The Church of Kurt Cobain: The Nirvana Prank That Fooled the World

Two years after the death of Nirvana’s frontman, The Church of Kurt Cobain was formed in Portland. Press ran brief articles announcing its formation and a handful showed for the debut sermon of its founder Reverend Jim Dillon, outnumbering the small congregation. But things were not as they seemed. This is the story of The Church of Kurt Cobain, born of sorrow and satire, becoming a brief legend within the greater history of grunge.

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CHAPTERS:
0:00 The Story of The Church of Kurt Cobain
1:27 The Death of a Legend
4:30 The Birth of an Unorthodox Church
6:45 Nirvana’s Lyrics As Scripture
9:02 The Sermon of Reverend Jim Dillon
10:58 The Hoax-Shaped Box
13:02 A Small Slice of Big Questions

CLIPS & REFERENCES:
Spokesman Review: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/may/26/cobain-followers-form-their-own-church-fledgling/
Seattle Times Coverage: https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19960524/2331008/church-of-kurt-cobain-forms
AlterNet Prank Coverage: https://www.alternet.org/2000/04/hoax-shaped_box_church_of_kurt_cobain_is_a_prank#
Salon Hoax Coverage: https://www.salon.com/1996/07/26/news_504/
Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (Official Music Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg
Kurt Cobain Vigil (Seattle, 1994) (cr cobainreed) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3fWXeWOKH0
Cobain Memorial (Seattle Center, 1994) (cr Myk Jowett) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bsK7Mr_oDQ
Kurt Cobain Memorial Park, Aberdeen, WA (cr James Gasson) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z3M3FziT5g
People React to Kurt Cobain’s Death (KOMO Seattle, April 1994) https://youtu.be/1vnT255QEaw?si=8CWD8lZu8IDlkaKm
First Reports of Kurt Cobain’s Death (KING 5 Seattle, April 8, 1994) https://youtu.be/ZtA7SYwyDvo?si=XbTTUegRJ9S6zrrI
Krist Novoselic Remembers Kurt Cobain (cr SPIN Magazine via YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlGqwfapaZk

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Written by Poetic Wax