Full Name: Mr. Kurt Donald Cobain Date of Birth: February 20, 1967 Place of Birth: Hoquiam, Washington, USA Died: April 5, 1994 Place of Death: Seattle, Washington, USA Classification: Artists & Entertainers

Although he never intended to change the course of music history, Kurt Cobain became the ‘Father of Generation X’ when he released his first albums as Nirvana in the early 1990s. His song, Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come as you Are, and About a Girl solidified his worldwide ranking as one of the greatest songwriters and performers of all time.

Growing up in a small town in Washington, young Kurt didn’t have as many friends as he could play music with. As a youngster, Cobain’s father, who was a mechanic, wanted him to play sports. But, Cobain had other interests, such as art, listening to music from the Beatles, and playing his guitar. Cobain blamed some of his later drug-related troubles on the drug Ritalin, which his school prescribed when he was only seven years old.

After his parents’ divorce that same year, he began feeling confused and lost. He was upset at both of his parents and wanted them to stay together. Kurt stayed with his mother for a while and then decided to live with his father. As he grew up and started high school, Cobain became interested in the local punk banks in Washington. From that point on, he would spend his time going to concerts and attempting to form a small band with friends. During high school, he also admits that he smoked marijuana frequently and tried most other drugs. Cobain wasn’t allowed to graduate high school because he did not have enough credits due to his moving back and forth between his father’s and mother’s houses. Feeling helpless, he dropped out then his mother forced him to move out. He lived on the street and made ends meet when he found work as a janitor at the local school and found an apartment for rent.

After some rough times and various arrests in his hometown, he decided to move to Olympia, Washington where he and Novoselic formed their band Nirvana. As they played together, they were invited to play backup for several bands of the area. The two recorded a record with Sub Pop Records in 1989, but then moved with David Grohl and released their album Nevermind, which sent the band’s popularity soaring.

Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love met in the latter 1980s, but never consummated their passion for one another until 1991, when Kurt Cobain was gaining immense popularity. Love gave birth to Cobain’s child, named Frances Bean Cobain, in 1992.

While Kurt Cobain allegedly was suicidal, some evidence suggests that his death was a homicide. With the release of a documentary, some journalists showed proof of how Cobain could not have killed himself due to the shotgun blast and other evidence found in the room at the time of his death. The suicide note has been said by some experts to not match his writing. Other facts about the case are highlighted in what many believe is the most accurate biography of Kurt Cobain called Heavier than Heaven released in 2001.

• Courtney Love
• Evel Knievel
• William S. Burroughs
• Valerie Solanas
• Jack Kerouac
• John Lennon