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“I, Bill Simpson, Mayor for the City of Aberdeen, do hereby proclaim Feb. 20 to be hereafter known in the City of Aberdeen as Kurt Cobain Day in recognition of his artistic achievements and the contributions of Aberdonians and our guest in memorializing his legacy.”
Cobain was born in Aberdeen in 1967 and was one of the most influential musical figures of his generation. He committed suicide in 1994. He and his band Nirvana will be welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this spring, but the world famous rock star has never before been officially celebrated in his hometown.
There is already a park with his name on it and thousands of fans flock to the spot yearly to catch a glimpse of the banks of the Muddy Wishkah and the spots that Cobain hung out at as a youth.
Next door neighbor Hoquiam made the first move declaring April 10 to be Nirvana Day, coinciding with the induction into the Hall of Fame. But Aberdeen will celebrate Feb. 20.
The proclamation notes that “Aberdeen residents may justifiably take pride in the role our community played in the life of Kurt Cobain and the international recognition our community has gained from its connections with Kurt Cobain and his artistic achievements.”
The mayor was hesitant to fully embrace Cobain because of his past addiction and suicide, he said. But over time, listening to his music and talking to people who loved and admired him, he began to see Cobain as “very serious, a sincere person. While Kurt’s lyrics and album liner notes served as an outlet for his personal anger and frustration, we should recognize that he used his fame to advocate for the rights of women, gays and other minorities and ‘teen misfits’ like himself,” says the proclamation.
