Kurt Cobain's Death: Looking Back at the Rock Icon's Final Days and Legacy, 30 Years Later

It has been three decades since the death of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, but the musical legacy he left behind has only grown stronger.

The musician, who struggled with depression, a debilitating and unexplained stomach ailment and substance abuse issues, died by suicide on April 5, 1994. He was 27 years old at the time of his death and was survived by his wife, Hole frontwoman Courtney Love, and his then-1-year-old daughter Frances Bean Cobain.

“Kurt had ... inhuman levels of professional pressure, chronic and severe physical pain and a heroin addiction that he just couldn’t seem to shake (or didn’t want to),” Nirvana biographer and Cobain pal Michael Azerrad wrote in an article for The New Yorker in 2021.

In the years since Cobain's death, his widow Love and daughter Frances have continued to pay tribute to the late singer, particularly on his birthday. On what would have been Cobain's 54th birthday in 2023, Love shared a black-and-white photo, taken by Mark Seliger, of her and the Nirvana artist, writing, "Happy birthday beautiful boy," along with a quote from the liner notes of Nirvana's 1992 compilation album Incesticide.

On the 30th anniversary of his death, here's a look back at the rock icon's final days and the legacy he left behind.

How did Kurt Cobain die?

Cobain died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head by a 20-gauge shotgun.

Blood tests taken during the autopsy determined that Cobain also had heroin in his system when he died.

When did Kurt Cobain die?

Cobain died on April 5, 1994, though his body wasn't found until three days later on April 8. An electrician named Gary Smith discovered Cobain’s lifeless body there when he arrived at the property to install a security system that Cobain had requested.

How did Kurt Cobain spend his final days?

The tragedy came on the heels of an extremely tumultuous month for the singer. Cobain was hospitalized while overseas in Rome after ingesting 50 or so Rohypnol pills and falling into a temporary coma on March 4. “There was a definite suicidal urge, to be gobbling and gobbling and gobbling,” Love later told Rolling Stone of the incident.

On March 18, Love was prompted to call the police on her husband, who had locked himself in a room with a gun and threatened to kill himself. Cobain was persuaded to seek help after his loved ones, including Love, staged an intervention. "I told him, 'You've got to be a good daddy. We've got to be good parents," Love told PEOPLE in 1994.

The singer checked into Exodus Recovery Center in Marina del Rey, Calif., on March 28 but left after 36 hours and supposedly retreated to a country house he and Love owned about 40 miles east of Seattle. Four days later, Cobain's mother Wendy O'Connor reported him missing to the police, but they were unable to locate him. Love also hired a private investigator to find her husband.

Where did Kurt Cobain die?

The Nirvana singer died in the greenhouse above his garage in his Seattle home.

Cobain and Love had purchased the home three months before his death, according to CNN. After Cobain died, Love had the greenhouse demolished and eventually sold the home three years later for $2.9 million.

How old was Kurt Cobain when he died?

Cobain was 27 years old when he took his own life, the same age as fellow musicians Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Amy Winehouse at the time of their deaths.

"Now he's gone and joined that stupid club," O'Connor said after her son's death, referencing the larger group of celebrities who have died at the age of 27.

What were Kurt Cobain’s last words?

Cobain left behind a note written in a red ballpoint pen. In it, the artist expressed gratitude for his good fortune in life but said that he was unable to enjoy it.

According to Love, who spoke to Rolling Stone in December 1994, Cobain also left a separate letter for her and Frances that she kept private. “It’s kind of long. I put it in a safe-deposit box,” she said. “I might show it to Frances–maybe. It’s very  ... 'You know I love you, I love Frances, I’m so sorry. Please don’t follow me.' "

How did the public react to Kurt Cobain’s death?

The public response to Cobain’s death was enormous. The New York Times reported that fans began to assemble outside his home in Madrona, Seattle, in mourning as early as April 9, 1994.

Two days after his body was discovered, roughly 10,000 fans gathered in downtown Seattle for a memorial vigil.

What legacy did Kurt Cobain leave behind?

Nirvana sold nearly 10 million copies of its sophomore album Nevermind ahead of the singer’s death, per The New York Times. More than breaking sales records, the group is widely credited with spearheading a cultural shift in music and fashion driven by grunge.

As the band's main songwriter, Cobain was a huge part of its success. Former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl told Classic Rock Magazine in 2021: “The person who is responsible for those beautiful songs is no longer with us.”

Nirvana’s popularity only grew after Cobain’s death. In 2014, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2019, NME reported that the trio's single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” had become the second '90s music video to hit one billion views on YouTube behind Guns ‘N Roses’ “November Rain." The following year, Nevermind became the seventh album in history to spend 500 weeks on the Billboard 200, per Forbes.

Record sales also continued to climb: As of 2023, Nevermind had sold more than 30 copies, according to Rolling Stone.

In addition to his musical legacy, Cobain was also a father to daughter Frances, who was just 1 year old when the singer died by suicide.

Frances, who is an artist in her own right, has posted snippets of several original songs to her social media accounts over the years, including one honoring Cobain called “Angel.”

She opened up about what her father might think of her songs to E! News in 2018, saying, "I would hope that he would be proud of the human being I am even if he didn't like the art I am putting out.”

In October 2023, Frances tied the knot with Tony Hawk’s oldest son, Riley Hawk.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.