Kurt Donald Cobain February 20 1967 c April 5 1994 was an American singersongwriter musician and artist best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana Cobain formed Nirvana with Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington in 1985 and established it as part of the Seattle music scene having its debut album Bleach released on the independent record label Sub Pop in 1989 After signing with major label DGC Records the band found breakthrough success with Smells Like Teen Spirit from its second album Nevermind 1991 Following the success of Nevermind Nirvana was labeled the flagship band of Generation X and Cobain hailed as the spokesman of a generation Cobain however was often uncomfortable and frustrated believing his message and artistic vision to have been misinterpreted by the public with his personal issues often subject to media attention He challenged Nirvanas audience with its final studio album In Utero 1993 During the last years of his life Cobain struggled with heroin addiction illness and depression his fame and public image as well as the professional and lifelong personal pressures surrounding himself and his wife musician Courtney Love On April 8 1994 Cobain was found dead at his home in Seattle the victim of what was officially ruled a suicide by a selfinflicted shotgun wound to the head The circumstances of his death have become a topic of public fascination and debate Since their debut Nirvana with Cobain as a songwriter has sold over 25 million albums in the US alone and over 50 million worldwide Description above from the Wikipedia article Kurt Cobain licensed under CCBYSA full list of contributors on Wikipedia