Kurt Cobain

"Punk is musical freedom. It's saying, doing and playing what you want. In Webster's terms, 'nirvana' means freedom from pain, suffering and the external world, and that's pretty close to my definition of Punk Rock." - Kurt Cobain

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Kurt Cobain was the singer of Nirvana, a group that had more impact on the style and culture of popular rock music than any band since the Sex Pistols. Nirvana's 1991 mainstream debut album - Nevermind - transformed the music scene with a total and unapologetic departure from the superficial, glam-rock, hair-band mode that had been predominant since the 80's.

An amazingly talented songwriter, Kurt delivered his music with a voice that was both tortured and angelic in equal measures. His brutal honesty railed against the superficial status-quo and resonated world-wide. Nirvana rose to the top of the growing wave of gritty rock in the American Pacific Northwest, which was dubbed "Grunge" by the media. Seattle, Washington soon became the center of the music world, and Nirvana was the poster-child.

The overnight success and massive public acceptance of Nirvana took Kurt (and the rest of the band) by surprise. An introspective and highly empathic person, Kurt struggled with depression and the commercial success of Nirvana until the end. Kurt was always a champion for underground and alternative music, and he was pained by fans of the band that believed in nothing that Nirvana stood for or what it came from.

Kurt Cobain and Nirvana gave voice to an entirely new generation. The honesty and empathy of their music breathed new life and hope into glazed world.