Kurt Cobain has somewhat of a cult following, despite the fact that he died years ago. The ex-Nirvana frontman led a tumultuous life, especially in the months approaching his death. Though much of his life has since been publicized, there are still some things about this legendary rock star that very few people know. Here, we present 15 things you probably didn’t know about Kurt Cobain. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: He Dropped Out of High School. And that’s not the most surprising part! After Cobain dropped out of high school, he continued to work there…as a janitor. Ironically, Cobain was well-known to be a slob.
Number Fourteen: The Inspiration for the Title to “About a Girl” Was Quite Fortuitous. “About a Girl” was named after Cobain had a conversation with then-drummer Chad Channing. Channing asked Cobain what the song was about, and Cobain responded, “About a girl.” Channing then suggested that Cobain keep the song title simple and name it “About a girl.” Well, how about that?
Number Thirteen: Before There Was Dave Grohl… At least five drummers were in Nirvana before Dave Grohl appeared. Before Grohl, there was Aaron Burckhard, then Dale Crover, then Dave Foster, and then Chad Channing. Crover performed with Nirvana on tour in 1990 before Cobain was introduced to Grohl.
Number Twelve: “Smells Like Teen Spirit” Was Inspired by His Girlfriend’s Deodorant. After one night of heavy drinking, Cobain, Dave Grohl, and some others decided to continue the party. Bikini Kill singer Kathleen Hanna eventually spray painted “Kurt smells like teen spirit” on Cobain’s wall, which was a reference to the deodorant Cobain’s girlfriend, Tobi Vail, wore.
Number Eleven: He Called His Mom When He Saw Himself on the TV for the First Time. Cobain saw himself on the television for the first time in his music video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” He watched it from a hotel room, and he called his mom to tell her “There’s me.”
Number Ten: He Wrote a Song About Rape. Cobain wrote the song “Polly” in 1987, and he wrote it after he read an article about a 14-year-old girl getting tortured and raped. He wrote the song from the perspective of the girl.
Number Nine: He Was Thrown Out of His Own Record Release Party. Along with the rest of the Nirvana members, Cobain was thrown out of his own record release party! Cobain started a food fight, which eventually led to him and the rest of the band being thrown out.