Kurt Cobain's Tragic Real-Life Story

Many people view Kurt Cobain as a fragile-hearted poet who shattered under the pressure of undesired fame. It's a compelling narrative, but Time argues there's more to the story. Nirvana's ex-manager Danny Goldberg said Cobain "definitely wanted to be famous" and "worked assiduously" to build Nirvana's popularity. Moreover, Cobain's emotional fissures started showing years before Nirvana rocketed to superstardom with its 1991 album "Nevermind."

In 1989 Cobain had a nervous breakdown while performing in Rome. As detailed by Rolling Stone, Nirvana was promoting its first album, "Bleach," when Cobain suddenly smashed his guitar, ascended a dangerously high stack of amps, and threatened to jump. He was dissuaded from doing so but seemed intent on splitting up the band.

The documentary "Montage of Heck" has suggested that the singer attempted suicide as a teenager by lying across train tracks, which Cobain described in an audiotape he made in 1988. Multiple people who knew the musician, including Nirvana's Krist Novoselic, Cobain's wife Courtney Love, and former schoolmate Buzz Osborne have expressed doubts that it actually occurred, and documentary creator Brett Morgan acknowledged that his goal was to present "an emotional truth." However, the facts suggest that Cobain struggled with suicidal ideation long before his spotlight turned incandescent.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

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