tux."
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| Grays Harbor Hospital in Aberdeen, where Cobain was born. By Joe Mabel |
He had a happy childhood until his parents divorced when he was 7-years-old. The divorce left Kurt's outlook on the world forever scared. He became withdrawn and antisocial. He was constantly placed with one relative to the next and at times even homeless, forcing him to sleep under a bridge.
Kurt's talent as an artist was evident from an early age. His bedroom was described as having taken on the appearance of an art studio, where he would accurately draw his favorite characters from films and cartoons such Disney characters like Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, and Pluto.
Kurt Cobain was not the most popular person in high school, getting picked on by "jocks" and being labelled as "queer".
Although not interested in sports, Kurt was enrolled in a junior high school wrestling team at the insistence of his father. Kurt was a skilled wrestler, yet despised the experience.
Kurt Cobain dropped out of high school, then worked there as a janitor.
On his 14th birthday on February 20, 1981, Cobain's uncle offered him either a bike or a used guitar. He chose the guitar. Soon, Cobain began working on his own songs.
The first song that Kurt Cobain learned to play on the guitar was AC/DC's "Back In Black."
The first concert he attended was Sammy Hagar and Quarterflash at the Seattle Center Coliseum in 1983.
Cobain formed Nirvana with bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1985 and established it as part of the Seattle music scene.
Nirvana's first single was a cover. They recorded "Love Buzz," by The Shocking Blue, in 1988.
Initially, Nirvana's In Utero was going to be called "I Hate Myself and I Want to Die"—Kurt Cobain's typical response to "How are you?"
Kurt Cobain admitted when he wrote "Smells Like Teen Spirit" he was trying to write the ultimate pop song. “I was basically trying to rip off the Pixies.”
Kurt's mother predicted the impact that Nirvana's breakthrough album, Nevermind, would have on him. She describes in Brett Morgen's 2015 documentary Montage of Heck almost crying from fear when he first brought home the record's final master cut back home to Aberdeen "This is going to change everything," she recalled telling her son. "You better buckle up, because you are not ready for this."
Kurt Cobain, along with Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, and Krist Novoselic were kicked out of their own Nevermind release party at the Re-Bar in Seattle on Friday, September 13, 1991, after starting a food fight. The party was hosted by their record label, DGC Records, and was attended by a number of music industry executives and other guests.
According to reports, the food fight started when Dave Grohl threw a piece of bread at Krist Novoselic. Novoselic then retaliated by throwing a tamale at Cobain, who responded by throwing guacamole. Soon, food was flying everywhere, and the party quickly descended into chaos. The Re-Bar staff eventually had to intervene and kick Nirvana out of the party. The band reportedly left the venue laughing and joking about the incident.
In 1992 Nirvana played a sold out concert in Buenos Aires that was opened by an all female band. When the crowd mistreated that band by throwing mud, Kurt Cobain had the band play none of their famous songs and played the intro to 'Smells like Teen Spirit' before every song.
Cobain was married to Courtney Love from the group Hole. They first met at an L7 and Butthole Surfers concert having been introduced by Nirvana's drummer Dave Grohl.
Cobain and Love got married on February 24, 1992 on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii. Cobain wore green pajamas as he had been "too lazy to put on a tux."
Cobain always wore black converse all-stars in public; they were his only pair of shoes.
Kurt Cobain was offered the role of Lance the drug dealer in Pulp Fiction, while Love would have played his heavily pierced girlfriend. The roles were eventually taken by Eric Stoltz and Rosanna Arquette.
Kurt Cobain was a lifelong doodler. "Once he could draw, he drew all the time," remembered his mother, Wendy O'Connor in the documentary Montage of Heck. As an adult, Cobain was constantly scribbling thoughts and lyrics in notebooks.
Kurt Cobain's body was found on April 8, 1994 in his Seattle home by an electrician sent to install motion detectors and a new alarm system. He is believed to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound three days earlier.
A suicide note was found near Cobain's body written in red ink. It was addressed to his childhood imaginary friend Boddah.
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| Cobain's suicide note (full transcription). Taken from Nivana wikia Copyright held by Kurt's estate. |
His ashes were scattered in McLane Creek- Olympia, a handful were scattered under the willow at the front of 171 Lake Washington Boulevard, Seattle, another handful was given to a Buddhist to make a tsatsu - a memorial sculpture.
Kurt Cobain's hometown, Aberdeen, placed a sign that read "Welcome to Aberdeen: Come As You Are" as a tribute.
Cobain is in the ‘27 club’ of musicians who died at 27, which also includes Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Amy Winehouse.
In 2006 Forbes announced that Kurt Cobain is now the Top-Earning Dead Celebrity, beating out Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Johnny Cash, George Harrison, Ray Charles, and Bob Marley.
Frances Bean Cobain, Kurt Cobain's daughter, doesn't like Nirvana—she prefers Oasis.
Sources IMDB, Wikipedia, Artistfacts
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