Kurt Cobain by Macie Oliver

    Kurt Cobain’s death shocked the world. He was so full of life yet so empty at the same time. There are many theories on how he actually died. Between his tumultuous marriage to rocker Courtney Love, and rumors of Nirvana splitting due to his drug addiction, nobody knows what to believe. He was suicidal for ages, but did Kurt Cobain really kill himself? Two theories we will look into are as followed:

1. Courtney Love had him murdered and melted the gun he “killed himself” with along with others in an attempt to discard evidence. (Fisher 1)
2. Kurt Cobain is actually still alive and residing in Peru, under a new alias. (Morris 1)

Let’s look at the research that has been uncovered to properly examine both theories and decide if they are in fact, just theories.

Kurt Donald Cobain shook the world upon his arrival. He was an immense public figure in his day and a powerful entity to all he encountered. Despite the fame and the fortune, he was still depressed and had been for a long time. He was never happy with himself and it showed.

     At a young age Kurt Cobain was viewed as an energetic and happy child. He did not start to spiral downwards until his parents divorced (“Too Young to Die”, 1).  After his parents separated, he was sent to live with his dad. His father remarried and Cobain resented his stepmother, and half-siblings. Cobain was jealous because his father “favored them more” (“Kurt Cobain”, 1).  To cope with all he was feeling he found solace in music and art and used it as an escape from his chaotic home life.

      His first real escape came when his uncle gave him a guitar. Cobain learned to play it himself. He started going to rock concerts and actually auditioned for a position in the band The Melvin’s, which he got turned down from. At the same time, he was experimenting with drugs. He had been arrested in his mid-teens for spray painting on the side of buildings. He was bouncing from house to house not really content with the way his life was unfolding.

               In 1987, Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic teamed up to start playing at small gigs. Kurt named them Nirvana, and when David Grohl joined the duo, they became a powerhouse. Their first album “In Utero” hit the charts hard. Cobain was officially a rock star. His drug use was still manageable and he actually even obtained a real girlfriend after questioning his sexuality for years (Spanos,1). Despite this newfound fame, Cobain was displeased with himself. He eventually split with then girlfriend Mary Lou. He later became infatuated with a fellow rocker. The rocky relationship with him and lead singer to Holes, Courtney Love was one for the books.

      They indulged in heroin and other drugs together. Throughout the relationship they were seen as a power couple. They were topping charts with their respective bands and on the outside living the all American dream. Cobain was now a legend, said to be one of the greatest songwriters of his time.

     In his lifetime, Kurt Cobain was such an enigma. He had such a strong energy it usually rubbed off on those around him. He was known to go on depressing rants though. He often complained of “stomach pains”, which he claimed the heroin helped calm (“Too Young to Die”,1). He continued heavy drug use with now pregnant Courtney Love until she gave birth to their daughter Frances bean Cobain. The pair married and life seemed content, until Child Protective services got involved in their life(“Kurt Cobain”, 1). They tried countless amounts of times to take the baby away, but ultimately she remained with her parents.

      Nirvana was still topping charts and actually even went on a European tour. While on tour Cobain was said to have overdosed, and many fans presumed him dead (“Kurt Cobain Commits Suicide”, 1). He went into a coma for a while. When back in the United States, Love requested he go into a rehab facility while she does the same. He escaped the facility and two days later was found dead in the garage of his Seattle home.

   Kurt Cobain wasn’t happy with his life despite him being one of the most influential people of his time. No matter how much success he obtained, it was never enough. He was displeased with himself and it led to his demise.

     His death has been controversial for many decades now. The Seattle police department still till this day gets calls asking them to reopen the case. Many fans believe that the widowed Courtney Love is the one that actually is the mastermind behind Cobain’s death (Morris, 1).

The first conspiracy theory is that Courtney Love had her husband killed and burned the
murder weapon. There are various allegations as to why she would have her husband set up. The first is that he was bound to divorce her. It was no secret that the rock stars had a rocky and unstable relationship. It was also no secret that Cobain was not happy in life, even after the birth of Frances (Fisher, 1). Another allegation brought upon Love is that when on tour in Europe, she spiked one of Cobain's drinks with rohypnol, and combined with the drugs he already had in his system it caused him to overdose. He was in the hospital for weeks following this escapade. Love made a statement in an interview that Cobain was “suicidal” and a variety of fans believes this was just her way to play mind games with the public so when her plot to actually kill Cobain followed thru she could just claim that he was unstable. Furthermore statements from detective Tom Grant back up this conspiracy theory. In an article he wrote he claims to have a plethora of tape recordings with Courtney Love where she is seemingly admitting to having some form of involvement (Morris, 1). In addition to that, Love pushed extremely hard to have the shotgun he killed himself with burned. She strongly advocated “Moms against Guns” and it is believed that it was just a cover-up. She adamantly protested the release of information on his suicide as well.

The second theory surrounding Cobain's death is that he actually is still alive. Reports claim that various people in Peru claim to have went to a Kurt Cobain show despite him actually being dead. This theory is not likely due to the fact that there is little to no evidence to support this claim.

    To sum up everything, it is widely believed that theory number one, involving Courtney Love is what actually happened even though the motive is unclear. Kurt Cobain was sensational on and off the stage and needed help with controlling his emotions. Whether he actually committed suicide or not is still to be determined.

Works Cited

Fisher, Greg. “Cops: New Photos Show Kurt Cobain Suicide Gun.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 17                                                                      Mar. 2016.

“Kurt Cobain.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 28 Apr. 2017,

“Kurt Cobain Commits Suicide.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, May 2009,                preview.history.com/this-day-in-history/kurt-cobain-commits-suicide.

Morris, Jessie. “Nirvana Shot Down a Conspiracy Theory About Kurt Cobain's Death in the Best   Way Possible.” Complex, Complex, 20 Oct. 2016.

Spanos, Brittany. “The Tao of Kurt Cobain: 12 Great Quotes from the Nirvana Front man.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 20 Feb. 2017,

“Too Young to Die.” YouTube, YouTube, 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v.