In this file photo taken on Feb. 19, 1992, Kurt Cobain, lead singer for Nirvana, performs at the Nakano Sun Plaza in Tokyo.is Danny Goldberg’s poignant new book on the Nirvana singer and songwriter. It takes its name from the opening track on Nirvana’s final album and refers to band manager Goldberg’s deferential relationship with Cobain, a servant to his own artistic muse.
You describe him as a total artist, rather than as a tormented songwriter. Is that part of the balanced portrait you’re trying to get at? Kurt was concerned with being a nice guy. You’re absolutely right, not every great artist is concerned with that. But he was. He had darkness inside him, demons that eventually killed him, but he was nice to people. There are other artists who aren’t like that. Creating art and being nice, those are different compartments in the brain.