It was April 5, 1994, when Kurt Cobain died by suicide. If he were still with us today, he would have turned 55 this year.
Cobain is seen as one of the most interesting figures in American music history. His role in the 1990s rock scene with the proliferation of grunge made him a superstar. However, it wasn’t a life that he always had an easy time dealing with. He had a heroin addiction that lasted years leading up to his death.
There is a lot of speculation that has gone on about his death and the events leading up to it. Then, there is the fact that he died at 27 years old. Those that are superstitious and a bit conspiratorial believe the number has a significant meaning. Other artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Janis Joplin have also died at that age.
One thing we are certain of is that he remains one of the most influential musical figures in American history. Of course, Dave Grohl, the drummer for Nirvana has turned into one of the biggest rock stars in the world. His band Foo Fighters continues to sell out crowds to this day. If Cobain were alive today, would Grohl be the prolific and multitalented act that he is now? And how would Nirvana’s success in the 1990s be viewed if they made it into the new millennium?
Those questions and more are asked any time the subject gets brought up. The impact of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana is undeniable, even 28 years later. I was born three years after Cobain died, and even I grew up obsessively analyzing each detail, every lyric. Oh, what could have been, right?
The Death of Kurt Cobain Inspired Dave Grohl to Found Foo Fighters
It is fair to say that Dave Grohl wouldn’t be the artist we know today if his dear friend Kurt Cobain did not die so early in life. Nirvana was on their way to fame the likes none of them saw coming. And Cobain didn’t want. The Unplugged album is one of the best pieces of art that came out of the 1990s if you ask me. Grohl talked about the impact that moment in 1994 had on him.
“When Kurt died, and it all ended I didn’t know what to do with my life,” Grohl said. “I couldn’t listen to music anymore because it hurt too much so I tried to escape and went to Ireland to soul search.” He couldn’t escape Nirvana, or Cobain, though. “So I went home and started over with the Foo Fighters. I needed to survive and get on with life.”
Thankfully, he was able to move on after Kurt Cobain died. A world without Kurt and without Foo Fighters isn’t one I would want to live in.
