Kurt Cobain: Murder or Suicide

Kurt Cobain: Murder or Suicide?

Did Cobain take his own life or was it taken from him? A beloved musician dies suddenly at 27. Did he commit suicide, or was he murdered by his wife and the mother of his child? Kurt Cobain was the frontman of the popular 90’s band Nirvana. Cobain married Courtney Love; singer of the popular grunge band. He died of what was assumed to be a suicide, but Courtney Love may have had something to do with his death. It is possible that Courtney Love killed her husband to avoid divorce. Did Cobain pull the trigger, or was it someone else wanting to bring the young rockstar's life to a halt?

Character Analysis

Kurt Cobain was a wonderful and talented individual, but he wasn’t always perfect. Cobain was an ill man. Cobain is a musical genius who set a path for many musicians after him, but this came with its issues. It was not news to the public that Cobain suffered from mental, physical, and addiction issues. In an article, The New Yorker wrote, on his issues saying, “I took his crippling stomach pain seriously, which few people did” (Azerrad 1). Many people only saw Cobain as a punk rockstar.

Kurt was ill, and it was never discovered what was wrong with Cobain's stomach issues. It can be believed that these issues led to his drug addiction to escape the pain. In the same article by The New Yorker, the author Michael Azerrad states “It was obvious to me that Kurt got high at that dinner deliberately, as a self-destructive protest” (Azerrad 1). This occurred after the group at the dinner noticed he did not order much and picked fun at him (Azerrad 1). In that quote, we can see how stomach issues and addiction were hand in hand. Cobain seemed to have a pattern: stomach hurts, takes drugs to ease the pain, the pain is resolved, repeat. Ultimately Cobain was a great man and a great musician, but the issues he lived with daily would eventually cause the young rockstar’s downfall.

Kurt Cobain loved music, and this can be seen by his audience. Pitchfork wrote, “In Utero stands as the band's most harrowing statement, where it's a toss-up as to whether the riffs or the lyrics hurt more” (Harvell 1). The band made music from their souls in hopes it could reach it seems like, which it seems like they did just that to this day, you see people of all ages walking around with their Nirvana shirts on and singing their songs. Cobain did not want it to be a secret that he was no perfect person but an ill man. An article in Pitchfork, says “But it wasn't the way Nevermind exposed Cobain's psychic wounds that provided support for those who related to him” (Harvell 1). Even though to some his music may not be deep or personal, he put his true self on albums for people to see for generations to come. Putting his true self out for the public to see is all Cobain wanted. Cobain once said “I’d rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not” (Uitti 1). Even through thick and thin, he was truly him, an ill man who was incredibly talented.

Conspiracy Theories

Did Kurt Cobain end his own life or was it taken from him by his wife Courtney Love? Kurt Cobain was found dead on April 8th, 1994, with a fatal gunshot to the head. He was found with the used gun laying on his stomach and chest and with a note in the same room. Due to the circumstances that Cobain was found in, Seattle police ruled the death as a suicide, but conspiracies say there is more to this death.

Kurt Cobain was found with 225 mg. of heroin in his body at the time of death; this is three times the lethal limit (Soaked in Bleach). In the documentary “Soaked in Bleach”, private investigator Tom Grant says, “He would have been unconscious” (Soaked in Bleach). If he was unconscious, he could not have committed suicide. When heroin is injected into a blood vein, it travels directly to the heart leaving Cobain little to no time to pull the trigger. Courtney Love is suspected to be involved in this case because the marriage was on the rocks. In “Soaked in Bleach” Love told the private investigator she hired, Tom Grant, “I think Kurt wants a Divorce… he left me a note in Rome” (Soaked in Bleach 1). This is proving she knew the marriage would end soon. Since Love knew she would soon lose the fame she gained from her husband, she knew killing him would bring more attention to her. While investigating the crime scene, Seattle police noticed that the gun shell was on the left side of his body (Soaked In Bleach 1). This would not be unusual or a sign of murder, but the exit chamber on the shotgun was on the right side meaning he did not shoot this gun. Who would want to end the short life of Kurt Cobain? Courtney Love: she had a motive and knew she would gain popularity and receive his estate.

On the other hand, Kurt Cobain was a troubled individual, suffering from mental and physical disabilities. He became addicted to drugs at a young age and continued to take drugs until the end of his life. In “My Time with Kurt Cobain” Azerrad writes, “Kurt had several clinically established risk factors for suicide, including inhuman levels of professional pressure, chronic and severe physical pain, and a heroin addiction that he just couldn’t seem to shake” (“My Time With Kurt Cobain”). Kurt’s issues, while not an excuse, explain his addiction.

With all these issues going on in his life, it could be assumed he would take his own life. Kurt Cobain never wanted to be popular and have his face on the covers of magazines. He frequently wanted to go away and be alone, so he had multiple houses. While there is no definite proof that Cobain did pull the trigger on himself, this is the most widely accepted reason he died.

Conclusion

The death of Kurt Cobain was untimely and tragic. Whether it be a suicide or a planned murder by his wife Courtney Love, it can be agreed he was taken too soon. The Seattle police department's evidence points to suicide due to the manner of this death, and little evidence proving a murder occurred. However, it is widely believed that Courtney Love took the young rockstar's life.