30 years ago today, Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain took his own life. His music still lives on. Not just for people over 40, but also for younger people. Why is that?
30 yellow roses and a card that says “Happy Easter, Kurt” lie on a bench in Viretta Park in Seattle. There are photos of Kurt Cobain sitting here and smiling. The bank has become an unofficial memorial site; less than 50 meters away is the house where he died on April 5, 1994.
“My mother always listened to the music. Something grew in me,” says 20-year-old Nathan. He and his friends traveled from Los Angeles to see the bench and learn more about Kurt Cobain. “I liked Nirvana from a very early age, especially the lyrics,” he says. “They did something to my brain that I think was really good. I’ve been hearing everything from them since then.”
Millions listen to Nirvana songs
Over 31 million people listen to Nirvana songs on Spotify every month. The US singer Beyoncé has incorporated Nirvana snippets into her concerts. A guitar played by Kurt Cobain sold at auction last year for over $1.5 million.
Kurt Cobain’s daughter, Francis Bean, still receives almost $100,000 from the band’s estate – every month.
Major fashion houses continue to sell Nirvana shirts. Ariana is wearing one of them. She is 24 years old and comes from San Francisco. “I have friends who also struggle with drugs, with heroin,” she says. “I also lost someone because of it. That’s why the darker sides of music, the pain, appeal to me.”
“The biggest band in the world”
Jakob McMurrey stands next to a guitar smashed by Kurt Cobain. “He didn’t have many guitars back then, that was probably his only one,” he says. “He could barely pay rent and still tore them up during a show.”
McMurrey has been following the band’s history since its inception. He has put together an exhibition for the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle: It’s about why Nirvana’s sometimes so hard music impresses the masses across generations.
“This is the story of three guys who didn’t have many opportunities – but through talent, luck and ambition, they became the biggest band in the world for a short time.”
McMurrey has collected over 1,200 Nirvana items. Also a poster announcing the band’s first concert on March 19, 1988. Kurt Cobain painted it himself. It shows the Virgin Mary – without eyes. “Kurt stole the Maria figures from cemeteries and painted them again and again. A crazy version of his creative self.”
Why is Cobain still so important?
But why is Cobain still so important today? “It will always appeal to young people who are disillusioned and who are looking for something outside the mainstream,” McMurrey is convinced. “It also symbolizes something rebellious, it also stood for social justice and feminism. It will remain for decades to come.”
The blinds of Kurt Cobain’s former home at 171 Lake Washington Blvd. are lowered. It’s very quiet here, a stuffy residential area. Nothing here matches Cobain’s torn jeans, the worn-out Chucks, the rebelliousness of Nirvana’s music.
On the bench in Viretta Park next to Cobain’s house there is hardly any room to sit because of all the flowers. One of the pinned letters reads: “March 31, 2024. Dear Kurt. I hope you somehow realize how much your art has helped people like you. I’m 27 now, like you were back then. I didn’t want any Turning 28. But I’m glad I stayed. You helped things change. Thanks, Kurt.”
Help with suicidal thoughts
If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, please seek help immediately. With the anonymous telephone counseling service you can find contacts around the clock.
Telephone numbers for the telephone counseling service: 0800/111 0 111 and 0800/111 0 222 www.telefonseelsorge.de
Telephone advice for children and young people: 116 111 – www.nummergegenkummer.de
Nils Dampz, ARD Los Angeles, currently Seattle, tagesschau, April 5, 2024 9:00 a.m