112 Facts About Kurt Cobain

1.

Kurt Donald Cobain was an American musician who was the founder, lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Nirvana.

2.

Kurt Cobain was heralded as a spokesman of Generation X and is highly recognized as one of the most influential alternative rock musicians.

3.

Kurt Cobain formed Nirvana with Krist Novoselic and Aaron Burckhard in 1987 and established it as part of the Seattle music scene that later became known as grunge.

4.

Kurt Cobain struggled with the personal and professional pressures of fame, and he had a tumultuous relationship with his wife, fellow musician Courtney Love.

5.

In March 1994, Kurt Cobain overdosed on a combination of champagne and Rohypnol, and he subsequently entered an intervention and underwent a detox program.

6.

Kurt Cobain was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, alongside Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl, in their first year of eligibility in 2014.

7.

Kurt Cobain was ranked 7th by MTV in the "22 Greatest Voices in Music".

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8.

Kurt Cobain was born at Grays Harbor Hospital in Aberdeen, Washington, on February 20,1967, the son of waitress Wendy Elizabeth.

9.

Kurt Cobain's parents married on July 31,1965, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

10.

Kurt Cobain had Dutch, English, French, German, Irish, and Scottish ancestry.

11.

Kurt Cobain mistakenly believed that his Irish ancestors came from County Cork.

12.

Kurt Cobain's younger sister, Kimberly, was born on April 24,1970.

13.

Kurt Cobain was described as a happy and excitable child, who exhibited sensitivity and care.

14.

Kurt Cobain was encouraged by his grandmother, Iris Cobain, a professional artist.

15.

Kurt Cobain developed an interest in music at a young age.

16.

Kurt Cobain later said the divorce had a profound effect on his life, and his mother noted that his personality changed dramatically; Cobain became defiant and withdrawn.

17.

Kurt Cobain liked Westeby at first, as she gave him the maternal attention he desired.

18.

Kurt Cobain's mother dated a man who was abusive; Kurt Cobain witnessed the domestic violence inflicted upon her, with one incident resulting in her being hospitalized with a broken arm.

19.

Kurt Cobain behaved insolently toward adults during this period and began bullying another boy at school.

20.

On June 28,1979, Kurt Cobain's mother granted full custody to his father.

21.

Kurt Cobain later renounced Christianity, engaging in what was described as "anti-God" rants.

22.

Kurt Cobain was a skilled wrestler but despised the experience.

23.

Kurt Cobain befriended a gay student at school and was bullied by peers who concluded that he was gay.

24.

Police records show that Kurt Cobain was arrested for spray painting the phrase "ain't got no how watchamacallit" on vehicles.

25.

Kurt Cobain would draw objects, including those associated with the human anatomy.

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26.

When given a caricature assignment for an art course, Kurt Cobain drew Michael Jackson but was told by the teacher that the image was inappropriate for a school hallway.

27.

Kurt Cobain then drew an image of then-President Ronald Reagan that was seen as "unflattering".

28.

Kurt Cobain claimed that the first live show he attended was the Melvins, when they played a free concert outside the Thriftway supermarket where Osborne worked.

29.

Kurt Cobain wrote in his journals of this experience, as well as in interviews, singling out the impact it had on him.

30.

Kurt Cobain's mother gave him a ultimatum: find employment or leave.

31.

Kurt Cobain claimed that, during periods of homelessness, he lived under a bridge over the Wishkah River, an experience that inspired the song "Something in the Way".

32.

In late 1986, Kurt Cobain moved into an apartment, paying his rent by working at the Polynesian Resort, a themed resort on the Pacific coast at Ocean Shores, Washington approximately 20 miles west of Aberdeen.

33.

Kurt Cobain spent most of his time sleeping into the late evening, watching television, and concentrating on art projects.

34.

Marander's insistence that he get a job caused arguments that influenced Kurt Cobain to write the song "About a Girl", which appeared on the Nirvana album Bleach; Marander is credited with having taken the cover photo for the album, as well as the front and back cover photos of their Blew single.

35.

Kurt Cobain did not become aware that Cobain wrote "About a Girl" about her until years after his death.

36.

On his 14th birthday on February 20,1981, Cobain's uncle offered him either a bike or a used guitar; Kurt chose the guitar.

37.

In early 1985, Kurt Cobain formed Fecal Matter after he had dropped out of Aberdeen High School.

38.

One of "several joke bands" that arose from the circle of friends associated with the Melvins, it initially featured Kurt Cobain singing and playing guitar, Melvins drummer Dale Crover playing bass, and Greg Hokanson playing drums.

39.

The band name "Nirvana" was taken from the Buddhist concept, which Kurt Cobain described as "freedom from pain, suffering and the external world", a concept that he aligned with the punk rock ethos and ideology.

40.

Kurt Cobain became disenchanted after early touring because of the band's inability to draw substantial crowds and the difficulty in supporting themselves financially.

41.

Kurt Cobain became dissatisfied with Channing's style and subsequently fired him.

42.

Nirvana was considered the "flagship band of Generation X", and Kurt Cobain found himself reluctantly anointed by the media as the generation's "spokesman".

43.

Kurt Cobain resented this characterization since he believed his artistic message had been misinterpreted by the public.

44.

Kurt Cobain struggled to reconcile the massive success of Nirvana with his underground roots and vision.

45.

Kurt Cobain felt persecuted by the media, comparing himself to Frances Farmer whom he named a song after.

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46.

Kurt Cobain began to harbor resentment against people who claimed to be fans of the band yet refused to acknowledge, or misinterpreted, the band's social and political views.

47.

Kurt Cobain was a vocal supporter of the pro-choice movement, and Nirvana was involved in L7's Rock for Choice campaign.

48.

Kurt Cobain received death threats from a small number of anti-abortion activists for participating in the pro-choice campaign, with one activist threatening to shoot Cobain as soon as he stepped on a stage.

49.

Kurt Cobain was really into the fact that I was creative and into music.

50.

In 1992, Cobain contacted William S Burroughs about a possible collaboration.

51.

Two months later at a studio in Seattle, Kurt Cobain added guitar backing based on "Silent Night" and "To Anacreon in Heaven".

52.

Kurt Cobain was introduced to punk rock and hardcore music by his Aberdeen classmate Buzz Osborne, lead singer and guitarist of the Melvins, who taught Cobain about punk by loaning him records and old copies of the Detroit-based magazine Creem.

53.

Kurt Cobain quickly discovered contemporary American hardcore bands like Black Flag, Bad Brains, Millions of Dead Cops and Flipper.

54.

The Melvins' heavy, grungey sound was mimicked by Nirvana on many songs from Bleach; in an early interview given by Nirvana, Kurt Cobain stated that their biggest fear was to be perceived as a "Melvins rip-off".

55.

Kurt Cobain was a fan of protopunk acts like the Stooges, whose 1973 album Raw Power he listed as his favorite of all time in his journals, and The Velvet Underground, whose 1968 song "Here She Comes Now" the band covered both live and in the studio.

56.

The 1980s American alternative rock band Pixies were instrumental in helping an adult Kurt Cobain develop his own songwriting style.

57.

Kurt Cobain even invited his favorite musicians to perform with him: ex-Germs guitarist Pat Smear joined the band in 1993, and the Meat Puppets appeared onstage during Nirvana's 1993 MTV Unplugged appearance to perform three songs from their second album, Meat Puppets II.

58.

Kurt Cobain originally wanted Nevermind to be divided into two sides: a "Boy" side, for the songs written about the experiences of his early life and childhood, and a "Girl" side, for the songs written about his dysfunctional relationship with Vail.

59.

Kurt Cobain wrote about fame, drug addiction and abortion on "Pennyroyal Tea", as well as women's rights and the life of Seattle-born Farmer on "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle".

60.

Kurt Cobain escaped after gaining the trust of her captor Gerald Friend through flirting with him.

61.

Patrick Suskind's novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer inspired Kurt Cobain to write the song "Scentless Apprentice" from In Utero.

62.

Kurt Cobain immersed himself in artistic projects throughout his life, as much so as he did in songwriting.

63.

Kurt Cobain would cut out pictures of meat from grocery-store fliers, then paste these orchids on them.

64.

Kurt Cobain's concepts featured in Nirvana's music videos, sometimes leading to arguments with the video producers.

65.

Kurt Cobain met with Burroughs at his home in Lawrence, Kansas in October 1993.

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66.

Kurt Cobain's first guitar was a used electric guitar from Sears that he received on his 14th birthday.

67.

Kurt Cobain found the guitar smashed after leaving it in a locker, but he was able to purchase new equipment, including a Peavey amp, by recovering and selling his stepfather's gun collection, which his mother had dumped in a river after discovering his infidelity.

68.

Kurt Cobain used a Boss DS-1 for distortion, while playing Hi-Flier guitars, which cost him $100 each.

69.

Nirvana embarked on their first American tour in 1989, at the start of which Kurt Cobain played an Epiphone ET270; however, he destroyed the guitar onstage during a show, a subsequent habit that forced label Sub Pop to have to call local pawn shops looking for replacement guitars.

70.

Kurt Cobain became a fan of Japanese-made Fender guitars ahead of recording Nevermind, due to their slim necks and wide availability in lefthanded orientation.

71.

For Nirvana's Unplugged performance, Kurt Cobain played a righthanded 1959 Martin D-18E acoustic guitar modified for lefthanded playing.

72.

Early in their interactions, Kurt Cobain broke off dates and ignored Love's advances because he was unsure if he wanted a relationship.

73.

Kurt Cobain was already aware of Love through her role in the 1987 film Straight to Hell.

74.

The couple's daughter, Frances Bean Kurt Cobain, was born August 18,1992.

75.

Kurt Cobain described himself as being "feminine" in childhood, and often wore dresses and other stereotypically feminine clothing.

76.

Kurt Cobain advocated for LGBTQ+ rights, including traveling to Oregon to perform at a benefit opposing the 1992 Oregon Ballot Measure 9, and supported local bands with LGBTQ+ members.

77.

Kurt Cobain reported having felt "different" from the age of seven, and was a frequent target of homophobic bullying in his school due to his having a "gay friend".

78.

Kurt Cobain was interviewed by two gay magazines, Out and The Advocate; the 1993 interview with The Advocate being described as "the only [interview] the band's lead singer says he plans to do for Incesticide", an album whose liner notes included a statement decrying homophobia, racism and misogyny:.

79.

Kurt Cobain's cousin brought attention to the family history of suicide, mental illness and alcoholism, noting that two of her uncles had died by suicide with guns.

80.

Kurt Cobain used drugs heavily; his first drug experience was with cannabis in 1980, at age 13.

81.

Kurt Cobain had a period of consuming "notable" amounts of LSD, as observed by Marander, and was prone to alcoholism and solvent abuse.

82.

Kurt Cobain first took heroin in 1986, administered to him by a dealer in Tacoma, Washington, who had previously supplied him with oxycodone and aspirin.

83.

Kurt Cobain used heroin sporadically for several years; by the end of 1990, his use had developed into addiction.

84.

Kurt Cobain claimed that he was "determined to get a habit" as a way to self-medicate his stomach condition.

85.

The morning after the band's performance on Saturday Night Live in 1992, Kurt Cobain experienced his first near-death overdose after injecting heroin; Love resuscitated him.

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86.

Kurt Cobain proceeded to perform with Nirvana, giving the public no indication that anything had happened.

87.

Kurt Cobain flew to Rome the next day for medical treatment, and was joined there by his wife, Courtney Love, on March 3,1994.

88.

The next morning, Love awoke to find that Kurt Cobain had overdosed on a combination of champagne and Rohypnol.

89.

Kurt Cobain was rushed to the hospital and was unconscious for the rest of the day.

90.

On March 18,1994, Love phoned the Seattle police informing them that Kurt Cobain was suicidal and had locked himself in a room with a gun.

91.

Police arrived and confiscated several guns and a bottle of pills from Kurt Cobain, who insisted that he was not suicidal and had locked himself in the room to hide from Love.

92.

Kurt Cobain reacted with anger, insulting and heaping scorn on the participants, and locked himself in the upstairs bedroom.

93.

However, by the end of the day, Kurt Cobain agreed to undergo a detox program, and he entered a residential facility in Los Angeles a few days on March 30,1994.

94.

Kurt Cobain's body had been there for days; the coroner's report estimated he died on April 5,1994, at the age of 27.

95.

Billboard, reporting from Seattle on April 23,1994, stated that within a few hours of Kurt Cobain's death being confirmed on April 8, the only remaining Nirvana titles at Park Ave Records on Queen Ann Street were two "Heart-Shaped Box" import CD singles.

96.

Grohl believed that he knew Kurt Cobain would die at an early age, saying that "sometimes you just can't save someone from themselves", and "in some ways, you kind of prepare yourself emotionally for that to be a reality".

97.

In 2006, Love said she retained Kurt Cobain's ashes, kept in a bank vault in Los Angeles because "no cemetery in Seattle will take them".

98.

Kurt Cobain's death became a topic of public fascination and debate.

99.

Ciesynski stated that Kurt Cobain's death remains a suicide and that the images would not have been released publicly.

100.

Kurt Cobain is remembered as one of the most influential rock musicians in the history of alternative music.

101.

Kurt Cobain's angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment persona led him to be referenced as the spokesman of Generation X In addition, Cobain's songs widened the themes of mainstream rock music of the 1980s to discussion of personal reflection and social issues.

102.

Kurt Cobain is one of the best-known members of the 27 Club, a list of musicians who died when they were 27 years old.

103.

Kurt Cobain was later ranked the 73rd greatest guitarist and 45th greatest singer of all time by the same magazine, and by MTV as seventh in the "22 Greatest Voices in Music".

104.

In December 2013, the small city of Hoquiam, where Kurt Cobain once lived, announced that April 10 would become the annual Nirvana Day.

105.

Kurt Cobain wore a green sweater and later a dress in tribute to Cobain.

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106.

In 2002, a sampling of Kurt Cobain's writings was published as Journals.

107.

Many were elated to be able to learn more about Kurt Cobain and read his inner thoughts in his own words, but were disturbed by what was viewed as an invasion of his privacy.

108.

Kurt Cobain was apparently 'the biggest influence' on the 2020 novel Dead Rock Stars, by the English author Guy Mankowski, particularly given Kurt Cobain's "message of feminism".

109.

Kurt Cobain took a film crew to visit a number of people associated with Cobain and Love; Love's father, Cobain's aunt, and one of the couple's former nannies.

110.

Gus Van Sant loosely based his 2005 movie Last Days on the events in the final days of Kurt Cobain's life, starring Michael Pitt as the main character Blake who was based on Kurt Cobain.

111.

The film details the events leading up to the death of Kurt Cobain, as seen through the perspective of Tom Grant, the private detective who was hired by Courtney Love to find Cobain, her husband, shortly before his death in 1994.

112.

Kurt Cobain was included as a playable character in the 2009 video game Guitar Hero 5; he can be used to play songs by Nirvana and other acts.