1994 Rock musician Kurt Cobain ‘shoots himself’

The lead-singer of American grunge rock band Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, has been found dead in his Seattle home.

The 27-year-old rock star had a single gunshot wound to the head. A gun and suicide note were found nearby.

It appeared he had been dead for at least 34 hours when his body was discovered by an electrician who was carrying out repairs at the musician’s house. Mr Cobain’s mother, Wendy O’Connor, said she had not heard from him for six days.

The troubled singer, whose band achieved global fame with the release of its album Nevermind in 1991, survived a drug and alcohol-induced coma in Rome last month.

A statement from Nirvana’s management company, Gold Mountain Entertainment, said: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of such a talented artist, close friend, loving husband and father.”

Mr Cobain was married to the lead singer of the band Hole, Courtney Love. The couple had a daughter, Frances Bean, 18 months ago.

The three-piece group from Aberdeen in Washington State, were due to arrive in Britain next week on the next leg of their European tour.

Nirvana are widely acknowledged to be the leading pioneers of the Seattle-based grunge movement, combining a violent rock sound with lyrics expressing vulnerability and anguish.

Eight million copies of their hit Smells Like Teen Spirit have been sold worldwide. The band’s latest album, In Utero, released last year, was also a great success.

But American music journalist Jeff Gilbert said Mr Cobain had been depressed by bass player Chris Novoselic’s recent announcement that he wanted to leave the band.

Nirvana’s frontman joins a long litany of rock stars – including Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin – who have died young.

Ms O’Connor told reporters after her son went missing she had warned him about suffering a similar fate.

“I told him not to join that stupid club,” she said.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

The coroner found that Kurt Cobain had died on 5 April.

The star quickly became a rock icon and martyr to the disaffected. Nevermind was later described as one of the most influential albums ever made.

His widow Courtney Love sold the rights to her dead husband’s journals eight years after his death and they were published in November 2002.

The volumes revealed the singer’s battles with illness, depression and heroin addiction. He also described how he had bought the gun he used to commit suicide two years before his death.

A greatest hits album including the previously unreleased track, You Know You’re Right, was released in October 2002.

Ms Love was arrested for drug possession and disorderly conduct in October 2003.

The incident led to her losing custody of her 11-year-old daughter, Frances Bean.