The classic rock band Kurt Cobain loved more than any other: “He doesn’t like anybody”
Despite being an icon of grunge, a vocal fan of 1960s pop and rock, and a supporter of anyone who aimed to push the boundaries of music, Kurt Cobain still managed to be full of surprises when it came to the artists he celebrated.
As tragically short as his career was, he managed to leave his mark on music not only through his own contributions but through the things that he vocally championed. Of course, if Nirvana hadn’t been such a cultural phenomenon, then people probably wouldn’t care as much about his opinions on certain artists, but because people perceived him as a rock demigod, they were willing to show an interest in his tastes outside of the band.
If it wasn’t for Cobain’s status as a knowledgeable tastemaker, then there probably wouldn’t have been a renewed interest in the music of outsider artists such as Daniel Johnston or The Shaggs, both of whom he was known for being a fan of. These are artists whose music had been buried as a result of lacking mainstream accessibility, and thanks to Cobain shining a light on them, they’ve now managed to accrue something of a cult following.
However, even though he enjoyed being vocal about artists who were on the outer margins of the industry, that didn’t mean he wasn’t also a supporter of those who enjoyed considerable amounts of mainstream success, and according to those who were fortunate enough to meet him during his life, he was always a courteous, if quiet, individual who was always full of effusive praise for his peers.
One such artist who claimed that his one and only encounter with Cobain was one where he was on the receiving end of the Nirvana frontman’s kindness was Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, who stated that in the 1990s, the two met backstage, and he learned of his fandom for his own band.
While one might not consider Aerosmith to be the sort of band that Cobain would invest too much time into supporting and listening to, Perry supposedly found the singer to be charming and was informed by his wife, Courtney Love, that he’d always been an admirer of their work.
“He was pretty quiet, just wanted to hang out,” Perry recalled during an interview with Classic Rock. “He came in the dressing room with Courtney. Kind of just sat around with us, he was a normal guy. When he went off to the bathroom, Courtney – who was very verbal – said: ‘He loves you guys. He doesn’t like anybody, but he loves you guys.’”
While Cobain’s shyness meant that Love was left to do the talking and inform Perry of her husband’s admiration, this does call into question whether she told them this out of politeness, but knowing how gracious Cobain was towards other musicians, you have to imagine that there was at least an air of truth to the message that Love passed on.
Incidentally, Perry held a similarly high opinion of Cobain following their brief encounter. “I had nothing but respect for the guy,” he concluded. “He was an amazing songwriter and performer, and to hear that was great.”
