One Of The Biggest Names In Music Grew Up In One Of The Smallest Towns In Washington
By Sherri Adams|Published May 16, 2023
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Sherri Adams
Author
Sherri Adams is a writer, photographer, and travel enthusiast from the Pacific Northwest. She has always been passionate about writing and the opportunities for connection through the written word. When she’s not writing, you can often find her at the seashore with her toes in the sand and her nose in a book.
There are a lot of famous people with roots in Washington. Many, like, Bill Gates, Macklemore, and Rainn Wilson of “The Office,” hail from Seattle. However, there are plenty of celebrities who got their start in some of Washington’s smaller towns. There’s something so charming about the idea of a local kid making it big. Sadly, the storybook ideal of small-town success doesn’t always turn out the way one hopes. Such is the tale of Kurt Cobain, a small-town Washington musician who, for a while, made it big – very big.
Kurt Donald Cobain was born on February 20, 1967, at Gray's Harbor County Hospital in Aberdeen, Washington.
The small town of Aberdeen sits at the mouth of the Chehalis and Wishkah Rivers. Once a booming logging town, Aberdeen now faces economic challenges in the wake of declining logging and fishing industries.
It is said that Kurt enjoyed a happy, normal childhood until his parents, Don and Wendy, divorced when Kurt was just nine.
The band went through a series of drummers before finally recruiting Dave Grohl in 1990. Grohl became the band's permanent drummer and went on to tour and record studio albums, "Nevermind" and "In Utero" with Nirvana.
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At times, Kurt found himself homeless as a teen and claimed to have spent nights sleeping under Aberdeen's Young Street Bridge. The experience inspired the song "Something In the Way."
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Kurt's haunting and angst-filled lyrics helped fuel the Seattle Grunge scene and served as a voice for teens everywhere. With a heavy, distorted guitar sound and a sense of rebellion, Grunge was born, ushering in a new era of alternative music and paving the way for other Seattle bands like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam.
Kurt's star shone brightly, but he was never able to overcome the demands of success and the demons of addiction and depression. The world lost a tremendous talent on April 5, 1994, when Kurt passed away at his home in Seattle.
Although it's been nearly 30 years since Kurt Cobain's death, fans still flock to the small town of Aberdeen to pay their respects to the fallen musician.
Kurt's childhood home is now a landmark and restoration plans are in the works.
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A blink-and-you-might-miss-it memorial sign gives a nod to Nirvana's live album, "From The Muddy Banks of the Wishkah."
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Kurt Cobain Riverfront Park is home to a Cobain memorial where visitors can pay their respects to the Nirvana frontman.
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A concrete replica of an electric guitar (left-handed, of course) looms over the park, and benches provide places for quiet reflection.
Sherri Adams
Sherri Adams
The park is open 24 hours, but please be respectful as it is at the end of a residential street.
The success of Nirvana came at the ultimate price, but the people of Aberdeen will never forget their most famous resident, Kurt Cobain.
If you’ve visited the Kurt Cobain Riverside Memorial, we’d love to hear about your experience in the comments.
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