Real Crime Stories/Paranormal Hauntings

Life & Death of Kurt Cobain (Part I)

Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1867 – April 8, 1994) an American singer, songwriter, musician, is best known as the guitarist and frontman of the rock band, Nirvana. He is remembered as one of the most iconic influential rock musicians in the history of alternative music.

Born in Aberdeen, Washington, Cobain formed the band, Nirvana, with Krist Novoselic and Aaron Burckhard in 1987 as part of the Seattle music scene, later becoming known as grunge. After being signed with a major label DGC Records, Nirvana gained success with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from their second album, "Nevermind" (1991).

With the success of "Nevermind", Nirvana was labelled as "the flagship band" of Generation X, with Cobain hailed as the spokesman of a generation. Cobain resented this, believing his message and artistic vision being misinterpreted by the public, and his personal problems often a subject of media attention.

During the last years of his life, Cobain struggled with heroin addiction and chronic health problems like depression. Struggling with personal and professional pressures of fame, and his marriage to musician Courtney Love, Cobain was found dead on April 8, 1994, at the age of 27 in his Seattle home. Police concluded Cobain died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound to his head on April 5.

Described as a "Generation X icon", Cobain was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with Nirvana bandmates, David Grohl and Novoselic, in their first year of eligibility in 2014. In 2003, David Fricke of Rolling Stone ranked him the 12th greatest guitarist of all time. Cobain was ranked 7th by MTV in the "22 Greatest Voices in Music". In 2006, he was placed 20th by Hit Parader on their list of "100 Greatest Metal Singers of All Time".

Early Life

Cobain was born at Grays Harbor Hospital in Aberdeen, Washington, on February 20, 1967. He was the son of waitress Wendy Elizabeth (nee Fradenburg; born 1948) and automotive mechanic Donald Leland Cobain (born 1946). Cobain's parents married on July 31, 1965, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Cobain's ancestry is listed as Dutch, English, French, German, Irish, and Scottish. His Irish ancestors emigrated from Carrickmore, County Tyrone in 1875. Researchers found that they were shoemakers, originally named "Cobane", who came from Inishatieve, a townland within Carrickmore. They first settled in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, and then in Washington. Cobain believed his family came from County Cork. His younger sister, Kimberly, was born on April 24, 1970.

Cobain's family had a musical background—his maternal uncle, Chuck Fradenburg, played in a band called The Beachcombers, his aunt, Mari Earle, played guitar and performed in bands throughout Grays Harbor County, and his great-uncle, Delbert, had a career as an Irish tenor, making an appearance in the 1930 film "King of Jazz". Kurt was a happy and excitable child, exhibiting sensitivity and care. His talent as an artist was evident from an early age, as would draw his favorite characters from films and cartoons, such as the Creature from the Black Lagoon and Donald Duck, in his bedroom. This enthusiasm was encouraged by his grandmother, Iris Cobain, a professional artist.

Cobain developed an interest in music from a young age. According to his aunt Mari, he began singing at the age of two. At age four, he started playing piano and singing, writing a song about a trip to a local park. Listening to artists like the Ramones and Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), and, from a young age, would sing songs like Arlo Guthrie's "Motorcycle Song", The Beatles, "Hey Jude", Terry Jacks; "Seasons in the Sun", and the theme song to the televisions show of the band The Monkees.

Cobain's parents' divorce when he was nine years old had a profound effect on his life. His mother noted that Cobain's personality change dramatically, becoming defiant and withdrawn. In a 1993 interview, Cobain elaborated: