Today (April 5) is a sad day for rock fans. On this day in 1994, Kurt Cobain decided to take his own life. He was only 27.
Cobain's death came after the meteoric rise of his band Nirvana and while he battled drug addiction and other health problems.
Born Kurt Donald Cobain on Feb. 20, 1967, he started Nirvana in 1987 with bassist Krist Novolelic, a fellow Northwest resident. After cycling through a series of drummers, the pair finally decided on Dave Grohl, formerly of Washington, D.C. hardcore band Scream.
Nirvana was signed to noted Seattle label Sub Pop prior to Grohl joining the band and released its debut album, Bleach, in 1989. It was with Grohl behind the kit, however, that the band landed a deal with Geffen/DGC and recorded its breakthrough album Nevermind at Sound City in Van Nuys, Calif. with producer Butch Vig behind the board.
With its lead single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" exploding on MTV and radio, Nevermind promptly climbed to the top of the Billboard 200, knocking Michael Jackson's Dangerous from the top spot in January 1992 and setting off a sea change in culture that would make mainstream rockers and metal bands passe.
Yet Cobain had problems adjusting to his newfound fame. He became addicted to heroin, claiming he used the narcotic to self-treat a painful stomach ailment. Meanwhile, he found himself in the middle of a media frenzy following Nirvana's success, his marriage to fellow rocker Courtney Love and the birth of their first child, Frances Bean Cobain.
With their third album, In Utero, Cobain and Nirvana rebelled against their success, hiring punk hero Steve Albini to record the album. While it wasn't nearly as successful as Nevermind, it also topped the Billboard 200.
Nirvana went on to tape an MTV Unplugged, showcasing the band's acoustic side and influences, with covers of songs by David Bowie, Leadbelly and the Meat Puppets, along with Cobain originals.
On April 8, 1994, Cobain was found dead from a self-inflicted shotgun blast to the head. Like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Jim Morrison, Cobain died at the age of 27. MTV paid its respects by airing Nirvana Unplugged repeatedly in the days following Cobain's death. Nearly a year to the date that it was originally recorded, MTV Unplugged in New York was released, and it promptly became Nirvana's third No. 1 album and served as a fitting tribute to Cobain and a band whose end came too soon.
Sadly, Cobain isn't the only Northwest music star to die on this day. Shawn Smith, who was a member of Brad, Pigeonhead and Satchel, died on this day in 1994 from complications of diabetes. And, Layne Staley, frontman of Alice in Chains, was found dead on this day in 2002, after overdosing on a combination of heroin and cocaine.
