What would Kurt Cobain have done had he lived?

Today would've been Cobain's 52nd birthday. Got me thinking, what would the Nirvana frontman have done musically or artistically had he not taken his own life in 1994?

Also, I'm sure there's been a discussion on this somewhere in the past, though I searched and don't see a thread for it. Thanks in advance.

 

Foo knows?

 

After enforced therapy, Kurt finally realizes he took rock WAY too seriously, and took a long vacation like John Lennon.
He put a great powerpop-rock band together, played many low-profile shows, and had some fun despite the nagging pressure to reform Nirvana.
Foo Fighters had taken away some of Kurt's band's spotlight, but he was happy and doing well and was able to not let his past influence him.

The eventual Nirvana reunion was successful, but in the way The Police reunion went. Welcome and well attended, but not essential. Times had changed.

 

I could see a Nirvana reformation happening, and being received well enough, but not much coming out of it. I guess the band recording a new album together would be too much to hope for.

I believe he would have released some increasingly quirky solo records. No doubt there'd have been collaborations as well.

 

Died a different way?

 

Foo Fighters probably wouldn't have happened, at least not in the way that it did, so they should be removed from the equation altogether.

 

The most importatnt thing for Cobain had he lived was to treat his depression, low self seteem, and his bi-polar tendencies.
I think he would have put out some humorous and clever music.

 

I disagree. Grohl was a road dog and wanted to keep his own momentum going. As has been proven, he's a restless artist. Foo Fighters would have happened - in my scenario - because Cobain would have taken a long sabbatical, say 5 years or so.

 

We would have been saved from their mediocrity and Dave Grohl would have joined Tom Petty.

 

Right, so it wouldn't have happened the way that it did. I doubt they would be the Foo Fighters of today regardless of Cobain's theoretical sabbatical.

 

I fear you may be right.

Kurt had serious physical and emotional issues which would be difficult for anyone to overcome - especially when mixed with a serious heroin addiction. Hard to see how his story could have ended up any way other than in tragedy.

 

I think he would have done one more Nirvana record and then gone solo in a more acoustic vein as he planned.
Collaborated with Mark Lanegan and female singers.
And then concentrated more on his art pieces and done exhibitions, with music a sidetrack.

 

He would have been dismayed at how creatively bankrupt the state of rock music is today, even compared to the early 90s. He would have said, "I should have ended it in 1994 like I wanted to...."

 

Cried about how famous and rich he is/was

 

What makes you say that? Grohl was starting to write by the time of In Utero, his song "Marigold" appeared as a B-side, and apparently Grohl had played a tape of what ended up being an early version of the first Foos album to Kurt while he was alive, which Kurt reportedly liked a lot.

I have little doubt that Nirvana would've splintered as a band and Grohl would have followed his muse. Though Grohl would've been dogged incessantly by questions about reforming Nirvana.

 

...rehab?...

 

He would've carried on blasting and moaning away down that dark blind alley.

 

Yeah, it's better to be a cynical ********* and sexual predator living on past merits.

 

Died.

 

If Kurt had lived.
1. Get a divorce
2. Get some help from someone who cares and has the knowledge to help with depression
3. Re-evaluate where he is and what he wants to do.
4. Start playing music again.
5. Get slagged off by everyone for not being edgy anymore.
6. Stumble
7. Get some help from someone who cares and has the knowledge to help with depression.

 

Gotten divorced? Collaborated with other folks? Lost his voice? Who knows. He's dead and nobody knows what his thoughts were.

 

Sold more T-shirts than records

 

Grohl decided to pursue the Foos as a serious project as a direct result of Kurt's death. If Kurt hadn't have died, he would have kept demoing and probably throwing the occasional song into the Nirvana mix instead of recording a proper album.

 

...we would probably be bored of him, particularly after touring with Bob Mould for their dance duo album, Mothers Brothers and Others. He'd become uncool, then get rediscovered, once he was no longer in the way of his myth/legend; roaring back to success and acclaim with a Nirvana reunion with Hole opening, good times.

 

Nirvana breaks up by 1995. Kurt divorces Courtney and releases a series of lo-fi solo albums. Nirvana eventually re-unites by the mid/late 2000's.