Kurt Cobain Biography

Fast Facts

• Was devastated, at the age of 9, by his parents' divorce; Cobain subsequently lived with several different relatives
• Received his first guitar, a birthday present from his uncle, at the age of 14
• Dropped out of high school shortly before graduation
• Discovered punk music through local proto-grunge band the Melvins, for whom Cobain served as a roadie during regional touring
• Pre-Nirvana band was called Fecal Matter; the group recorded a handful of songs, but never played any shows
• With bassist Krist Novoselic, formed Nirvana in 1986; Sub Pop Records released the band's debut album, Bleach, in 1989
• Multiplatinum follow-up Nevermind (1991), which featured the smash single "Smells Like Teen Spirit," helped bring grunge and the Seattle music scene to national prominence
• Entered rehab several times in the early '90s, trying unsuccessfully to break an addiction to heroin, which Cobain used in part to treat chronic stomach pain
• Death on April 5, 1994, was followed by several posthumous Nirvana releases, including the live albums MTV Unplugged in New York (1994) and From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah (1996)