Kurt Cobain
Biography
Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – c. April 5, 1994) was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana.
Cobain formed Nirvana with Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1985 and established it as part of the Seattle music scene, having its debut album Bleach released on the independent record label Sub Pop in 1989. After signing with major label DGC Records, the band found breakthrough success with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from its second album Nevermind (1991). Following the success of Nevermind, Nirvana was labeled "the flagship band" of Generation X, and Cobain hailed as "the spokesman of a generation". Cobain however was often uncomfortable and frustrated, believing his message and artistic vision to have been misinterpreted by the public, with his personal issues often subject to media attention. He challenged Nirvana's audience with its final studio album In Utero (1993).
During the last years of his life, Cobain struggled with heroin addiction, illness and depression, his fame and public image, as well as the professional and lifelong personal pressures surrounding himself and his wife, musician Courtney Love. On April 8, 1994, Cobain was found dead at his home in Seattle, the victim of what was officially ruled a suicide by a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. The circumstances of his death have become a topic of public fascination and debate. Since their debut, Nirvana, with Cobain as a songwriter, has sold over 25 million albums in the US alone, and over 50 million worldwide.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- Classic Albums (1997) as Self (archive footage)
- MTV Video Music Awards (1984) as Self
- The UnXplained (2019) as Self (archive footage)
- The Word (1990)
- Stupor Mundi: Book 3, The Most Dangerous Encounter (2019) as Self (archive footage)
- The Nineties (2017) as Self (archive footage)
- Cobain: Montage of Heck (2015) as Self (archive footage)
- Too Young to Die (2012) as Self (archive footage)
- Freaks, Nerds & Weirdos (1994) as Self
- VH1 News Special: Grunge (2001) as Self (archive footage)
- Welcome to My Castle! (2007) as Self
- Soaked in Bleach (2015) as Self (archive footage)
- 70 Years of Youth Revolt (2020) as Self (archive footage)
- Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage (2021) as Self (archive footage)
- Kurt & Courtney (1998) as Self (archive footage)
- Nirvana: Live and Loud (1993) as Self - Vocals, Guitar
- Nirvana: Unplugged in New York - Rehearsal (1993) as Self - Lead Vocals, Guitars
- The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2006) as Self (Archival footage)
- 25 Years of Punk (2001) as Self (archive footage)
- Nirvana: Teatro Castello, Rome, Italy (1991) as Self
- Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit (1991) as Kurt Cobain
- MTV Unplugged: Nirvana (1993) as Self
- Nirvana: Live in Dallas (1991) as Self
- Nirvana: Live at Hollywood Rock Festival (1993) as Self