The Nirvana FAQ

The core of Nirvana formed when Kurt Cobain met Krist (then Chris) Novoselic through the Aberdeen punk band 'The Melvins'. Since then, they have gone through many different drummers and different names.

Kurt Cobain: vocals, guitar (1985-1994)
Krist (Chris) Novoselic: (1985-1994)
Aaron Burckhard: (1985-1986)
Dale Crover: drums (1988)
Chad Channing: (1986-1990)
Jason Everman: guitar (1989)
Dave Foster: drums (1988)
Dan Peters: drums (1990)
Dave Grohl: drums, backing vocals (1990-1994)
John Duncan: guitar (1993)
Pat Smear: guitar (1993-1994)

Kurt was in Fecal Matter and Brown Cow before he began playing with Krist Novoselic. They were then in Stiff Woodies, The Sellouts, Skid Row, Ted Ed Fred, Bliss, Throat Oyster, Pen Cap Chew and Windowpane before forming Nirvana.

Krist Anthony Novoselic was born on May 16, 1965 to Krist and Maria Novoselic. In 1979, Krist's family moved to Aberdeen. Shortly after his fifteenth birthday, Krist was sent to Croatia for a year to live with his relatives. In 1983, Krist graduated from high school.

Kurt Donald Cobain was born to Wendy and Donald Cobain on February 20, 1967. In 1975, Kurt's parents divorced. Kurt lived with mother. Three years later, Kurt's father remarried. Kurt's mother wouldn't remarry for another six years. On his fourteenth birthday, Kurt got his first guitar. Just after his eighteenth birthday, Kurt dropped out of high school.

David Eric Grohl born to James and Virginia Grohl on January 14, 1969.

Krist married his wife Shelli on December 30, 1989 in Tacoma. Kurt married Courtney Love in Waikiki, Hawaii on February 24, 1992. Six months later, August 18, 1992, Francis Bean Cobain was born.

Nirvana played its final show February 29, 1994 in Munich, Germany. Four days later, Kurt Cobain is hospitalized comatose. The next day  Kurt awakened from his coma, asking for milkshake. Kurt remained in the hospital for another three days before he leaves hospital under his own power.

Less than a month later, on April 8th, 1994, the body of Kurt Cobain is found. Kurt had committed suicide 3 days earlier with a shotgun blast to the head. Two days later, a memorial Service was held in Seattle for Kurt. During the service, Courtney read passages from the suicide note.

Since the untimely end, Krist Novoselic has been absent from the music scene, except for his infamous newsgroup post about how Rolling Stone has lost its way. Dave Grohl has seen wide success as the lead singer and guitarist for the Foo Fighters. The Foo Fighters have recorded two albums: A self titled release in 1995 and The Colour and the Shape in 1997. Both albums featured Pat Smear, but shortly after the second album, Smear left the band.

One day Kurt and a friend were having a discussion about teenage revolution, they later got drunk and his friend wrote on the wall 'Kurt smells like teen spirit', Kurt was inspired, he thought she meant he would be the type of person who could incite a teen rebellion. He went and wrote the song. She thought that he just smelled like the deodorant. Kurt hadn't heard of the deodorant at the time, he claims to have rarely used it himself.

Frances Farmer was declared insane and lobotomized. Courtney was married in an old dress of Francis Farmer's. Frances Bean was not named after Francis Farmer, but after a member of the Vaselines. Kurt says he'd wished he'd thought of naming her after Farmer.

In Utero went through 2 name changes. It was originally to be called 'I hate myself and want to die' and then later 'Verse-Chorus-Verse'. Both of these are songs from the In Utero sessions.

Kurt and Krist have both had numerous drug problems. The morning of the New Music Seminar 7/23/93, Kurt od'd on heroin, Courtney injected him with an illegal drug used to wake people who've od'd on heroin. He went onstage and performed. No one knew the difference.

Courtney was honest about the heroin excursion she and Kurt went on for a few months.Vanity fair broke a story that Courtney had done heroin the entire time of her pregnancy, which she vigorously denies.On the subject, Kurt said "I've never read an article that was more convincing yet more ridiculous in my life. Everybody from our record label to our management to our closest friends believed that shit."

It is spelled Kurt, the odd spelling Kurdt came from when they recorded 'Mexican Seafood' for the Teriyaki Asthma compilation. When it came time to make the album, they realized that they didn't know Kurt's name so they got ahold of someone who 'thought they knew' and it went from there.

Axl had asked Kurt to join them on their huge tour. Kurt declined. Later Axl asked Kurt to play at his 30th birthday party. Kurt declined. Kurt told the Advocate that Guns and Roses is a talentless band who writes "crap music". Apparantly, Courtney and he were backstage at the MTV Video Music Awards with the baby when Axl walked by. Courtney yelled to Rose to come over. Kurt asked him if he would be the godfather of his child. Axl, who is known to have a temper, took his aggressions out on Kurt and Courtney and screamed "You shut your bitch up, or I'm taking you down to the pavement." Everyone around them burst out laughing because Courtney wasn't even saying anything mean. Kurt turned to Courtney and said, "Shut up, bitch!" Everyone laughed and Rose left. Kurt thought it was funny because he did exactly what Rose wanted him to do--be a man. Kurt was of course being sarcastic.
 
Kurt told this story to the crowd at the Portland OR 9/10/92 concert, try to get it if you can.
 

Endless, Nameless appears on some pressings of Nevermind. The song begins 10 minutes after Something in the Way ends. It wasn't included on the first printing (50,000).

Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through The Strip appears on import versions of In Utero. It is 20 minutes after All Apologies.