Frank Micelotta/Getty
It has been three decades since the death ofNirvanafrontmanKurt Cobain, but the musical legacy he left behind has only grown stronger.
“Kurt had … inhuman levels of professional pressure, chronic and severe physical pain and a heroin addiction that he just couldn’t seem to shake (or didn’t want to),” Nirvana biographer and Cobain pal Michael Azerrad wrote in an article forThe New Yorkerin 2021.
On the 30th anniversary of his death, here’s a look back at the rock icon’s final days and the legacy he left behind.
How did Kurt Cobain die?
Kurt Cobain recording in Hilversum Studios.Michel Linssen/Redferns
Michel Linssen/Redferns
Blood tests taken during the autopsy determined that Cobain also had heroin in his system when he died.
When did Kurt Cobain die?
Kurt Cobain.Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Cobain died on April 5, 1994, though his body wasn’t found until three days later on April 8. An electrician named Gary Smith discovered Cobain’s lifeless body there when he arrived at the property to install a security system that Cobain had requested.
How did Kurt Cobain spend his final days?
The tragedy came on the heels of an extremely tumultuous month for the singer. Cobain was hospitalized while overseas in Rome after ingesting 50 or so Rohypnol pills and falling into a temporary coma on March 4. “There was a definite suicidal urge, to be gobbling and gobbling and gobbling,” Love later toldRolling Stoneof the incident.
On March 18, Love was prompted to call the police on her husband, who had locked himself in a room with a gun and threatened to kill himself. Cobain was persuaded to seek help after his loved ones, including Love, staged an intervention. “I told him, ‘You’ve got to be a good daddy. We’ve got to be good parents,” Love told PEOPLE in 1994.
The singer checked into Exodus Recovery Center in Marina del Rey, Calif., on March 28 but left after 36 hours and supposedly retreated to a country house he and Love owned about 40 miles east of Seattle. Four days later, Cobain’s mother Wendy O’Connor reported him missing to the police, but they were unable to locate him. Love also hired a private investigator to find her husband.
Where did Kurt Cobain die?
The Nirvana singer died in the greenhouseabove his garage in his Seattle home.
Cobain and Love had purchased the home three months before his death, according toCNN. After Cobain died, Love had the greenhouse demolished and eventually sold the home three years later for $2.9 million.
How old was Kurt Cobain when he died?
Cobain was 27 years old when he took his own life, the same age as fellow musicians Jimi Hendrix,Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison andAmy Winehouseat the time of their deaths.
“Now he’s gone and joined that stupid club,” O’Connor said after her son’s death, referencing the larger group of celebrities who have died at the age of 27.
What were Kurt Cobain’s last words?
Kurt Cobain.Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Cobain left behind a note written in a red ballpoint pen. In it, the artist expressed gratitude for his good fortune in life but said that he was unable to enjoy it.
According to Love, who spoke toRolling Stonein December 1994, Cobain also left a separate letter for her and Frances that she kept private. “It’s kind of long. I put it in a safe-deposit box,” she said. “I might show it to Frances–maybe. It’s very … ‘You know I love you, I love Frances, I’m so sorry. Please don’t follow me.’ "
How did the public react to Kurt Cobain’s death?
The public response to Cobain’s death was enormous.The New York Timesreported that fans began to assemble outside his home in Madrona, Seattle, in mourning as early as April 9, 1994.
Two days after his body was discovered, roughly 10,000 fans gathered in downtown Seattle for a memorial vigil.
What legacy did Kurt Cobain leave behind?
Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, and Krist Novoselic.Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy
Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy
As the band’s main songwriter, Cobain was a huge part of its success. Former Nirvana drummerDave GrohltoldClassic Rock Magazinein 2021: “The person who is responsible for those beautiful songs isno longer with us.”
Nirvana’s popularity only grew after Cobain’s death. In 2014, the group was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fameand in 2019,NMEreported that the trio’s single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” had become the second ’90s music video to hit one billion views on YouTube behind Guns ‘N Roses’ “November Rain." The following year,Nevermindbecame the seventh album in history to spend 500 weeks on the Billboard 200, perForbes.
Record sales also continued to climb: As of 2023,Nevermindhad sold more than 30 copies, according toRolling Stone.
Frances, who is an artist in her own right, has posted snippets of several original songs to her social media accounts over the years, including one honoring Cobain called “Angel.”
She opened up about what her father might think of her songs to E! News in 2018, saying, “I would hope thathe would be proudof the human being I am even if he didn’t like the art I am putting out.”
In October 2023, Francestied the knotwithTony Hawk’s oldest son,Riley Hawk.
source: people.com
