Documentary-Book Project

Introduction-Abstract-Presentation

An Investigative approach to the Enigmatic Life and “Death” of Kurt Cobain: A

Contribution to the solution of a Mystery

By Farid Habka

In this project, which I am about to start portraying herein, I expect to show both my artistic
and investigative capabilities, dealing with a topic I have been interested in since a long
time ago, like in the case of other topics which are a Passion of Mine: these basically relate
to Reality’s Enigmas in History. In this case, it would be related to the Life and
Disappearance1 of the Rock2 musician/composer Kurt Cobain, who leaded the Grunge3 (one
of the Rock genres of the early Nineties) band named: Nirvana. It would be a historical -out
of archives and other scientific works4 on him- and research work -including a possible or

1 I have been particularly interested in the historical and biographical Reconstruction of some Enigmatic
characters: I have already done a research work on Jesus of Nazareth (also a book-documentary project I
wish to retake later on and update. I also want (as here) to explore the mysterious Life and Disappearance of
Kurt Cobain.

2 Musical movement -based on a “rock and roll” rhythm and on the conjunction of a bass, a guitar, voice and
drums, which evolved from Blues- that revolted the Western Cultural structure during the latter part of the
20th century: It has developed as the evolution of a succession of bands -mainly in the anglosaxon tradition-
from The Beatles to Nirvana and Post-Nirvana groups, going through Led-Zeppelin, Black-Sabbath, Metallica,
Aerosmith, GunsnRoses, etc. It has projected a handful of genres: from Classical Rock-n-Roll to Grunge, going
though Punk, Hard-Rock, Metal, etc

3 This Genre, which particularly evolved in the northwestern area of the United States circa 1990, consists on
a Post-Punk Alternative Rock movement, which was defined by angst-ridden creativity and the sound of
garage-dirty-type guitars and drumming (these includes a use of distortion-clean effect changes, feedback,
slow tempos, dissonant harmonies) within a tension/release song structure, as well as a howling singing and
passive/aggressive and anti-alienatory lyrics

4 Such as: Cobain, Kurt. Nirvana Lyrics. (1987-1994).; Cobain, Kurt. Journals. (198?-1994). (2002); Mtv Brazil.
Rio Interview with Kurt Cobain. (Audio-Video) (1993); MuchMUsic CAnada. Interview with Kurt Cobain.
(Audio-Video) (1993);.Seattle Police Department. Missing Person Report & Incident Report (Kurt Cobain Case)
March 18 (1994); Cobain, Kurt. Notes from March-April 1994 (Including the so-called Suicide Note).1994;
Broomfield, N. Kurt and Courtney (Documentary). (1996).;;Azerrad, M. Come as you are: the Story of
Nirvana. (1994); Black, S. Nirvana: the Life and Death of Kurt Cobain: the full Story.(1995);Thompson, D.
Never fade away: the Kurt Cobain Story.(1994); Sandford, C. Kurt Cobain. (1996); Halperin, I. & Wallace, M.
Who killed Kurt Cobain?: the mysterious Death of an Icon.(1998); Cross, C. Heavier than Heaven: A Biography
eventual fieldwork in Seattle, where the named musical movement evolved at, and being
also the area where Cobain lived most of his Life, and also the place where he disappeared.
As an investigative creation-production, it will be based on a book-type document: its aim
is to contribute to decipher and clear the evolution of the Life of this enigmatic artistic
character, which set a paradigm/heyday in the History of Rock, conceiving the latter as
perhaps the most influential and revolutionary contemporary form of Art.

By studying Kurt Cobain5 in regard to his Life, -supposed- Death and Legacy we can
approximate to Grunge (Early 90´s PunkRock) as one of the most relevant junctures of this
peculiar musical movement´s (Rock) development: The first part of the work would relate
to the evolution of Kurt Cobain`s Life from his childhood in Washington State -in the
northwest of the United States- to his yet bewildered/unsolved Disappearance -supposed
and most likely: Death (might it have happened by Suicide or Homicide)-, going through
his teenage-hood and his Nirvana years6. In that sense, this research project will

of Kurt Cobain.(2001); McCarthy, J. Godspeed: The Kurt Cobain Graphic.(2003); Molanphy, C. Kurt Cobain:
voice of a generation. (2003).Martin, M. Kurt Cobain.(2005); Halperin, I. & Wallace, M. Love & Death: the
Murder of Kurt Cobain.(2004).;Harrison. Hank. Kurt Cobain: Beyond Nirvana.1995.

5 Cobain was the leader of Nirvana, the Grunge band that redefined Rock in the early Nineties. He was born
on the 20th of February of 1967 in Aberdeen, a logging town near Seattle. Cobain was highly influenced by
his parent's Divorce by the age of seven. From then on the introverted and antisocial tendencies that rose in
him, coped with his extroverted side: both trends were conserved during his Life, and this can be traced in
his artistic-musical Life. He not only created what would become Nirvana -joyful/anguished (passive-
aggressive) Rock-, but he also liked writing, painting and even acting. After this incident and during his
Teenagehood, while Cobain lived in several different places -relatives, friends, teacher’s houses, etc-, his
Sensitivity towards Rock music increased, being mostly influence by british bands from The Beatles to The
Sex Pistols. Meanwhile, Cobain met Krist Novoselic, his future friend and bandmate, with whom he shared
the passion for Punk-Rock Music. By 1987 Cobain's habitat was Olympia, where the band Nirvana was
formed: basically, Cobain on guitar/voice, Novoselic on bass, and eventually Dave Grohl on drums..

6 In 1989 Nirvana produced their first album -named Bleach- with the Seattle based-and independent label
Sub-Pop. In their UK tour, Nirvana received great recognition and in 1991 they joined Geffen, a megalabel,
being the first non-mainstream (underground-originated) band to do so. They released Nevermind, which
included their single Smells Like Teen Spirit, which would propel Nirvana to sell ten million copies (a gain of
around US$550), leaving them as millionaires. Cobain was dazed at the reception of his highly personal and
passionate Music, repeatedly manifesting that none of the band members ever expected anything like that.
During these years Cobain was very concentrated on Nirvana, although some private Life issues went on,
especially on behalf of its relation to his public Life: His drug-addiction increased as his Health was
diminished and his coupling with Courtney Love -whom he married in 1992-, became problematic. This was
aggravated by the Music-industry-related pressure on him, which he despised, as he continued to focus on
his creative side, which he highly enjoyed: in this it is exposed how Cobain had a bipolar -distressed/joyful-
chronologically illustrate the evolution of Cobain both in his private and public Life,
connecting it to the particular and puzzling events that led to his Disappearance in April
1994: which being the most mysterious part of Cobain’s Existence, would be exclusively
studied on the second Part of this investigation.

The goal of this Book-Documentary project is to show my Research on this enigmatic

character of Rock’s History, taken the former as one of the most important movements in
western cultural evolution in recent times. This Project focuses on a particular Inquiry
regarding the Existence of Cobain, which takes relevance as it has highly influenced the
recent mentality of this artistic movement, envisioned not only as a musical phenomenon
but also as a Lifestyle and even a Philosophy of Life in our complex contemporary world.
In that sense, and acknowledging the importance of this artist in nowday´s Culture -from
Generation X7 and on-, it will be a fair tribute to Kurt Cobain and also to Truth, Science and
Research to help to simplify a Mystery such as the one that surrounds this peculiar person.

personality and Life that shaped his Existence in all aspects.

Nirvana’s following two albums Incesticide (1992) and In Utero (1993) showed Cobain`s ironic-sarcastic-type
Art as well as his Existential Sensitivity: by that time Cobain remained worried that his band had sold-out,
and was -in his criteria- then wrongly fanaticized. Since around Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged (November 1993)
and throughout the 1994 european tour, it became obvious the band was coming close to disappear:
Anyhow, Cobain showed feelings of being Cheerful and disposed to vary his musical/artistic affinity (As
proofed in the videotaped Seattle late 1993 Much Music Interview, where Cobain manifests being Happy and
willing to evolve and expressing: “change ….style of Music…..I really want to do something different…” :
something that would contradict his supposed 1994 suicidal tendencies.).

It was after this that the enigmatic events of his Death came forward: this developed from the-Rome-
incident (March 1994: when Nirvanas tour was canceled due to Cobain`s fatigue) until his Seattle Death-
finding in April of the same year. Most of these events were related to his conflict with Love. Since then,
Cobain has physically disappeared but it is yet a Mystery as to whether -as his lifeless body was found in his
house- he chose suicide or a conspirative homicide took place. The research regarding this has being
developing since 1994 until nowdays, by investigators like Tom Grant, Nick Broomfield, Ian Halperin/Max
Wallace: This case is yet to be deciphered and in that I wish to contribute with my work.

7 The Generation following the post-Second-World-War baby-boom Generation (chiefly conformed in the
United States, but also in Europe and even in the rest of the planet influenced by the Anglo-Culture,
including Rock): those born in the Sixties and Seventies, that is, mainly those in their twenties during the
1990s. This coincides with the worldwide changes caused by the end of the Cold War and the consolidation
of Alternative (mostly apathy-type and disenchanted post-Punk) Rock.
The former -especially- considering the possibility that a -homicidal-Conspiracy might
have taken place, regarding the suspicious circumstances of Cobain`s Disappearance8, and
in that I -as a Researcher and Fan- wish to make a contribution herein. The previous would
be done by using a strong objective research background, hoping it will help us to have a
clearer view on the Kurt Cobain Case.

8 As an Investigator without conclusive Proof, I have to doubt of it, as it has happened with other Rock
legends such as Presley, Morrison, Hendrix, Lennon, etc. etc.