Kurt Cobain was born February 20, 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington. In 1988, he started the grunge band Nirvana. Nirvana made the leap to a major label in 1991, signing with Geffen Records. Nirvana’s highly acclaimed album In Utero was released in 1993. The single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” modulated between the soft and the thrashing. It proved to be the group’s biggest single and helped take the entire album to the top of the charts. On April 5, 1994, in the guest house behind his Seattle home, a 27-year-old Cobain committed suicide. He placed a shotgun into his mouth and fired, killing himself instantly.
Cobain was on his way to becoming a living legend. His music inspired an entire generation. Nirvana is still considered one of the greatest rock bands ever and they were recently indicted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His estate has been valued at $450 million, and continues to earn with album sales. His widow, Courtney love, sold a stake in his music catalog for $50 million. His music is still in demand for TV and movies, still gets incredible radio play, and still speaks for a generation.