Kurt Cobain

Lead singer and guitarist of Nirvana who died by suicide in 1994.

Kurt Cobain served as the lead singer and guitarist of Nirvana, widely recognized as one of the most influential acts of the 1990s. Born with chronic health issues including bronchitis and an undiagnosed stomach condition, he battled severe depression and substance dependence throughout his life. On April 8, 1994, his body was discovered at his Seattle home on Lake Washington Boulevard. Forensic investigators determined he had died approximately three days prior, on April 5. The Seattle Police Department officially confirmed the death as a suicide, citing a visible gunshot wound to the head and a found suicide note.

Quick Facts

Date: c. 5 April 1994
Deaths: 1 (Kurt Cobain)

Lore & Background

Cobain's life was marked by intense physical pain and emotional struggle. He suffered from chronic bronchitis, an undiagnosed stomach condition causing severe agony, and battled alcoholism and drug addiction. During Nirvana's 1991 European tour, the pain became so unbearable he told friends heroin was "the only thing that's saving me from shooting myself right now." His family history included two uncles who died by firearm suicide, and his cousin Beverly noted diagnoses of ADHD and bipolar disorder. In March 1994, following a hospitalization in Rome for an accidental overdose of Rohypnol and alcohol, he entered the Exodus Recovery Center in Los Angeles. However, on April 1, just two days later, he scaled a six-foot wall to leave the facility. His friend Dylan Carlson noted Cobain asked him to buy a shotgun for "self-protection" around this time.

Reader's Guide

The official investigation confirmed Cobain died by suicide using a Remington Model 11 20-gauge shotgun, which had been legally purchased for him by Dylan Carlson at Stan Baker's Gun Shop in Seattle. The King County medical examiner noted puncture wounds on the inside of both elbows and found the shotgun inverted on his chest with his left hand wrapped around the barrel. Toxicological tests revealed a morphine level of 1.52 milligrams per liter, with evidence of Valium present. Randall Baselt described the heroin concentration as "high" but noted its lethality depended on habituation. In March 2014, the Seattle Police Department developed four rolls of film from the scene, depicting the corpse more clearly than previous Polaroids; these were released in 2016 despite requests to reopen the case. The suicide note concluded with the line: "It's better to burn out than to fade away." Cobain was cremated, and his wife divided his ashes, keeping some in a teddy bear and an urn while taking another portion to the Namgyal Buddhist Monastery in Ithaca, New York.

Did You Know?

The shotgun used in Cobain's death was purchased by his friend Dylan Carlson because Cobain feared police would seize it if bought in his own name.
In March 2014, the Seattle Police Department developed four rolls of film from the scene that had been left in an evidence vault for 20 years.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported on April 14, 1994, that toxicological tests showed Cobain had Valium and morphine in his system.