As one of the four Beatles, Ringo Starr lived through the frenzy of Beatlemania and saw firsthand how fame could both elevate and destroy an artist. Decades later, the legendary drummer reflected on another musician whose complicated relationship with stardom defined his career and ultimately his tragic fate: Kurt Cobain, the frontman of Nirvana.
In a 2019 interview, Ringo Starr praised Nirvana’s music and spoke candidly about Cobain’s raw emotional power, his courage as an artist, and the heartbreaking circumstances that led to his death at just 27 years old.
Ringo Starr on Nirvana: “Absolutely great”
When asked about Nirvana, Ringo Starr didn’t hesitate to express admiration:
“Absolutely great. And the man himself [Kurt Cobain] had so much emotion. That’s what I loved. I’m an emotional guy. No one can doubt Nirvana, ever. And who knew he’d end up where he ended up? I don’t think anyone who listened to music with any courage could doubt him, ’cause he was courageous.”
For Ringo, Cobain’s brilliance was undeniable. His music resonated because it came from a place of honesty and vulnerability—qualities that Starr himself has always valued.
Mourning Cobain’s Passing
Cobain’s untimely death in 1994 shocked the music world. Like many who admired him, Ringo Starr could only speculate about the weight that fame placed on the Nirvana frontman:
“I don’t know the end story, and it’s not about him, and we lose a lot of people in our business early. And you think, ‘How harsh must it have been?’ I mean, ‘Why don’t you call me?’ You never know. This is the famous 27-year syndrome. A lot of them went by 27, like it’s that number — what, had they got it all in by then? Or maybe that’s just the way God planned it; I don’t know.”
Starr’s words reflect both sadness and resignation. As someone who watched his bandmate John Lennon struggle with the suffocating effects of fame, Ringo understood that the pressures of the music industry could be unbearable—even fatal.
Kurt Cobain on Lennon, Celebrity, and Isolation
Cobain himself often expressed a deep connection to Lennon, whom he once called his “favorite Beatle.” In a 1993 interview with Rolling Stone, Cobain shared:
“John Lennon was definitely my favorite Beatle, hands down. I don’t know who wrote what parts of what Beatles songs, but Paul McCartney embarrasses me. Lennon was obviously disturbed [laughs]. So I could relate to that.”
Cobain empathized with Lennon’s struggles, recognizing in him the same isolation he felt as a global celebrity.
“Although he was totally in love with Yoko and his child, his life was a prison. He was imprisoned.”
Cobain also highlighted the toxic dynamic between celebrities and the public:
“It’s not fair. That’s the crux of the problem that I’ve had with becoming a celebrity — the way people deal with celebrities. It needs to be changed; it really does. No matter how hard you try, it only comes out like you’re bitching about it. So I can understand how a person can feel that way and almost become obsessed with it. But it’s so hard to convince people to mellow out. Just take it easy, have a little bit of respect. We all shit [laughs].”
The Dark Side of Fame
Starr’s reflections on Cobain underscore a haunting truth: music history is filled with young artists whose immense talent came at the cost of unbearable pressure. The so-called “27 Club” — which includes Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Amy Winehouse — symbolizes how destructive fame and addiction can be.
For Ringo, Cobain’s passing was not just a tragedy but part of a painful pattern he had already seen unfold with other artists. His comments remind us that behind the fame and adoration lies a vulnerable human being, often struggling in silence.
Kurt Cobain’s Lasting Influence
More than three decades after Nirvana’s rise, Cobain remains a voice for those who feel alienated, misunderstood, or suffocated by society’s expectations. His music continues to resonate with new generations of fans who connect to his raw emotion and uncompromising honesty.
Ringo Starr’s admiration for Cobain bridges two different eras of rock music—the explosive rise of The Beatles in the 1960s and the grunge revolution of the 1990s. Both bands changed the landscape of music forever, and both carried the heavy burden of global fame.
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