Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain

by Cross, Charles R.

• ISBN13: 9780786865055
• ISBN10: 0786865059
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-08-15
• Publisher: Hachette Books

Summary

Although the tragic circumstances of Kurt Cobains suicide are well known, the facts of his lifeand the influence of his artistryremain 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 Based on more than 400 interviews; four years of research; exclusive access to Cobains unpublished diaries; and a wealth of documentation, Heavier Than Heaven traces Cobains life from his early days in a double-wide trailer outside of Aberdeen, Washington,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 Cobains creativity, the generational history that forged his character, and the unusual love story that shaped his relationship with wife Courtney Love. Drawing from medical and police reports, and Cobains own private writings, Cross also reveals the truth about Cobains health struggles and his tragic final days. 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.

Author Biography

Charles R. Cross was editor of The Rocket, the Northwest's highly regarded music and entertainment magazine and the first publication ever to do a cover story on Nirvana. His writing has appeared in Rolling Stone, Esquire, and Spy, among many other publications. He lives in Seattle

Table of Contents

Author's Note	ix
Prologue: Heavier Than Heaven	1	(4)
New York, New York January 12, 1992
Yelling Loudly at First	5	(10)
Aberdeen, Washington February 1967-December 1973
I Hate Mom, I Hate Dad	15	(13)
Aberdeen, Washington January 1974-June 1979
Meatball of the Month	28	(10)
Montesano, Washington July 1979-March 1982
Prairie Belt Sausage Boy	38	(17)
Aberdeen, Washington March 1982-March 1983
The Will of Instinct	55	(18)
Aberdeen, Washington April 1984-September 1986
Didn't Love Him Enough	73	(8)
Aberdeen, Washington September 1986-March 1987
Soupy Sales in My Fly	81	(7)
Raymond, Washington March 1987
In High School Again	88	(16)
Olympia, Washington April 1987-May 1988
Too Many Humans	104	(19)
Olympia, Washington May 1988-February 1989
Illegal to Rock `N' Roll	123	(16)
Olympia, Washington February 1989-September 1989
Candy, Puppies, Love	139	(13)
London, England October 1989-May 1990
Love You So Much	152	(15)
Olympia, Washington May 1990-December 1990
The Richard Nixon Library	167	(12)
Olympia, Washington November 1990-May 1991
Burn American Flags	179	(13)
Olympia, Washington May 1991-September 1991
Every Time I Swallowed	192	(14)
Seattle, Washington September 1991-October 1991
Brush Your Teeth	206	(15)
Seattle, Washington October 1991-January 1992
Little Monster Inside	221	(16)
Los Angeles, California January 1992-August 1992
Rosewater, Diaper Smell	237	(16)
Los Angeles, California August 1992-September 1992
That Legendary Divorce	253	(14)
Seattle, Washington September 1992-January 1993
Heart-Shaped Coffin	267	(14)
Seattle, Washington January 1993-August 1993
A Reason to Smile	281	(15)
Seattle, Washington August 1993-November 1993
Cobain's Disease	296	(16)
Seattle, Washington November 1993-March 1994
Like Hamlet	312	(15)
Seattle, Washington March 1994
Angel's Hair	327	(16)
Los Angeles, California---Seattle, Washington March 30-April 6, 1994
Epilogue: A Leonard Cohen Afterworld	343	(10)
Seattle, Washington April 1994-May 1999
Source Notes	353	(12)
Acknowledgments	365	(2)
Index	367