Kurt Donald Cobain was born at Grays Harbor Hospital in Aberdeen, Washington on Feb 20, 1967
His younger sister, Kimberly Cobain was born on April 24, 1970
Son of waitress Wendy Elizabeth and automotive mechanic Donald Leland Cobain
Childhood
Early Music
Cobain's family was inherently musical.
His uncle played in a band called The Beachcombers
His aunt played guitar and performed in bands throughout Grays Harbor County
His great-uncle had a career as an Irish tenor
Kurt reportedly started singing from the age of two, and started playing the piano at four.
Early Music
Parents Divorce
Parents' Divorce
When Cobain was nine years old, his parents divorced.
This had a massive effect on him throughout his life.
His mother noted that his personality had dramatically changed: he became defiant and withdrawn
Cobain's parents soon found new partners after the divorce, neither one Kurt liked much, and it contributed early on to his depression in adulthood as he received less and less attention.
Fecal Matter
Fecal Matter
An early band formed by Cobain in early 1985 after he dropped out of Aberdeen High School
Featured Cobain singing and playing guitar, the Melvins drummer Dale Crover playing bass, and Greg Hokanson playing drums.
Spent several months rehearsing both original material and covers
Disbanded in 1986 with only one album, their demo, Illiteracy Will Prevail
Nirvana
In high school, Kurt met Krist Novoselic, a fellow lover of punk rock
A few years later, Cobain tried to convince Novoselic to form a band with him
After months of Kurt asking, Krist finally agreed to form a band, creating the start of Nirvana.
Nirvana went through various drummers, having Chad Channing for their first album Bleach but afterwards settling with Dave Grohl
Nirvana
Religion
Religion always was important to Cobain, and was apparent in his music and art.
He often used Christian imagery in his work, and developed an interest in Jainism and Buddhist philosophy
The band was actually named after the Buddhist concept of “nirvana,” the final goal of Buddhism that represents a sort of state of perfect happiness; it could be roughly compared to Heaven in Christianity
Cobain himself described the concept of nirvana as being “freedom from pain, suffering and the external world.”
Discography
Nirvana's Discography consists of only three albums due to Cobain's death in 1994, but many other compilations and greatest hits of their music has been released posthumously.
Bleach (1989)
Nevermind (1991)
In Utero (1993)
Discography
Courtney Love
Love first saw Cobain perform in 1989 at a show in Portland, Oregon. They briefly talked after the show and Love developed a crush on Cobain.
In the time that followed, Love learned from Grohl that her and Cobain shared mutual interests, and so she began pursuing Cobain.
In late 1991, Love and Cobain were often together, bonded through drug use.
They married on February 24, 1992 at Wakiki Beach in Hawaii; only eight people were in attendance at the ceremony.
Courtney Love
Children
Courtney and Kurt only had one child, Frances Bean Cobain.
Born on August 18, 1992
Unfortunately never got to know her father, as he died when she was only 18 months old
Children
Death
On April 8, 1994, Cobain was found dead in his home. He had not been seen in days. It was later estimated his date of death was April 5.
It surprised the world, but they had all long known about Kurt's struggle with drug addiction and depression, and it had only been a downward spiral for him prior to his death.
Death
Legacy
Kurt's legacy is astounding
Nirvana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014
He defined the grunge genre of rock and roll
He is often remembered as one of the most iconic rock musicians in the history of alternative music
His personal beliefs such as his support of LGBTQ+ rights and support of feminism led to him being referenced as the spokesman of Gen X