Kurt Cobain (1967 – 1994)
Kurt Cobain (1967 - 1994) was addicted to heroin.
Founder member, singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana. A talented and creative child, Cobain was diagnosed as ‘hyperactive’ and prescribed the amphetamine derivative Ritalin. Deeply affected by his parents’ divorce at the age of seven, Cobain is alleged to have said that he never felt loved or secure again. After a series of relocations, and staying with various relatives, Cobain eventually settled in Seattle and channelled his energies into music. Troubled by continual insomnia and an unidentifiable stomach complaint, Cobain began self-medicating with drugs. By the late eighties, Nirvana were up and running and had released their first album Bleach and become recognized as the pioneers of the grunge sound that characterized the rest of the nineties, paving the way for other bands such as Pearl Jam. In 1992, Nirvana released their hugely successful album Nevermind and the single ‘Smells like Teen Spirit‘. Mass media attention followed with Cobain’s photograph adorning numerous front covers of newspapers and magazines all over the world, and the album selling several million copies. The band rapidly became the voice of a disgruntled generation with many fans idolizing Cobain. Distinctly uncomfortable and depressed with the demands of such sudden and intrusive fame, Cobain turned increasingly to heroin. Despite marrying and having a child, the continuing rollercoaster success of the band placed Cobain under even greater stress, and in March 1994, he was admitted to hospital in a coma having attempted suicide. A week later, he enrolled in a Lis Angeles psychiatric drug recovery centre. Thirty-six hours after admission, he bolted and ended his life with a single shotgun blast to his head. Heroin and valium were found in his bloodstream.
Sad Facts
- Two of Cobain’s uncles had also taken their own lives.
- One of Cobain’s favourite Nirvana songs was ‘Lithium’.
