It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns

How's it going my gumdrops? Today is not only Song Saturday, but also the day of 2 tragic deaths. April 5, 1994 Kurt Cobain from Nirvana committed suicide and Layne Staley from Alice In Chains died from a Heroin/Cocaine overdose April 5, 2002. It is depressing yet strange.

Both of these '90s Grunge vocalists from Seattle, WA happened to die 8 years apart from each other on April 5th. If memory serves me right, I believe Kurt and Layne were both friends.

Kurt has been dead for 20 years whereas Layne has been dead for ONLY 12 years. It's quite fascinating, that both of their deaths were estimated to have been on April 5th. Kurt Cobain's death wasn't announced, until 3 days later in 1994. Layne Staley's death was announced on April 19, 2002.

Like I said a few Song Saturdays ago, the mainstream media LOVES to make a bigger production about Nirvana and Kurt Cobain's death than about Layne Staley's because Nirvana paved the way for so many Alternative bands/artists, especially for Grunge bands such as Alice In Chains.

Song Saturday: Alternative Music, Nirvana, KoRn, & The Cure (2014)

I won't focus too much on Layne's death this Saturday. I plan on discussing his death, next week.

Returning to Kurt Cobain, I remember the exact date 20 years ago, when his suicide hit the airwaves. The news announced Kurt's suicide on a Good Friday, which was on April 8, 1994. I was only 2 months from turning 12 years old. I was in shock. One of our local Rock radio stations in Milwaukee, WI (at the time) did a Nirvana tribute.

Dave Grohl's voice was broadcasted on the radio discussing Kurt's suicide and about Nirvana wanting to disband. I may have only been in my "tweens," but it was a very surreal and in tense moment. Even MTV's news anchor, Kurt Loder announced, that Kurt Cobain committed suicide.

MTV News: The Day Kurt Loder Announced Kurt Cobain's Suicide

20 years ago, I never really heard about musicians committing suicide, until I reached puberty. Had I been a little older, would Kurt Cobain's suicide had a bigger impact on me as a fan? I was a Nirvana fan but I wasn't an extremist.

Right after his death, there were some Nirvana fans committing suicide because they viewed Kurt Cobain as their "God." This was something he never wanted. Kurt Cobain really hated the fact, that he and Nirvana became famous.

Throughout these last 2 decades, I watched some Nirvana documentaries. Over the most recent years, I read and heard, that Kurt hated the way Nirvana fans and the media misinterpreted their music. That's not including music critics over analyzing Nirvana's songs.

Honestly, it wasn't until I had my own TV with closed captioning on it, that I was able to understand what Kurt Cobain said in Nirvana's lyrics. That was 2 years after his suicide.

My mother wouldn't allow me to buy any Nirvana albums yet I could buy a Megadeth or Metallica album.

Kurt was NOT the most articulate vocalist. After Nirvana became famous and before Kurt's suicide, I saw parodies about the band. Weird Al, for example, did a parody of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." He joked about Kurt not knowing what he was saying in his lyrics.

Yesterday, I went onto good ol' Wikipedia to learn more about Cobain's background. Supposedly, mental illness, substance abuse, and suicide ran in his family line.

This was besides Kurt having a rough time coping with his parents divorcing, being bullied by his peers over it, and witnessing his mom's boyfriend inflicting domestic abuse upon her.

To make matters worse, Kurt Cobain became withdrawn, defiant, transported from house to house, having foster parents converting him into being a devout Christian, and renouncing Christianity to follow Buddhist and Jainist philosophies.

Kurt also felt persecuted for his Liberalistic views, since he received death threats, began resenting so-called Nirvana "fans," who refused to acknowledge their political views, etc, etc.

Cobain began abusing drugs, when he was 13 years old. He had stopped for a while. Then, he really started abusing drugs as an adult. This was epecially when Nirvana reached its pinnacle. What I find the most interesting is the Butthole Surfers connection.

I'm not necessarily bringing this particular band up to purposely blame them for Kurt Cobain's addiction. However, this is the 2nd time, I have read about a vocalist from a famous Alternative/Grunge band having connections with this specific band.

About a few months ago, I read about Stone Temple Pilots' Scott Weiland touring with Butthole Surfers. Years ago, they introduced Scott to Heroin. When I read more about Kurt Cobain, he and Courtney Love met at an L7 and Butthole Surfers tour.

The early stages of Kurt and Courtney's relationship consisted of drug abuse. I cannot help noticing a common connection among Kurt, Courtney, Scott, Butthole Surfers, and Heroin Addiction.

Granted, Kurt Cobain was already exposed to Heroin in 1986 by a local drug dealer in Tacoma, WA. Supposedly, Kurt used Heroin to self-medicate his stomach pain and by the end of 1990, he developed a hardcore addiction to it.

Looking back at some of Nirvana's past interviews, live concert performances, and music videos, Cobain's Heroin Addiction seriously destroyed him, his performances, relationships, and Nirvana overall. Sometimes, when I watched Kurt's interviews 2 decades ago, he seemed somewhat sober, while smoking his cigarette.

Then, there were times when he physically looked, sounded, and acted really high. Learning more about Kurt Cobain's background yesterday, really makes me believe, that he committed suicide.

Most had speculated that Courtney Love either killed Kurt Cobain, or set him up to be killed, 20 years ago. Her band, Hole became famous shortly after his death. Courtney Love is known for dating other famous musicians and actors, having a violent temper towards men (not that Kurt didn't himself), constantly being in and out of drug rehab, etc.

That reminds me, when I originally heard the news about Kurt Cobain's death on the radio, DJ's claimed an electrician found him with a suicide note, his clothes placed in the bathroom, and was lying naked with a gun to his head.

Two weeks ago, New York Daily News released photos of Kurt and Courtney's previous apartment, drug paraphernalia, and his corpse. What I heard about his death 20 years ago and the actual photo of his corpse, don't seem to match.

Kurt Cobain's Corpse: (April 1994)

New York Daily News: New photos of Kurt Cobain's Los Angeles apartment surface (2014)

Yesterday, I also stumbled upon Kurt Cobain's notorious suicide letter on Wikipedia. I remember MTV airing Courtney Love partially reading it to Nirvana fans, during his funeral. 

Kurt Cobain's Suicide Letter: (April 1994)

Last month, the Seattle Police Department reopened Kurt Cobain's case. According to the police, they received at least 1 weekly request, mostly via Twitter to reopen his suicide case.

After re-investigating Cobain's report, the Seattle Police Department reclosed it. There wasn't much to their discovery. It's rather convenient, that they chose to reopen this investigation.

This Thursday, April 10th, Nirvana will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"Breed" and "Drain You" are 2 of my favorite Nirvana songs. Several years ago, Otep did a cover of Nirvana's song "Breed." With all that I've said, this Song Saturday, I've posted these 2 Nirvana Classics, which can be heard on their Nevermind album.

1) Nirvana "Breed" Live At Reading

2) Nirvana "Drain You" Live At Nulle Part Ailleurs

RIP KURT COBAIN!!!