The Grunge Music Legends Who Changed the Scene

In the early 1990s, grunge music became the voice of a generation. These are the legends who changed the scene.

Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain was the lead singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the American rock band Nirvana. He was born on February 20, 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington. Cobain formed Nirvana with Krist Novoselic in 1985 and established it as part of the Seattle music scene, having its debut album Bleach released on the independent record label Sub Pop in 1989.

Life

Kurt Cobain was a iconic figure in the grunge music scene of the early 1990s. He was the lead singer and guitarist of the band Nirvana, which became one of the most successful bands of all time. Cobain was also a prolific songwriter, and his work helped to define the grunge genre.

Cobain was born in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1967. He grew up in a troubled family environment; his parents divorced when he was nine, and he struggled with depression and anxiety throughout his life. As a teenager, Cobain became interested in music and began playing guitar. He formed Nirvana with bassist Krist Novoselic in 1987, and the band released its first album, Bleach, two years later.

Nirvana’s breakout album came in 1991 with Nevermind. The album’s lead single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” became a huge hit and made Nirvana one of the most popular bands in the world. Nirvana continued to releases successful albums throughout the 1990s, including In Utero (1993) and MTV Unplugged in New York (1994).

Cobain’s struggles with depression intensified during this time period, and he became addicted to heroin. On April 5th, 1994, Cobain was found dead at his home in Seattle from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 27 years old.

Death

Kurt Cobain died on April 5, 1994, at his home in Seattle, Washington. The official cause of death was suicide by gunshot wound. Cobain was 27 years old at the time of his death.

Cobain’s suicide note was found near his body. In it, he apologizing to his wife Courtney Love and their daughter Frances Bean Cobain. He also said that he “had it good” and that he “might as well be dead.”

Cobain’s death had a profound impact on the music industry, and particularly on the grunge music scene. His death was a major factor in the eventual break-up of Nirvana, one of the most successful bands of the 1990s.

Layne Staley

Layne Staley will always be remembered as one of the most influential musicians of the grunge movement. He was the frontman of Alice in Chains, and his unique voice helped the band to stand out from the rest of the Seattle grunge scene. Staley’s musical style was a mix of heavy metal and punk rock, and he was known for his dark lyrics which often dealt with topics like addiction and depression.

Life

Layne Staley was born in Kirkland, Washington, on August 22, 1967. He was the eldest of three children and his parents divorced when he was eight years old. As a result, he spent much of his childhood living with his mother and grandparents. Despite a difficult upbringing, Staley found solace in music. He began playing drums at age 12 and soon began writing his own songs.

In 1986, Staley formed the band Alice in Chains with guitarist Jerry Cantrell. The band found success with their debut album Facelift (1990), which spawned the singles “Man in the Box” and “We Die Young.” Alice in Chains rose to prominence as one of the leading bands of the Seattle grunge scene, alongside Nirvana and Pearl Jam. The group’s second album, Dirt (1992), is considered one of the best albums of the 1990s. It entered the Billboard 200 chart at No. 6 and was certified quadruple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Staley struggled with addiction for much of his life. In 1996, he entered rehab but relapsed shortly after leaving treatment. His drug use continued to spiral out of control and it took a toll on his health and personal life. In 2002, Staley was found dead in his Seattle home after overdosing on heroin and cocaine. He was just 34 years old.

Death

On April 5, 2002, Layne Staley was found dead in his apartment by his father. He had been dead for two weeks. The official cause of death was an accidental heroin overdose.

Chris Cornell

Though often thought of as the inventor of grunge, Chris Cornell was actually a sunshine pop musician in the early 80s. He was the lead singer of Soundgarden, one of the most influential grunge bands of all time. Cornell’s powerful voice and songwriting ability helped make the genre what it is today.

Life

Chris Cornell was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was best known as the lead singer of the rock band Soundgarden and as one of the founders of the supergroup Audioslave. He was also known for his solo work, and for his contributions to various film soundtracks. Cornell died on May 18, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan, at the age of 52.

Cornell was born on July 20, 1964 in Seattle, Washington. His parents were Edwina and James Cornell. His father was a pharmacist, and his mother was a housewife. Cornell has three older brothers: Peter, Patrick and Christopher. Patrick died in a car accident in 1986, at the age of 19.

Cornell was a self-taught musician. He began playing guitar at the age of 12, and started his first band called The Shemps when he was 13 years old. In 1984, Cornell co-founded Soundgarden with Kim Thayil and Hiro Yamamoto. Soundgarden released their debut album Ultramega OK in 1988. The album received critical acclaim, but did not sell well initially. However, it eventually went on to be certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Soundgarden’s second album, Louder Than Love (1989), was more commercially successful than their debut album; it peaked at number 28 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum by the RIAA. Their third album, Badmotorfinger (1991), was also very successful; it peaked at number seven on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified double platinum by the RIAA. In 1992, Soundgarden won their first Grammy Award for “Best Metal Performance” for the song “Slaves & Bulldozers”.

In 1994, Soundgarden released their fourth album Superunknown which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart; it remains their highest charting album to date. Superunknown went on to be certified five times platinum by the RIAA and won two Grammy Awards: “Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal” for “Black Hole Sun”, and “Best Hard Rock Performance” for “Spoonman”.

Following a hiatus from recording and touring from 1997 to 2001 due to differences within the band members about creative control over Soundgarden’s musical direction., Cornell found himself exploring different musical genres outside of Soundgarden during this time period.. In 1999 he collaborated with rapper Wyclef Jean on The Score soundtrack with Refugee Camp featuring rock version of Jean’s Guantanamera The Economist described this song as an unlikely mix of metal growling & revolution-calling that actually worked.” In 2001 Cornell joined Audioslave which consisted himself as lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist , Tom Morello as lead guitarist , Brad Wilk as drummer & Tim Commerford as bassist ; all formally members of Rage Against The Machine . With Rage Against The Machine being on hiatus since 2000 , Morello reached out cold-calling to see if Cornell would be interested singing with him & company leading to practicing & playing shows without any material written . Their self titled debut album Audioslave released in November 2002 ; it entered Billboard 200 at number seven selling 261k copies its first week .The album had promising start but sustainable success alluding them; It didn’t have runaway hit single that could put them over top like hits from RHCP ,”Californication”, or Linkin Park ,”In The End”. Even though sales were disappointing compared other groups from era , critics well received Audioslave calling freshest rock has had offer years.” Rolling Stone went further putting them 1st place Best Albums 2002.. During audioslave tenure , group put constant touring including Lollapalooza 2003 concert turned DVD Live in Cuba.”

Death

On May 18, 2017, Chris Cornell died by suicide at the age of 52. He was found in his hotel room after performing a concert with Soundgarden in Detroit.

Cornell was one of the most popular and influential grunge musicians of the 1990s. He was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden, one of the most successful grunge bands of all time. He also released four solo albums and formed the supergroup Audioslave with members of Rage Against the Machine.

Cornell’s death came as a shock to fans and fellow musicians alike. He was widely respected for his musical talent and his work with various charities. His death highlights the problem of mental health in the music industry, and serves as a reminder of the importance of supporting artists.