Early years

According to his main biographers, Kurt Cobain was born in the city of Aberdeen, Washington, United States, on February 20, 1967, becoming the eldest son of Donald Lenald Cobain and his wife Wendy Elizabeth Fradenburg, a humble marriage of deep Catholic formation. From the age of two years old, Kurt began to manifest his fondness for music. By the time he was four years old, Kurt already stood out among his family and friends for his ability to play the piano, and for the good ear and voice he demonstrated.

Among one of his family anecdotes is the first song composed by this future star of the world music scene, which tells how little Kurt, at only four years old, had composed a song about a family trip to the local zoo.

From these early years, we also have an idea of what were – and would continue to be over the years – his great musical influences, including bands such as Ramones, The Beatles, or artists like Arlo Guthrie.

Beginnings of the depression

Although there are no records that identify him as a particularly cheerful child during his early years, his parents did point out how Kurt Cobain’s mood had been intensely affected, as a result of their divorce. According to these statements, Cobain took it very personally, even feeling envious of those peers who, in keeping with the Catholic community in which they lived, belonged to structured families, unlike his own.

After the separation, his biographers place at nine years of age the beginning of a depressive condition that would accompany him throughout his life, and with which he would have to deal until the day of his suicide, which occurred in the city of Seattle, Washington, United States, on April 5, 1994.

Likewise, the first years following the breakup of his parents’ relationship became an unstable period, even in terms of his home, since according to some biographical texts, he spent the first months with his mother, to finally move in with his father, with whom he would remain.

School years

Regarding his school years, his academic and social life would also be affected by his emotional state. In this sense, Kurt Cobain is described as a lonely boy, given to humanistic subjects -despite his father’s wishes for him to succeed in sports- and who would also have suffered school bullying, for his decision to befriend a boy recognized by his classmates as gay.

In search of a band

However, the school years would also be the context in which Kurt Cobain would live for the first time the experience of being in a musical band, when between the ages of ten and sixteen he stood out as a drummer in a band of his school, surprising everyone for his talent and ability, even though at that time he had no musical studies, and did not even know how to read music scores.

Likewise, it was in his adolescence when he got his hands on an electric guitar for the first time, which was a gift from his uncle Chuck, Kurt was 14 years old.

From that moment on, Kurt Cobain devoted himself to the study of music at the Rosevear Music Center. In just six weeks he had learned to play it, and was already composing his own songs. The experience also gave birth in Kurt Cobain the desire to have his own band, so he began to urge the few friends they had to join his desire. However, the dream would not be fulfilled so quickly, as Kurt Cobain would find it hard to get a partner to second his musical goals.

Birth of Nirvana

However, in 1985, Cobain met Krist Novoselic, with whom he would form a band, even though Novoselic was not convinced from the beginning, taking a few months to respond affirmatively to Kurt Cobain’s proposal. Nirvana had begun to take shape. But in spite of the enthusiasm of these young musicians, Nirvana had a hard time getting a drummer, who would come to close the key of the nascent band.

Fortunately, history would put them in 1989, in front of Chad Channing, with whom they would achieve the sound that characterized the first album-debut Bleach. A year later, the band changed drummer again, welcoming Dave Grohl.

Discography

Once Nirvana achieved their coupling and the sound they were looking for, they began to position themselves as one of the most outstanding bands of the grunch scene in the United States, becoming also a phenomenon in sales, selling more than twelve million records. The titles released by Nirvana were: Bleach (1989); Nevermind (1991); Incesticide (1992); In Utero (1993); MTV Unplugged in New York (1994); Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!! (1994).

Suicide

Despite success and fame, Kurt Cobain remained his usual lonely self. His fight against health problems, drug addiction and depression was finally lost on April 5, 1994, when in his residence, located in Seattle, Washington, United States, according to information given by the authorities, he committed suicide, firing a shotgun against himself. However, the version presented has since brought controversy among fans, being the seed of numerous theories.