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In mid-July, the show “Growing Up Kurt Cobain” opened in Ireland, which shows objects, notes and a car from the youth of the Nirvana front man.
Three women who played an essential role in the life of the musician took part in the opening: Kurt Cobain’s mother Wendy O’Connor, sister Kimberly O’Connor and daughter Frances Bean Cobain. They talked about significant moments in the life of the late singer in a panel. For example, Sister Kimberly caught school to go to the first Nirvana concert.
Wendy O’Connor shared the remarkable moment when she first heard the overhang “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. So Kurt is said to have hidden the demotape from his mother for three days until he wanted to play the song quietly – so as not to annoy the stepfather looking football.
“You don’t need to hear football. Play it out loud!” O’Connor recalls her words. In the next moment she is said to have been completely amazed at the music: “The hairs on my arms struggled and my breast became difficult. I told him that it would send him to the moon and back again. ‘This is so good, that will change everything’.
“I warned him”
Kurt Cobain’s mother Wendy O’Connor also described how she was worried about what the celebrity would do with Kurt. “I warned him: ‘I don’t think you are ready. How do you want to do it? It will be incredibly big, I don’t think you can handle it. I had death for him.” You should be right. The reaction of her son is said to have been a simple “och, mom”.
“Growing Up Kurt Cobain” can still be seen in the Museum of Style Icons in Irish Newbridge until September 30th.