The following column has nothing to do with wrestling

Kurt Cobain… 12 years later

The above was the last words written by Kurt Cobain, the frontman for Nirvana. These words were found in the same room with the shot gun blasted body of Kurt Cobain. 10 years have past, and still, there is no 100% solid proof that Kurt Cobain committed suicide. As a matter of fact, a recent book has proved that Courtney Love was the one who killed her husband. There is a movie, called “Kurt and Courtney” that proves that Courtney Love knew that Kurt would be dead. Many respected journalists in the music field have come out and said that the Kurt Cobain death was never fully investigated, and was considered a suicide before it ever had a chance to be considered a murder. There's also an interesting (conspiracy) site that looks at Kurt's death, which you can see here:
http://www.cobaincase.com/events.htm
Definitely check out that site, as it presents an entirely different side of Kurt's death.

The following words come from a petition to reopen Kurt Cobain’s case. It can be found here:
http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/KurtCobain/
Here is the petition:
Petition to Reopen the Investigation into Kurt Cobain's Death

On Friday, April 8th, 1994, Kurt Cobain was found dead in the upper room of the garage at his property at 171 Lake Washington Blvd E., Seattle Washington. After an exhaustive study of the available evidence, we, the undersigned, believe this case was not investigated and should be reopened and reinvestigated thoroughly, with all of the results made public. Kurt’s death has remained clouded by doubt and suspicion for almost ten (10) years. There is still more information to be discovered and analyzed, witnesses to be interrogated and subpoenaed under oath, if necessary, and many questions have been left unanswered. It is time to find the answers and the truth.

Some of the points showing a proper investigation was not conducted and leaving unanswered questions include the following examples. These are only a few of the examples that convince people a thorough, by-the-book investigation was not done and why many believe this case needs to be reopened and reinvestigated properly.

1) Officer Lewandoski was dispatched to the scene at 8.56 am according to his initial incident report. By 9.50 am, according to the police report written by detectives Jim Yoshida and Steve Kirkland, homicide was notified. At that time, the case was already being called a suicide. Since the investigation had not yet been completed, it should not have been called a suicide at that point.

2) Dr. Nikolas Hartshorne, from the King Country Medical Examiners office, did the initial investigation at the scene. Dr. Hartshorne was a friend of the wife of the deceased, and possibly also of the deceased, as evidence exists to show that Hartshorne at one time booked shows for Cobain’s band, Nirvana. This relationship constitutes a direct conflict of interest for Hartshorne.

3) Kurt Cobain was never considered ‘suicidal’ until after his death and then, only by a few people, who may have had their own motives for labeling him so. However, there is evidence that Cobain stated he was in fear of his life shortly before he died, and that the shotgun found with his body was purchased for protection due to this fear. Also, certain ‘evidence’ of what is now being termed an earlier ‘suicide attempt’ may possibly be evidence of an earlier murder attempt. At the time of this earlier event the doctor treating Cobain at the time did not see it as such. Cobain himself stated that it was not a ‘suicide attempt’. Also, it was not termed a ‘suicide attempt’ by anyone else prior to Cobain's death. Only after his death did some term this earlier incident a 'suicide attempt'.

4) According to information, Cobain's heroin, (morphine), blood level was 1.52 mgs per liter, which would require a minimum injection of 225 mgs of heroin. This is three times a lethal dose, even for a hardcore heroin addict. Dr. Hartshorne, as stated in the Yoshida/Kirkland police report, found two puncture marks, one on each arm. The drug paraphernalia was located inside the closed cigar box found in the room, the victim’s sleeves were rolled down, and no drug paraphernalia was found next to, or still stuck in, the body. According to medical research, the amount of heroin (morphine) found in the body several days after death would not allow someone to put things away, roll down their sleeves, then the pick up a shotgun and use it. The amount of drugs would have rendered a person unconscious long before they would have time to do all that. Also, there have been no other documented instances where a suicide victim took massive amounts of drugs and also used a shotgun to kill themselves.

5) An acquaintance of Cobain’s spouse stated he was offered money to kill Cobain. This individual passed two lie detectors tests, administered by Dr. Edward Gelb, a foremost expert in the USA on administering lie detector tests. This acquaintance later died under suspicious circumstances.

6) According to authorities, Cobain died on approximately April 4th-5th, 1994, yet someone was attempting to use his credit cards up until April 8th, 1994 – even though Cobain’s spouse had cancelled them by April 3rd, 1994. Cobain had used this same credit card to purchase his plane ticket from California to Seattle on Friday, April 1st, 1994, and the credit card was missing from his wallet when his body was found on April 8th.

7) The police report states that the shotgun was found on the body, inverted with the trigger and magazine trap door pointing up. That would place the ejection port of the gun to Cobain’s right. If Cobain shot himself with the shotgun facing in this direction, the shell should have been found to his right. Yet the shell was found some distance from, and to left of, his body.

8) The police report also states the balcony door was barricaded with a stool, while the main entry door, opposite to the balcony door, was locked. The only way onto the balcony was from inside the room where the body was found, and the stool was not in any way a barricade. The main entry door had a push type lock, which anyone could have locked and closed when leaving the room.

We are asking that this case be reopened and a full, thorough investigation take place to determine the truth about how Kurt Cobain died. Our concern is not only that the truth be found about Kurt Cobain’s death, but that all cases should be properly investigated. If the case of a well-known person is not done correctly, as the evidence clearly shows it was not, we can have no assurances that those of others not so well-known will be investigated properly. The life story of every human being deserves an honest ending.

We would like to try and get as many signatures as we can by March 25th (though we will continue the petition past that date), so we can mail them to the appropriate people/organizations before the 10th anniversary of Kurt's death in April 2004.

While I am not running around trying to make Kurt’s death a conspiracy theory, I do believe that the case should be reopened. Most Nirvana insiders have come out to say that Kurt had the paperwork in motion to divorce Courtney. Courtney Love, who has gone on record as saying that she first got involved with Kurt because she thought she’d be bigger than him and was jealous when Nirvana was bigger than her band Hole, was reportedly fuming that Kurt would divorce her, leaving Courtney financially, with none of Nirvana’s profits. Just as recent as a few weeks ago, Courtney Love has wilded out on late night TV, Howard Stern and at her concerts. She is very unstable and she is the one who owns all the rights to Nirvana, not Krist Novalselic, the man in Nirvana from day one.

Nirvana was The Beatles for a generation. The power and bliss of Nirvana affected many lives and was the inspiration for many musicians. I personally believe that if there was no Nirvana, half the music you hear today wouldn’t be out there. Nirvana was the first band to be called “alternative rock.” Once “Nevermind” hit, and Smells Like Teen Spirit ran through the country, cheap knock offs of Nirvana such as Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots and others came to the forefront with their brand of Nirvanaesque music. Nirvana made Seattle grunge music not only popular, but acceptable.

Nirvana was the top of the music world for a solid 3 years. They were the band that kicked the most ass, sold the most records and was unique. No band did what Nirvana did. Nirvana were considered the fathers of grunge music. I believe that if Nirvana, and Kurt Cobain, didn’t die on April 7, 1994, that rap music would’ve never took off. Nirvana pushed Michael Jackson, heavy metal and Guns N Roses off the charts. Nevermind was a platinum record. In Utero went gold right away. The popularity of Nirvana ended the 80’s long hair metal bands.

The death of Nirvana opened the doors for new music. Once Nirvana died, the alternative music scene waned and thousands of cheap mother fucking bands tried to imitate with their “verse chorus verse” style of music, but ultimately failed.

Dr. Dre found Snoop Doggy Dogg, and the rap music industry took off. Out were white suburban kids who wore ripped jeans and converse sneakers, in was white kids with walkmans blasting the illest beats from Compton, CA. I personally like Dre’s stuff, but I really believe that rap would’ve never took off if it wasn’t for Kurt’s death. Young America needed new music, because after Nirvana died, there was so much cheap ass shit, that something new and innovative was going to take over. Rap music was it, and rap music has enjoyed a now 10 year reign as the most popular and profitable music today. An untapped market was tapped, as white America discovered rap music, and rap music united many communities, while also killing some communities who felt so passionate about the music and got caught up in the east coast vs west coast battles. Nirvana died on April 7th, and so did grunge music. The only band that kept it truly going was Alice in Chains, and they’d be finished a year later, while new musical acts such as The Notorious BIG, 2pac Shakur and Snoop Dogg blazed America.

I am a huge Nirvana fan. I bare two Nirvana tattoos as it is, and working on a third one. Right now, I really don’t feel any of the current music out there. I don’t find any of the music today impactful, and consider 99% of it commercial crap. I don’t think another band like Nirvana will ever come to the forefront and just play for the sake of playing. Just like how Nirvana changed the music industry, commercialism has changed and redirected the course of rock. Simply put, Nirvana was the Beatles, The Doors, Floyd, & everyone else before them, of the 90's generation.

For the casual fan, go dust off your Nevermind CD, for the hardcore fan, spin your bootleg, and appreciate how Nirvana shook the music world. The lyrics are complex and are a reflection of thoughts from a Seattle poet who never agreed with making money off of his music. At this point, whether Kurt killed himself or not is truly irrelevant, he is dead, but don’t let the music die.

I believe that Nirvana was the band of my generation. My parents had The Beatles and Elvis. Nirvana was the band for Generation X. Today, grunge music is out. Rock music isn’t popular anymore. Radio stations who once played Nirvana are now playing anything from Top 40 music to latino music.

Nirvana truly made an impact on the music industry. With fame and death comes legendary status, and Kurt Cobain will go down as one of the greatest musicians ever, with Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and Freddy Mercury.

Kurt Cobain is gone, but will never be forgotten. Krist Novaselic, the bassist of Nirvana have said if you get it, you can feel the bliss and power of total Nirvana. I have and feel honored to “get it.”

Rest In Peace Kurt, and thank you for your music.

Teenage angst has paid off well
Now I'm bored and old
Self-appointed judges judge
More than they have sold
If she floats than she is not
A witch like we had thought
A down payment on another
One at salem's lot
Serve the servants - Oh no
That legendary divorce is such a bore
As my bones grew they did hurt
They hurt really bad
I tried hard to have a father
But instead I had a dad
I just want you to know that I
Don't hate you anymore
There is nothing I could say
That I haven't thought before
Serve the servants - Oh no

“Serve The Servants”, from In Utero, a story of Kurt’s family Life.

2006 Edit: Make sure to pick up the three-disc Nirvana Anthology set! It is the best music box set ever.

Thanks for reading this non-wrestling piece. Long Live Nirvana!

Sean “The MiC” McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com