Kurt Cobain, 10 years later… we remember

A decade ago today, the Nirvana lead singer and guitarist, a man called by some the voice of a generation, put a shotgun to his head and ended his life. Cobain, 27, left behind a wife, a 2-year-old daughter and a suicide note that contained the following Bob Dylan lyric:

“It’s better to burn out, than to fade away.”

Nirvana soared to stardom in 1991 with the release of its second album, the breakthrough “Nevermind.” The first single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” became a quick success, thanks to heavy airplay on MTV. The album, which sold nearly 8 million copies, is touted as the 17th best album of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. It is the only album released after 1982 in Rolling Stone’s top 25.

Critics describe 1991’s “Nevermind,” which has sold more than 10 million copies, as one of the decade’s most important albums. Its biggest hit, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” remains a seminal expression of teen angst. Cobain brought the dark, driven sound of grunge rock to the nation, helped save the world from hair metal, and with a single line — “Here we are now, entertain us” — captured and captivated a generation.

He is the man who directly brought fame to two current stars – Foo Fighters lead singer Dave Grohl (the former Nirvana drummer) and actress and musician Courtney Love (his wife).

I encourage everyone today to put on that favorite Nirvana album, be it ‘Nevermind’, ‘In Utero’, ‘Bleach’, ‘Insesticide’, ‘Lithium’, ‘From the Muddy Banks of Wishka’ or even ‘MTV Unplugged in New York’ and remember that troubled man named Kurt. He was an inspiration to a generation. I was a big fan of Nirvana in my teens, and I remember how I felt the day he died. The sense of loss was enormous, Kurt was a man who seemed to know how I felt. His lyrics and sense of angst was on target to so many of us, that we couldn’t help but feel connected to him. Many often wonder what great things might have come for this man, if he hadn’t ended his life. We will never know these “what ifs”, but I’m sure whatever it would have been could only be described as phenomenal.

Here’s to you Kurt, wherever you are.

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