Kurt Cobain, lead singer of the hit band Nirvana, would have been 50 years old today on February 20th, 2017. He passed away on April 5th, 1994 from a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head and high traces of drugs in his system, which ended up being ruled as a suicide. He was 27 years old.
Kurt and his band became known as a household name after they hit the grunge scene with their album Nevermind in the early 90’s, although mainstream success was something that the band never really wanted or was prepared to have. Kurt spoke on multiple occasions about how hard it was for him to cope with having millions of fans (even at times attempting to alienate himself from them with albums such as In Utero), popularity, and being something that the mainstream musical industry spoke about constantly. However, through this struggle, Kurt managed to use his platform to speak about what he thought was important. He avidly supported feminism, the LGBTQ community, people of color, fighting rape culture, and ending gender roles (as shown in the photo and through the various occasions that he wore dresses during shows/in everyday life).
“Censorship is VERY American”
-Kurt Cobain
Kurt had stated more than once that “If any of [my fans] in any way hate homosexuals, people of a different color, or women, please do this one favor for us… don’t come to our shows and don’t buy our records.” He always made the people aware of what he believed in and left no room for gray space or misinterpretations. In addition, he also consistently commented on sexism and rape culture within and outside of the music community. He called out the industry on its inherent sexism, noting that “It is up to men… sexism has to be blown wide open… the most effective tool is entertainment.” He coined himself as a feminist, saying “I am definitely a feminist. I’m f*cking disgusted by the way women are still treated. It’s 1993 and some people still think we’re in the 1950’s. We need to make more progress. There needs to be more female musicians, more female artists, more female writers. Everything is dominated by f*cking males and I’m sick of it,” as well as stating that men need to be taught not to rape through education, rather than women being taught how to avoid being raped. It’s important to note that these types of comments were not singular or something new he began saying for fame or popularity. They were his beliefs that he constantly spoke on and pushed for in the public eye, one of the only things he knew was right to do with a platform he did not always want.
“I’ve been told that an artist is in need of instant tragedy to fully express their work, but I’m not an artist and when I say I in a song, it doesn’t necessarily mean that person is me…”
-Kurt Cobain
Looking at the things that Kurt Cobain has said and done in his life, it’s easy to understand why people love him. He was not scared to say what he thought was right and did not care about being popular in mainstream culture. He pushed through extreme illnesses, such as his lifelong battle with depression and suicidal thoughts, as well as Crohn’s disease and constant stomach issues that left him in extreme pain for years. His illnesses were the reason for which he claimed to use drugs, as he always said that he was not a junkie, but felt like one sometimes when very ill. This pain, his struggles from an early age, and his love for music were what he used to write his music that is laced with obvious and intense emotion, which is part of the reason why many people are drawn to his songs and videos, and can strongly relate them, even to this day.
Kurt Cobain’s suicide was something that left the world reeling. Although even Kurt himself had been obsessed with the idea of premature death, specifically in rock stars, the ending of his life due to his ongoing battle with mental illness was tragic. He left behind a very young daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, his wife Courtney Love, and millions of adoring fans.
“I’ve lost my mind many times, and my wallet many more. In the simplest terms:
- Don’t rape
- Don’t be prejudice
- Don’t be sexist
- Love your children
- Love your neighbor
- Love yourself
Don’t let your opinions obstruct the aforementioned list”
-Kurt Cobain
All we have left of Kurt Cobain is his music, his interviews, and photos of him. Years later and he is just as popular, still being played on the radio and remembered every day that he is not here. His memory and legacy live on through his music, and in that, we can all have a small part of him to cherish and love.
On this day, his 50th birthday, people all over the world are remembering Kurt Cobain. Whether that be reminiscing on a concert, a favorite song, or just him as a human being, it is obvious that he is not forgotten. His daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, who is now 24 years old, posted her own heart touching tribute to her father on this day as well, reminding us that while we all miss the public Kurt Cobain that the world came to know and love, his family is still struggling with his being gone to this day.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQudfoUA4RM/?taken-by=space_witch666
Kurt Cobain’s daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, and her touching Instagram post.
On this day, listen to a Nirvana song in Kurt Cobain’s memory, and remember the incredible man that we lost 23 years ago.
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