April 5th marks the anniversary of the loss of two legendary artists, 8 years apart, Kurt Cobain and Layne Staley.

Kurt Cobain died on April 5th, 1994. It’s been 28 years now since he passed away, he was only 27 years old.

His body hadn’t been found until three days after his death, when an electrician went to do some work on his home in Seattle. The Seattle Police Department reported that Cobain died of a gunshot wound to the head. The shotgun and suicide note were discovered at the scene.

Many articles and magazines such as U Discover Music called Cobain’s suicide “a single gunshot that tore through an entire generation.”

Prior to his death, Cobain had checked himself into a drug rehabilitation facility after his heroin addiction resurfaced. To this day there are many conspiracies surrounding how he died.

At the time of his death, Nirvana was the biggest rock band on the globe. Cobain founded the band along with bassist Krist Novoselic. They went through a few drummers but eventually, they recruited Dave Grohl on drums in 1990. Together they paved the way for 90s grunge bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and more.

Nirvana has sold over 75 million records worldwide.

In 2014, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which was the first year they were eligible. Below you can watch Novoselic and Grohl tell stories about Nirvana, right after their induction.

 

Layne Staley passed away 20 years ago today, on April 5th, 2002. He was 34 years old. It was reported that he overdosed on a combination of heroin and cocaine, after years of struggling with addiction and depression. Oddly, this happened exactly 8 years to the day, after the passing of his friend Kurt Cobain.

He was well known as the frontman of Alice in Chains.

After he passed away, his parents founded the Layne Staley Memorial Fund which is an organization that helps other heroin addicts in the Seattle area. Since then, the world has continued to remember him and his music. In 2019, Seattle celebrated their first-ever Layne Staley Day.

Alice in Chains has sold over 30 million records worldwide. Staley has often been refered to as one of the most memorable voices in grunge.