Flashback: Kurt Cobain dies

Thursday (April 5th) marked the 13th anniversary of the death of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. Cobain killed himself with a shotgun at his Seattle home at the age of 27, leaving behind a small yet incredibly significant body of music.

Nirvana was one of many bands to emerge from the Pacific Northwest "grunge" scene, leaping to the front of the pack and giving the world and the media a face to put to the entire alternative music genre. The group's second album, Nevermind, became a colossal hit, bolstered by the alienated anthem "Smells Like Teen Spirit." The song rocketed to the top of the radio charts as Nevermind went on to sell over 14 million copies.

Kurt, always a troubled soul and wracked with drug problems of his own, was never comfortable with being his generation's spokesperson and suffered from bipolar syndrome. He left behind a widow, Hole singer Courtney Love, and a daughter, Frances Bean Cobain.

Nirvana has been the subject of books, retrospectives and celebrations since the band's demise in 1994. Bassist Krist Novoselic has more or less retired from music, while drummer Dave Grohl continues to front his own successful act, Foo Fighters.