Book aims to keep Kurt Cobain’s legacy alive

Folks old enough remember how that discovery shoved a shunt into their own lives. MTV’s Tabitha Soren said the body was apparently Cobain’s. A local DJ said Cobain’s death was confirmed, and then put on “Cut Your Hair” by Pavement. That was the dawning of the new era.

Charles R. Cross, a Cobain biographer and author of the new book “Here We Are Now: The Lasting Impact of Kurt Cobain,” found himself live on “Larry King Now,” but not voluntarily. The show took the extraordinary step of cold-calling Cross’ office, and the writer/editor had no idea he was going to talk to millions nationwide until he heard King’s familiar voice.

Cross does not remember what he said over the phone, over the air. “We tried to find a tape,” he recalls. “That whole weekend was so, so crazy. It was a blur and, in a way, still is. If I said anything coherent I’d be surprised. So I’m actually not interested to hear my shock. I don’t want to relive that again.”

“Heavier than Heaven,” Cross’ full-length biography of Cobain, appeared in 2001. “Here We Are Now” came out much shorter and more intense, conceptually designed as both what Cross wishes he had to say to King’s audience and as a summation of Cobain’s legacy.

As to what about Cobain might surprise the average person the most, Cross mentions that Cobain loved making visual art, had a talent for it and, at times, considered quitting music for art.

Some of the Nirvana leader’s musical tastes might surprise, as well. Cobain was  fond of a heavily reviled quartet The Knack, and he once spent several days tracking down a record by commercial ‘70s superstars REO Speedwagon.

“I even saw Kurt, which I didn’t talk about in the new book, walking down the street near my [Northeast Seattle] house just a couple of weeks before he died,” Cross relates. “I still wonder what if I would have stopped and talked to him then, but I didn’t. He looked out of it. It was a scary area. I know now that neighborhood was where one of his dealers lived. I didn’t know at the time how bad it was, but what could anyone do?”

Cross contends that no one in rock since Cobain put together songwriting talent, style and charisma the way the Nirvana leader did. He mentioned that in the last 20 years he’s heard “many [acts] I love,” including Jack White, The Black Keys, Death Cab for Cutie, The National and Adele. But he insists that no one else has put everything together in a total package to rival Cobain. He hopes that will shift soon.

In the end, one reason for the new book is his concern over what may be Cobain’s fading legacy.

“There is a way this history, this legacy is getting lost,” Cross said. “More kids today will care about Lana Del Rey than Kurt, and that’s pretty f---ed up in my opinion. Please change that fate, OK?” 

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