Nirvana
Formed in Aberdeen, Washington, USA, in 1988, the Nirvana which the MTV generation came to love comprised Kurt Cobain (b. Kurt Donald Cobain, 20 February 1967, Hoquiam, Seattle, d. 5 April 1994, Seattle; guitar/vocals), Krist Novoselic (b. 16 May 1965; bass) and Dave Grohl (b. 14 January 1969; drums). Grohl was ‘something like our sixth drummer’, explained Cobain, and had been recruited from East Coast band Dave Brammage, having previously played with Scream, who recorded for Minor Threat's influential Dischord label. Their original drummer was Chad Channing; at one point Dinosaur Jr.'s J. Mascis had been touted as a permanent fixture, along with Dan Peters from Mudhoney. Having been signed by the Seattle-based Sub Pop label, the trio completed their debut single, Love Buzz/Big Cheese, the former a song written and first recorded by '60s Dutch group, Shocking Blue. Second guitarist Jason Everman was then added prior to BLEACH, which cost a meagre $600 to record. Though he was pictured on the cover, he played no part in the actual recording. The set confirmed Nirvana's ability to match heavy riffs with melody and it quickly attracted a cult following. However, Channing left the group following a European tour, and as a likely replacement proved hard to find, Dan Peters from labelmates Mudhoney stepped in on a temporary basis. He was featured on the single, Sliver, Nirvana's sole 1990 release. Everman also dropped out of the line-up (going on to join Mindfunk, via Soundgarden and Skunk), but new drummer David Grohl reaffirmed a sense of stability. The revamped trio secured a prestigious deal with Geffen Records whose faith was rewarded with NEVERMIND, which broke them commercially. This was a startling collection of songs which transcended structural boundaries, notably via the distinctive slow verse/fast chorus, and almost single-handedly brought the ‘grunge’ subculture overground. It topped the US charts early in 1992, eclipsing much-vaunted competition from Michael Jackson and Dire Straits and topped many Album Of The Year polls. The opening track, Smells Like Teen Spirit, reached the UK Top 10, confirming that Nirvana now combined critical and popular acclaim. In early 1992 the romance of Cobain and Courtney Love of Hole was sealed when the couple married (Love giving birth to a daughter, Frances Bean). It was already obvious, however, that Cobain was struggling with his new role as ‘spokesman for a generation’. The first big story to break concerned an article in Vanity Fair which alleged Love had taken heroin while pregnant, which saw the state intercede on the child's behalf by not allowing the Cobains alone with the child during its first month. Press interviews ruminated on the difficulties experienced in recording the IN UTERO set, and also Cobain's use of a variety of drugs in order to stem the pain arising from a stomach complaint. His descent into self-destruction accelerated in 1994 as he went into a coma during dates in Italy (it was later confirmed that this had all the markings of a failed suicide attempt), before returning to Seattle to shoot himself on April 5, 1994. The man who had long protested that Nirvana was ‘merely’ a punk band had finally been destroyed by the success that overtook him and them. The wake conducted in the press was matched by public demonstrations of affection and loss, which included suspected copycat suicides. Grohl and Novoselic played together again for the first time at the Capital Theater in Olympia in September 1994 with the Stinky Puffs, the ten-year-old son of one of whom sang Kurt, I Love You Anyway. Late 1994 saw Grohl announce his decision to join Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, following press rumours he would be working with Pearl Jam (much to Courtney Love's chagrin).