Heavier than heaven : a biography of Kurt Cobain / Charles R. Cross.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cross, Charles R.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Cobain, Kurt, 1967-1994.

Cobain, Kurt.

Rock musicians--United States--Biography.

Rock musicians.

United States.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xi, 381 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Hyperion, [2001]

Summary:

When Kurt Cobain died by his own hand in April 1994, it was an act of will that typified his short, angry, inspired life. Although the tragic circumstances of Cobain's suicide are well known, the facts of his life -- and the influence of his artistry -- remain largely unexamined. Now veteran music journalist Charles R. Cross fuses his intimate knowledge of the Seattle music scene with his deep compassion for his subject in this extraordinary story of artistic brilliance and the pain that extinguished it.

Based on more than four hundred interviews; four years of research; exclusive access to Cobain's unpublished diaries, lyrics, and family photos; and a wealth of documentation, Heavier Than Heaven traces Cobain's life from his early days in a double-wide trailer outside of Aberdeen, Washington, to his rise to fame, success, and the adulation of a generation. Cross reveals the familial turmoil that fueled Cobain's creativity, the generational history that forged his character, and the unusual love story that was his relationship with wife Courtney Love. Drawing from medical and police reports, and Cobain's own private writings, Cross also reveals the truth about Cobain's health struggles, his depression, and his tragic final days.

Published on the tenth anniversary of Nirvana's landmark album Nevermind, this is the first in-depth biography of Kurt Cobain, a man whose music captured the minds of a generation and whose death broke their hearts. More than the history of a rock and roll star, Heavier Than Heaven is a portrait of creative genius and the will to turn pain into art.

Contents:

Prologue: Heavier Than Heaven (New York, New York January 12, 1992) 1

Chapter 1 Yelling Loudly at First (Aberdeen, Washington February 1967-December 1973) 5

Chapter 2 I Hate Mom, I Hate Dad (Aberdeen, Washington January 1974-June 1979) 15

Chapter 3 Meathall of the Month (Montesano, Washington July 1979-March 1982) 28

Chapter 4 Prairie Belt Sausage Boy (Aberdeen, Washington March 1982-March 1983) 38

Chapter 5 The Will of Instinct (Aberdeen, Washington April 1984-September 1986) 55

Chapter 6 Didn't Love Him Enough (Aberdeen, Washington September 1986-March 1987) 73

Chapter 7 Soupy Sales in My Fly (Raymond, Washington March 1987) 81

Chapter 8 In High School Again (Olympia, Washington April 1987-May 1988) 88

Chapter 9 Too Many Humans (Olympia, Washington May 1988-February 1989) 104

Chapter 10 Illegal to Rock 'N' Roll (Olympia, Washington February 1989-September 1989) 123

Chapter 11 Candy, Puppies, Love (London, England October 1989-May 1990) 139

Chapter 12 Love You So Much (Olympia, Washington May 1990-December 1990) 152

Chapter 13 The Richard Nixon Library (Olympia, Washington November 1990-May 1991) 167

Chapter 14 Burn American Flags (Olympia, Washington May 1991-September 1991) 179

Chapter 15 Every Time I Swallowed (Seattle, Washington September 1991-October 1991) 192

Chapter 16 Brush Your Teeth (Seattle, Washington October 1991-January 1992) 206

Chapter 17 Little Monster Inside (Los Angeles, California January 1992-August 1992) 221

Chapter 18 Rosewater, Diaper Smell (Los Angeles, California August 1992-September 1992) 237

Chapter 19 That Legendary Divorce (Seattle, Washington September 1992-January 1993) 253

Chapter 20 Heart-Shaped Coffin (Seattle, Washington January 1993-August 1993) 267

Chapter 21 A Reason to Smile (Seattle, Washington August 1993-November 1993) 281

Chapter 22 Cobain's Disease (Seattle, Washington November 1993-March 1994) 296

Chapter 23 Like Hamlet (Seattle, Washington March 1994) 312

Chapter 24 Angel's Hair (Los Angeles, California-Seattle, Washington March 30-April 6, 1994) 327

Epilogue: A Leonard Cohen Afterworld (Seattle, Washington April 1994-May 1999) 343.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0786865059

OCLC:

46422140