Today is the day that marks 24 years since Kurt Cobain’s death.
Holy s*** that’s a long time…Kurt undoubtedly changed the music world with Nirvana, and there are a thousand blogs about that over the years. So this will be 1001. But where were you when you heard he had committed suicide? Where were you when you heard Nirvana for the first time?
I heard Nirvana for the first time right here on X96. The band was new, and I was used to hearing bands like REM, Depeche Mode, They Might Be Giants, and U2. But then THIS came along and I’ll be damned if I was not immediatly struck with it. My Dad took me to a store called “PHAR-MOR” in Taylorsville where I bought NEVERMIND on cassete for $7.00. I still have it!
Fun fact! I also have the CD which played on X96. How many people heard “Teen Spirit for the first time from this very disc.. Kinda crazy to think about 😉
My cousin Mike and I watched Nirvana play on MTV for New Year’s Eve. We were turned to bands like Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Primus and even harder rock bands like Metallica, Helmet, and Anthrax came into my world thanks to Nirvana.
In 1994 I was in the 9th grade at Bennion Jr. High. I was the exact picture of what you imagine an X96 listener in 1994 would be. Long hair parted down the middle, Stone Temple Pilots t-shirt, flannel around the waist. The whole bit. I remember very vividly hearing Radio From Hell announce the news as my Dad drove us to school that morning in his Blue S10 Blazer.
Heeeeey ladies.. Notice the shirt BTW
I was bummed, not angry. not sad exactly. I was upset that someone so influential and talented could waste so much for so many in so little time. I did not pretend to take the loss at a personal level. He was not my friend, not my family, and I had never even met the guy. But the feelings came later when I realized how many people DID feel that loss even though they had never met him either. I felt sad for everyone I saw leaving candles, crying on MTV News, and going through their own grieving process.
I’m rambling now, but the point is that one guy managed to give me a HUGE chunk of my life, and take away a HUGE chunk out of so many others, without even knowing the impact. Don’t kill yourself, kids. It’s a dick move.
We’ll never know the music we might have heard if Kurt had only gotten some help. In the meantime, here’s some Nirvana for you 😉
