Kurt Cobain's Best Moments in Pictures

The Nirvana rocker died on April 5, 1994, at just 27 years old

Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain performing with Nirvana at a taping of ‘MTV Unplugged’ in New York on Nov. 18, 1993. Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain died by suicide at age 27 on April 5, 1994.

Since that day, not a year has gone by without the rocker's fans, friends and loved ones sharing touching remembrances or musical memories on social media in his memory. Among them is his widow, Hole singer Courtney Love — with whom he welcomed daughter Frances Bean Cobain — who continues to keep his legacy alive.

In a since-deleted Instagram post shared on the 29th anniversary of Cobain’s death in 2023, the "Celebrity Skin" songstress wrote a tribute to her departed husband, whom she dotingly called "my twin flame."

"I love beautiful hands, it’s the first thing I look at in another. I love that the only photograph of Kurt that [Stipe] took… Micheal saw these hands," Love captioned a black-and-white photo of Cobain's hands clasped together. "It is one of the only images (or sounds/ tastes etc) that makes me miss him deeply. … Dear Kurt D. C. we love & miss you."

On her decision to follow in her father's creative footsteps, Frances — who has pursued modeling and visual art, as well as music — told E! News of her dad in 2018: "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. That's all I would ask of anyone in my life."

To commemorate his legacy, let's revisit some of Kurt's biggest moments captured on camera.

01 of 07

Nirvana on Tour

kurt cobain
Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain performing live on Feb. 16, 1990, on their Bleach Tour at Bogart's in Long Beach, California. Kevin Estrada/Shutterstock

Kurt mans the mic in Long Beach, Calif., in February 1990 on the band's Bleach Tour.

02 of 07

Nirvana performs at the MTV VMAs

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Kurt Cobain performing onstage with Nirvana at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 10, 1992. Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

Frontman Kurt and band Nirvana perform at the MTV Video Music Awards in September 1992.

03 of 07

Nirvana performs for "Live and Loud" in Seattle

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Kurt Cobain of Nirvana performing for the band’s ‘Live and Loud’ live video at Pier 48 in Seattle in December 1993. Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Nirvana came up in the golden era of MTV. Here, Kurt performs at Pier 48 for their Live and Loud live video, recorded in December 1993 in his hometown of Seattle.

04 of 07

Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love

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Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love pose for a photograph on the VIP balcony during a Mudhoney concert at the Hollywood Palladium on Dec. 4, 1992, in Los Angeles. Lindsay Brice/Getty Images

Kurt with his new bride, Love, in December 1992 at a Mudhoney concert in Los Angeles. The couple had tied the knot just months before on Feb. 24, 1992.

05 of 07

Dave Grohl and Kurt Cobain

kurt cobain, dave grohl
Nirvana bandmates Dave Grohl and Kurt Cobain at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1993. Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl and Kurt were incredibly close. In a 2021 interview, Grohl told Classic Rock magazine: "I still have dreams that we're in Nirvana, that we're still a band. I still dream there's [an] empty arena waiting for us to play."

06 of 07

Kurt Cobain with Courtney Love and Frances Bean

kurt cobain, courtney love, frances bean cobain
Kurt Cobain posing with wife Courtney Love while holding their daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, at the MTV VMAs in 1993. Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Kurt arrives at the 1993 MTV VMAs in L.A. with wife Love and their then-1-year-old daughter, Frances.

07 of 07

Kurt Cobain on 'MTV Unplugged'

Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain performing with Nirvana at a taping of ‘MTV Unplugged’ in New York on Nov. 18, 1993. Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

The band's 1993 MTV Unplugged performance was considered one of their most iconic; at a 2020 auction, the guitar Kurt played sold for $6 million, BBC reported.

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