Kurt Cobain (Nirvana)

Name: Kurt Donald Cobain
Born/Died: 20th February, 1967 (Aberdeen, Washington, USA) – 5th April, 1994

Profile: He was an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the rock band "Nirvana".

History: Cobain was raised by working-class parents, and his family had a musical background. Cobain began developing an interest in music early in his life. According to his Aunt, he began singing at 2 years old and at age 4, he began singing and playing the piano, writing a song about their trip to a local park. He would listen to artists like the "Ramones", "The Beatles" and the theme song to The Monkees television show at a young age.

In the 80's, he discovered punk, and his musical course was set, in 1983, he attended his first concert, it was Sammy Hagar and Quarterflash at the Seattle Center Coliseum. Cobain, however, claimed his first attended concert to be the "Melvins" - an experience of which he wrote prolifically in his Journals. As a teenager living in Montesano, Cobain eventually found escape through the thriving Pacific Northwest punk scene, going to punk rock shows in Seattle. Eventually, Cobain began frequenting the practice space of fellow Montesano musicians the "Melvins".

For his 14th birthday, Cobain's uncle gave him a guitar. He started by learning a few covers, including "Louie Louie" and songs from "The Cars", and soon began working on his own songs. During high school, Cobain rarely found anyone with whom he could play music. While hanging out at the "Melvins" practice space, he met Krist Novoselic, a fellow devotee of punk rock. Later, Cobain and Novoselic would occasionally practice and jammed together. A few years later, Cobain tried to convince Novoselic to form a band with him by lending him a copy of a home demo recorded by Cobain's earlier band, "Fecal Matter". After months of asking, Novoselic finally agreed to join Cobain, forming the beginnings of "Nirvana".

He was never a technical player, Cobain rarely relied on flash, preferring to make his point through dynamics instead, fleshing out his songs with judicious use of distortion and feedback. Even his "solos" tended to be self-effacing in the extreme; the guitar break in "Teen Spirit," for example, merely reprised the vocal line. But Cobain's deft use of harmony and lean, tuneful sense of line more than made up for any lack of chops, shoring up the songs so exquisitely that it was easy to overlook how elegant his playing was.

Influences: AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Kiss and Cheap Trick

Axology: Left-handed Fender Mustang, Ferrington Custom; Mesa/Boogie amplifiers

Signature song(s): Smells Like Teen Spirit and Come As You Are - Nirvana (Nevermind, 1991)

Link(s):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg&feature=fvst

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8xkuOQ3H9o

"I just can't believe that anyone would start a band just to make the scene and be cool and have chicks" - Kurt Cobain