Nirvana
Nirvana
Music is what makes the world go around, it can either dampen or elevate your mood. I’ve found that music is my most effective coping mechanism. It allows me to manage my stress and find relaxation by just listening to the chords and melodies. To be more specific, grunge band Nirvana is my go to when wanting to feel at peace . I would describe Nirvana as raw, beautiful, contagious, and timeless music. The band was formed in 1987, by lead singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Kris Novoselic who was Cobain’s childhood friend. Nirvana had a decent underground following at the time, and would release their first studio album in 1989, called “ Bleach”; the album landed 89th on the US music charts. The band would then bounce around with drummers until 1990 when finally they found a match in Dave Grohl. In 1991, Nirvana released their second studio album “Nevermind”, but this time it was their major label debut album. Which means it was the first time they had the biggest muscles in the music industry behind it. Nevermind’s release was a catalyst for a paradigm shift. Rock at the time was largely metal. And Nirvana was a bullet to the head of hair metal. The people were tired of those guys in makeup, the shallow lyrics, overly produced videos, and they all looked the same. Hair metal had run its course. Nirvana was a complete reversal of the posh, glamorous, and upbeat vibe that dominated the 80s. They brought media and mainstream attention to a whole new world of rock. When Nevermind released and the Smells Like Teen Spirit music video came out MTV began playing the video which boosted the album and single sales eventually into the #1 spot on the charts. The music was raw and resonated with you. I've always felt a connection to it. Kurt sang from his heart while other bands had recording companies telling them what to sing about and how to sing them, he wrote songs about the anger and frustration many of us have felt while growing up. Kurt also had a talent for making catchy songs, it's almost hard to forget any Nirvana song you hear. Nirvana's lead singer Kurt Cobain struggled with his mental health and addiction. When listening to the albums it creates a sense of pain and a better understanding of how he was feeling. As the listener when I’m feeling upset I play the songs and realize I’m not alone, some people feel the same way I do. What separates Kurt from the rest is he has a unique style of singing, his voice has a scratchiness to it and kind of a quiet confidence, and even with his screams he was physically relaxed.
Kurt Cobain's personal life
According to the article “Kurt Cobain” by “popular timelines” says that, in January of 1990, Kurt ran into Courtney Love once again at a Portland nightclub, Love was the lead vocalist of the rock band Hole, they bonded over family issues and drug use. They became inseparable. Two years later they found themselves in love and got engaged quickly. Not long after, news was out that the two were expecting a child. Their daughter Frances Bean was born in August of 1992. Kurt was excited to be a father and spent as much time as he could with her.
In February 1994, Nirvana traveled to Europe to tour when eventually Kurt became extremely ill and was diagnosed with bronchitis and severe laryngitis a doctor advised him to take 2 months off and the tour was canceled. Nirvana performed for a final time on March 1st, 1994 in Munich, Germany. The day after the diagnosis Kurt flew to Rome for medical attention on March 3, 1994. He checked into a hotel and Courtney joined him in Rome. At around 6:30 am on the early morning of March 4th, Courtney Love told the front desk of the hotel to call an ambulance since she had found Kurt unconscious on the floor. He had overdosed on Courtney's prescription pills. Kurt was rushed to the hospital and back in the United States broadcasting was interrupted by reports that Kurt Cobain was dead of a drug overdose in Rome. Kurt was placed in a state of deep coma and had respiratory failure. Twenty hours after arriving at the hospital, Kurt was in fact not dead and he had woken up from his coma. Kurt would make a full recovery and he and Courtney flew back to their home in Seattle.
Courtney told Kurt if he did not seek treatment she would limit his time with his daughter Frances. Kurt then checked himself into the Exodus Recovery Center in Los Angeles, California. On March 30th he flew to Los Angeles to begin his 28 day treatment plan. Kurt told the nurse he was going outside for a cigarette and an hour later they realized he scaled the wall and fled the exodus recovery center. Kurt then called Delta Airlines and booked a flight back to his home in Seattle which departed just 3 hours later. A few days later Kurt Cobain had his friend Dylan Carlson buy a shotgun and ammunition for him since he wasn't allowed to own one himself. On April 5th Kurt walked up to the greenhouse above his garage he smoked 5 cigarettes, took a few sips of a barq's root beer, and shot up one last time. It's presumed that’s when Kurt took the 20 gauge shotgun and tragically took his life. Kurt Cobain had died at 27.
On April 8, 1994, Kurt was found dead seven days after leaving rehab in the greenhouse of his Washington home that he shared with Love, who was in rehab in Los Angeles at the time. Courtney had hired an electrician to install lights outside the greenhouse, and the man discovered Kurt's body from outside. Detective Tom Grant claims “due to the extremely high dosage of heroin in Cobain's system at the time of his death he would not have been able to take his own life.” This information created a lot of speculation about whether or not Kurt’s death was actually a suicide or a murder. After Kurt’s passing members of Nirvana decided to end the band and not dilute its legacy trying to replace him. Despite all the rumors there's only one thing that is certain and that’s as short as their career was, Nirvana is a legendary band. Nirvana has helped me to understand a lot about this world. Like how we weren't alone as individuals when it comes to facing this mental warfare. There's always someone out there going through exactly what you're going through, if not worse. May Kurt Cobain's legacy live on as his voice will continue to connect with future generations.
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