Kurt Cobain Essay, Research Paper

Kurt Cobain

The number one cause of death in teens is suicide? Looking back to one of the most commonly known and most devistating suicides, of Kurt Cobain lead singer of the former band Nirvana. In his time of music he had the world in his hands. He used personal turmoil as fuel for great music. Suprisingly, he seemed unusually tortured by success.

The author of Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana said, “He was a very bright, sweet, generous, and caring person, perhaps a little too sweet and sensitive for the business he was in.”

One of Cobain’s biggest worries was that his band had sold out. In one line of a not-so-popular song he says, “I’d rather be dead than be cool.” It seemed like the once unknown punkish Seattle band moved mainstream overnight. Nirvana caught on fast and changed rock and roll music forever. Nirvana, along with a few other Seattle bands, molded the music of the 90’s, alternative.

Where did it all start for Kurt? Kurt Donald Cobain was born February 20, 1967. He was a happy child living with his mother and father in Aberdeen, Washington. But the happiness, soon interrupted in 1975 when Kurt’s parents got divorced. Kurt was ashamed. He longed for the typical “Brady Bunch” family, but instead he lived in a trailor with his mother. In result of this Cobain became extremely anti-social, he had few friends, and was beat up alot.

On his 14th birthday Kurt recieved his first guitar. He had been writing poetry since he was 13, so he started using his poetry to write songs. He was in several bands throughout highschool, some of them were named Fecal Matter, Skid Row, Brown Cow, The Sellouts, and Pencap Chew.

Around the time of Kurts senoir year he formed Nirvana with high school friend, Krist (Chris) Novoselic. A few drummers of their’s fell through and then they found what kurt called “the worlds best drummer”, Dave Grohl. His drumming style was exactly what nirvana needed.

Two months before Kurt’s high school graduation he dropped out. This move made his mother angry so she kicked him out of the house. He lived with friends, and for a time he even lived under a bridge of the Wishkah River in Aberdeen.

A few years later, in June of ‘89, Nirvana’s first album was released, entitled Bleach. They did short US tours and European tours to promote their album with bands such as Pearl Jam and Red Hot Chili Peppers. In 1992 Nirvana kicked off their first world tour. That’s when Nirvana started getting huge.

A friend of Kurt’s, Daniel House said, “When Nirvana started catching on he was sort of bewildered. His music was so personal it amazed him when people came out in droves to hear it.”

Around the same time Kurt decided to get married to Courtney Love, lead singer of alternative band, Hole. Their marrage was in Waikiki, Hawaii on February 24, 1992. They shared many common interests such as drugs, love, and great music.

Six months after their wedding they had a baby girl, they named her Frances Bean Cobain. Her middle named derived from the shape of her body on the sonogram. In interviews Cobain presented himself as a happy man, he said that his daughter was the “best drug” he ever had.

A month after the birth of baby cobain, Nirvana was invited to play at the 1992 MTV music awards. They performed their well known hit Lithium and took home two awards that night. At the ‘93 awards Nirvana won “Best Alternative Video Award.” Nirvana performed twice on Saturday night live in their time. In 1993 they recorded Mtv Unplugged, which wasn’t released till after his death.

The last weeks of Cobain’s life were filled with turmoil and angiush. Courtney gathered friends and doctors to try to scare Kurt into getting help for his drug problem through interventions. After foolishly mixing champagne and tranquilizers he lapsed into a coma in Rome, a failed suicide attempt. He spent several days in the hospital until willfully leaving. Its reported that immediately following the departure of hospital Kurt purchased a gun. He was missing 6 days. He was found sprawled on the floor of the Seattle Cobain home, dead, gun still pointing to his chin. On a counter nearby was a suicide letter addressed to his fans, wife and baby, made out in red ink. He had been dead 3 days.

In result of his tragic death hundreds of people gathered in seattle where the devastated widow, Courtney, read certain parts of the suicide note over microphones. The media went wild and some obsessed fans commited suicide in tribute.

The slight soft-spoken Cobain will be remembered as the architect of grunge. He’s responsible for the most creative rock music of the last decade. In his music he didn’t communicate in complete sentences or elaborate arguments, his lyrics were a stream of conscieness insights to the short attention span of his audience. Conterary to the plan Kurt had for his life, he became rich and famous and carried the banner for this generation of rebellious teens. To some kurt was a depressed heroin addict, to others just a singer, but to some an example. There is a little Kurt Cobain in all of us.

Kurt Cobain had a hard life and he took the easy way out. He had a wife he loved, a daughter he worshipped, and millions of adoring fans around the world. We’ll always have his music and forever will remember him.