kurt cobain
30 Signature Guitars for Modern Artists
For decades, having a signature guitar was reserved for classic rock legends — the Claptons, the Hendrixes, the Pages, the SRVs and EVHs. But that’s no longer the case. From pop-punk to heavy metal, alt-country to neo-soul, modern artists of all genres and backgrounds are getting signature guitars from companies big and small. Among the titans of the industry, that intentional shift came with a new generation being put into decision-making positions. “When I started, it was largely classic rock and very much a pantheonic Hall of Fame,” Fender’s Executive VP for Products Justin Norvell says of the early 2000s. “It was an end-of-an-iconic-career kind of thing. But it was my feeling that it should be something that people can use to reflect back upon themselves. A Telecaster can mean James Bu...
Kurt Cobain’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ Guitar Sells For $4.5 Million at Auction
When the guitar Kurt Cobain played in Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” music video went up for auction, its estimated value was between $600,000-$800,000. But the final price far exceeded those estimates. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay ended up buying the left-handed Fender Mustang for a whopping $4,500,000. “I am thrilled to preserve and protect another piece of American culture that changed the way we looked at [the] world,” Irsay said in a statement. “The fact that a portion of the proceeds will go toward our effort to kick the stigma surrounding mental health makes this acquisition even more special to me.” “To have this legendary guitar, one of the most culturally significant and historically important guitars of Kurt Cobain and in all of rock music history return to my home st...
Kurt Cobain’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ Fender Guitar Up for Auction
Kurt Cobain‘s guitar used in the iconic “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video will be available for auction as part of Julien’s Auctions’ “Music Icons” auction which will take place at New York’s Hard Rock Cafe and online May 20-22. The left-handed Fender Mustang guitar comes in a Competition Lake Placid blue finish and is estimated to be valued between $600,000-$800,000. Prior to the auction, the guitar was on display at the MoPOP Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. “I’m left-handed, and it’s not very easy to find reasonably priced, high-quality left-handed guitars,” Cobain said in his final interview with Guitar World of the guitar. “But out of all the guitars in the whole world, the Fender Mustang is my favorite. I’ve only owned two of them.” The winner of the guitar will also receive an exclus...
London Royal Opera House Is Adapting a Kurt Cobain Opera Based on His Final Days
Kurt Cobain is getting an opera. According to The Guardian, Gus Van Zant’s 2005 film Last Days is being turned into an opera. The film is about an impending suicide, in which a Cobain-inspired character named Blake will embody the Nirvana frontman in his final days. The adaptation is being done by London’s Royal Opera House, and the house’s composer Oliver Leith is said to be a huge Nirvana fan. He told The Guardian that Cobain’s narrative is “an archetypal story — operas deal well in those.” Leith also said that Van Zant had not sensationalized Cobain’s story. Matt Copson is creating the opera’s libretto, and he will also direct the show alongside Anna Morrissey. In a statement from the ROH, the Last Days opera “plunges into the torment that created a modern myth,...
Own A Piece Of Rock History With Signed Nirvana ‘In Utero’ CD
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SPIN may receive an affiliate commission. Nirvana, one of the most famous bands to come out of Seattle’s grunge scene, had a lasting impact on music that can be felt today. And whether you followed their trajectory or you’re a newer fan, you can own a piece of the band’s history: a custom-framed Nirvana In Utero CD signed by its members, the late singer Kurt Cobain, drummer Dave Grohl, and bassist Krist Novoselic. The frame also includes a still photo of the band performing during their final In Utero tour. The photo features the iconic angel statue from the album’s cover. The autograph also comes with a “letter of authentication.” Nirvana recorded their third album In Utero in 1993 with Steve ...
One of Kurt Cobain’s Childhood Homes Is Up For Sale
Calling all extreme Kurt Cobain fans! If you wanted to purchase a house the Nirvana front man lived in during his childhood, and if you have $279,900 laying around, well, you’re in luck. Cobain’s house in Montesano, Washington—a four bedroom, two bathroom home built in 1908—has only been listed on Redfin for a few days. It is located about 11 miles from Cobain’s original hometown of Aberdeen. “Your chance to own a piece of nostalgic HISTORY and a Gorgeously updated home! That’s right this home was once home to the one and only KURT COBAIN! You’ll find his room was the very unique “Ship” room,” the ad reads. The “ship” room appears to be a pretty sick, all-wood-walled nook, with a large opening in one of the wall’s that looks like could hold a bed. All the other quarters including the livin...
41 Artists Reflect on Nirvana’s Nevermind Turning 30
The world changed 30 years ago today. Though it took a few months before the proverbial train left the station, the rumblings from the underground completely blew up when college rock and punk blended to form alternative rock, with Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl serving as the conductors. Nevermind’s legacy is firmly and safely entrenched in music history. It’s been discussed so many times before, but here’s the CliffsNotes version. All of these years later — even though Nirvana burned out instead of fading away — Nevermind continues to resonate. Cobain’s powerful lyrics are still influencing people of all generations (maybe not Boomers, but Gen X and beyond) and their musical tastes. It still serves as the gateway to rock for countless fans. When SPIN spoke with Nov...
Kurt Cobain’s Childhood Home Is A Landmark, With An Exhibit Coming Soon
Kurt Cobain’s childhood home in Aberdeen, Washington has long been the ultimate pilgrimage destination for Nirvana fans. But as of last week, it became official. Washington’s Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation included the late singer’s home to the state’s Heritage Register as a culturally important building. And soon, fans will get to walk in and experience it as Cobain did during the time in his life when he was learning to play guitar and developing his love for music. Cobain lived in the one-and-a-half-story house from 1968 to 1984. According to the property’s current owner, Lee Bacon, plans to restore the home and recreate it at “90 to 95 percent complete,” per Rolling Stone. “Our goal is to make the house a tribute project to Kurt’s early life and career, with museum ...
The 100 Greatest Rock Stars Since That Was A Thing
Three of the 100 are in this picture! The Rolling Stones, in 1964, from left to right: Bill Wyman, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Brian Jones. The problem with lists like this is they are invariably bullshit. So our prime objective was to make sure we didn’t do a bullshit list. I’m not saying we did a scientific one either. Because that isn’t possible — actually, it is, if you wanted some compilation of who sold the most records/concert tickets/has the most fans/got the most death threats, etc., and someone could come up with a bunch of very empirical metrics and create a “heat index” or something, and could deliver an actual scientific ranking! But we, um, didn’t do that. In fact we didn’t even, technically, do the “we...
Dave Grohl Recalls Nirvana’s Low Expectations for Nevermind
As Nevermind approaches its 30th anniversary, Dave Grohl looks back to when the now-iconic LP came out, admitting that Nirvana had fairly low expectations for the album’s success. They certainly didn’t expect it to become one of the most seminal albums in rock and roll history. In an interview with Uncut, friends, family, and fellow musicians told Nirvana’s members that Nevermind was going to be “fucking huge,” Grohl tells Uncut. “Donita [Sparks] from L7 came by and said we were going to be fucking huge. My old friend Barrett Jones, who I had grown up with in Virginia, who was a musician and a producer himself, heard ‘Lithium’ and said we were going to be fucking huge. He thought ‘Lithium’ should be the first single.” Attempting a balance of appreciation and denial, Grohl thought, “‘W...
Kurt Cobain Self-Portrait Caricature Sold for $281,250 at Music Icons Auction
A caricature drawing of Kurt Cobain, done by the icon himself, brought in $281,250 at Julien’s Auctions Music Icons sale. The sale price was 28 times the original estimate. The drawing, done in black felt pen on TNT Music Centre in Singapore stationery, depicts Cobain playing the guitar and is signed “Kurdt Kobain Rock Star.” Handwritten on the right, the singer/songwriter penned, “I don’t know how to play and I don’t give a hoot!” The auction pulled in nearly $5 million over the three-day sale, thanks to including instruments, memorabilia, wardrobe and personal property owned and used by Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Elton John, Cher, Lady Gaga, Tom Petty, Tupac Shakur, and others. CREDIT: Courtesy of Julien’s Auctions Other Nirvana items f...
Van Morrison and Eric Clapton Are At It Again in ‘The Rebels’
Van Morrison and Eric Clapton joined forces again for “The Rebels,” a duet of “Where Have All the Rebels Gone” from Morrison’s new album Latest Record Project: Vol. 1. An accompanying animated video shows drawings of musicians including Axl Rose, Robert Johnson, Kurt Cobain, Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead on “Wanted: Rebel” posters. The questioning call to action lyrically asks, “Where have all the rebels gone / They’re not saying very much at all,” and surmises that they’re “hiding behind their computer screens.” In December 2020, the duo released “Stand Up and Deliver,” which followed controversial tunes from Morrison that protested lockdown measures in the United Kingdom throughout the pandemic. The elder statement of blues-rock shared the song as Slowhand & Van, which soun...
