Die hard Nirvana fans, like myself (You're probably thinking that I'm that person only wears a Nirvana shirt, then ends up thinking that I am that one person who either (a) only like Smells Like Teen Spirit or (b) Think Nirvana is a clothing line. But trust me, I know a little bit more then you think) have always liked the iconic lead singer, Kurt Cobain. Dave Grohl is just as awesome, but I’m talking about the one and only infamous grunge legend himself, Kurt Cobain. Don’t know who Kurt is? I’ll fill you in on little bit about him:
Kurt Donald Cobain was born February 20th, 1967 in the small town of Aberdeen, Washington. In the early 80’s after many failed titles for his band fall through, he finally met his friend, Krist Novoselic through his friend in the Melvin’s, Buzz Osbourne, where Cobain and Krist formed the famous 90’s band; Nirvana. They wrote hits such as Smells Like Teen Spirit and Heart Shaped Box. Kurt and Krist went through couple of drummers until they landed on Dave Grohl to create the famous sound Nirvana had. Fast-forwarding into the future and the growth of fame off of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain married Courtney Love and had his one and only daughter, Francis Cobain. After that later in his life Cobain “supposedly” committed suicide, but is still looked upon as one of the biggest legends in rock history.
So, why was Kurt so awesome? Here’s 5 reasons telling you why:
1. He was in it for the music
Multiple times in interviews, the front man said he never really wanted the fame that he had gotten it by just the love of the music and that attracted attention. If you ever want to think of the genuine aspect of a musician you’d want to look to, Kurt Cobain. He was one of those legends you look up to, and wonder how he could have stayed so committed to the music. For example, in an interview he once said,
"I wanted to have the adoration of John Lennon but have the anonymity of Ringo Starr. I didn't want to be a front man; I just wanted to be back there and still be a rock and roll star at the same time."
This paints the picture of how Kurt just wanted to be able to still play music and not be the center of attention to the crowd, and only focus on the music.
2. His Creativity
Most people could agree, Kurt was a creative guy. Especially when it came to his sound for Nirvana, sometimes people even called him a perfectionist when it came to his specific sound. He showed this in his clothing choice, hair styles, and mostly everything he did. He was unpredictable. Many people took his lyrics seriously, but that wasn’t what he wanted, he said many times that he takes on a character of someone else and tells story through his lyrics. Kirst once said in an interview;
“There were songs that Kurt would woodshed. He would come in with it, and we would work it out, build it up. There were songs that were made up on the spot, coming out of jams, which took a few rehearsals to come together. But they would find form. That was another thing with Kurt – he could have a riff, but then he was so good at vocal phrasing. He would usually write the lyrics at the last minute. But he was so good at vocal phrasing [in rehearsals]. And voilà – you have a song.”
Coming up with some things on the spot after long rehearsals, must be some form of talent and over creativity or even just bringing in something to work on a sound, it showed how much he focused the overall unique sound for the band. Lyrics were more of the second hand type of thing, but only sometimes.
3. He was a very outspoken ally for the LGBTA+ community
Kurt saw no problem in being gay, and he encouraged it. He was a supporter of the community; he didn’t care about what others thought of him. Many people saw him as a sensitive guy, wanting to learn about others around him and was quite influenced by others.
“I mean, I'm definitely gay in spirit, and I probably could be bisexual ... If I wouldn't have found Courtney [Love], I probably would have carried on with a bisexual lifestyle." -Kurt Cobain
Cobain was a good ally for the 90's of the LGBT+ community, even though he may have phrased himself incorrectly with the words "lifestyle" towards a sexuality, he must have just been misinformed but the no way in doubt stopped his support in community and I feel as though it paints a good picture with this quote as well:
“I am not gay, although I wish I were, just to piss off homophobes.” - Kurt Cobain
4. Supported Equal Rights
I believe that in these two quote describes this reason perfectly:
"If any of you, in any way, hate homosexuals, people of a different color or women, please do this one favor for us — leave us the fuck alone. Don’t come to our shows and don’t buy our records." -Kurt Cobain
"Because I couldn't find any friends — male friends that I felt compatible with — I ended up hanging out with the girls a lot. I just always felt that they weren't treated with respect. Especially because women are totally oppressed." -Kurt Cobain
5. He is a rock legend
The talent and love for Kurt Cobain, has been moved on for many years. I remember being younger and hearing songs by Nirvana when my dad would play them and they were really famous around the time of when my eldest sister, Monica, was born. For some reason many people today, even people younger than myself find Nirvana one way or another. I know I did, Kurt and his band will live on to be one of the best artists for many years. I could see my future kids rocking out to some Nirvana.
For the most part, I love Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. Some people may not, but that's okay. We all have our personal preferences on music styles, and that is alright. What I am hoping for is the appreciation of the guy, despite his flaws or weak spots in his own personal life --- he stayed in the world for a short amount of time for the music. Personally, that is rad to me. He will forever be an influence on me and today's generation with his overall career and interesting personality.
Rest In Peace, Kurt Cobain. You'll live on forever in the rock world.
