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Divorce of Kurt Cobain's Parents
When Kurt was only eight years old, his parents became divorced (Rolling Stone). This event had a huge impact on Kurt's life, as he highly opposed the divorce. His troubles at home led to bullying of others at school. Before long, Kurt dropped out of high school. It was around this time that Kurt began to develop signs of bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses. -
Nirvana Formed
It was during high school that Kurt Cobain met soon-to-become Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic (Rolling Stone). For two years, Nirvana struggled to reach any large-scale success, drawing very small audiences. After the release of the album "Bleach" in 1989 (Egan), Nirvana attained new drummer Dave Grohl. Together, the trio would go on to become one of the most successful rock bands that the music industry had ever seen. The success of the band would heavily influence Kurt's personal life. -
"Nevermind" Released
The release of "Nevermind" slingshotted Nirvana to the top of the charts. By Kurt's death in 1994, the album had sold over 10 million copies (Pareles). This album was Kurt's main "claim to fame," forever changing the music industry and placing Kurt Cobain as the new symbol for punk rock. -
MTV Unplugged in New York
Kurt's live performance on the album "MTV Unplugged in New York" would forever become one of the most iconic acts in rock and roll history. Kurt sat on the stage with nothing but his acoustic guitar, screaming into the microphone in his signature style (Micelotta). The live performance would go on to become the last album released by the band before Kurt's death. -
Kurt Enters Rehab
After an attempted suicide attempt while on tour in Europe, Kurt checked into a rehab facility. Ironically, in an interview, Kurt had stated that he, "[would never] commit suicide or run away" (Kurt Cobain Talks About Depression). After spending a short time in the facility, Kurt escaped by jumping over a wall. He would then head back to his home in Seattle (Rolling Stone). -
Death of Kurt Cobain
It is one of the most iconic deaths in music history. Kurt Cobain committed suicide on April 5th, 1994. The only thing he left behind was his suicide note, in which he stated that he, "[hadn't] felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music along with reading and writing for too many years" (Dailymail). Kurt's death in his Seattle home after escaping a rehab facility marked the death of one of the greatest rock and roll musicians of all time.