Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 - April 5, 1994) was the lead singer of the Seattle grunge band Nirvana, which also included bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl.Cobain was born in Hoquiam, Washington, and spent his early years in Aberdeen, Washington after his parents divorced. He moved to the Seattle area in 1985.
He was best known for his song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" which became somewhat of an anthem for the Generation X. He also wrote a song, "Lithium", about the medication lithium carbonate, which is used to treat bipolar disorder. Cobain was highly influential in creating and popularizing what came to be termed grunge music - a style that evolved as a reaction against the perceived superficiality of 1980s stadium rock and over-the-top metal bands with preened images and elaborate stage shows.
In 1993, Cobain married Courtney Love, lead singer of the band Hole. Later that year, the two had a daughter, Frances Bean Cobain.
Throughout most of his adolescent life, Cobain battled depression and pain due to ulcers. Because of his ulcers, he self-medicated by use of heroin, a powerful narcotic.
Cobain committed suicide on April 5, 1994 at the age of 27 by means of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. His body was discovered three days later in his home by an electrician. Toxicology experts have stated that even though Kurt's tolerance level was extremely high, the amount of heroin injected into Cobain's body would have been enough to kill him (three times the lethal dosage for an addict, 75 times the lethal dosage for a normal person). His death inspired several copycat suicides, and the suspicious circumstances surrounding it inspired a multitude of conspiracy theories, many of which centered around his wife, Courtney Love. Filmmaker Nick Broomfield made a documentary film on this theory entitled Kurt and Courtney.
In his suicide note Cobain quoted a lyric from Neil Young's song "My My, Hey Hey": "It's better to burn out than to fade away." Cobain's use of the lyrics had a profound impact on Young, who recorded portions of the Sleeps With Angels album in Cobain's memory.
Kurt Cobain was cremated; one third of his ashes were scattered in a Buddhist temple in New York, another third were scattered in the Wishkah River, Washington State, and the rest are in the possession Courtney Love.
Writer Charles R. Cross published a biography of Cobain titled "Heavier than Heaven" in 2001. A year later, a collection of Cobain's journal excerpts was released. Years after his passing, the musician continues to intrigue and inspire fans, most recently with the release of a new track "You Know You're Right" in the fall of 2002, along with a greatest hits album, called simply, Nirvana. The release of both had been held up by legal wrangling between Love and the remaining members of the band.
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