Aberdeen is celebrating what would have been Kurt Cobain’s 47th birthday by making February 20 the official Kurt Cobain Day in the city.
Cobain, grunge band Nirvana’s front man, was born in Aberdeen in 1967. He had a turbulent childhood and struggled with his parents’ divorce. He also dropped out of high school and was known to be a rebel. Through his teen years, Cobain moved to different homes and at one time even lived under a bridge.
Cobain then formed Nirvana together with bassist Krist Novoselic who also lived in the area. Nirvana’s first few band practices were held in Aberdeen, but they eventually moved to Washington’s state capital, Olympia, before finally settling down in Seattle.
For Kurt Cobain Day, city officials are planning to unveil a statue of the late rocker, which will be located at the Aberdeen Museum of History. The statue was a tribute that the city refused to accept 2 decades ago. After Cobain’s suicide in 1994, Randi Hubbard started making the cement statue, which was finished with the help of art students. They offered the statue to the city, but were refused.
Some residents of Aberdeen did not want the statue, due to Cobain’s drug addiction and negative comments he made about the city. Mayor Bill Simpson says that the statue is being erected to honor Cobain’s contributions to the music industry.
Kurt Cobain Day will be celebrated with the performance of Gebular, a local band. Aaron Burckhard, Nirvana’s first drummer, and Warren Mason, Cobain’s guitar teacher, will also be making an appearance at the event. The museum will also be displaying a couch that Cobain once used.
Aberdeen Museum of History gets about 5,000 visitors yearly. With the addition of Cobain’s cement statue, city officials are expecting the number to increase.
Nirvana will be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 10.
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