Creepy Crying Kurt Cobain Statue Unveiled in Aberdeen
Twenty years after Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's death, his hometown is honoring him with his very own day, and something a little bit weirder…a creepy, weeping, Jesus-esque statue in his likeness.
Construction on the cement statue reportedly began shortly after the revered rocker committed suicide in 1994 at the age of 27, but because he's a controversial figure who often said some less-than-flattering things about his hometown of Aberdeen, Wash., the city did not display it.
[Related: Remembering Nirvana’s ‘Unplugged’: Cobain’s Battles Nearly Pulled Plug on Classic Appearance]
Apparently enough time has passed that city officials have forgiven and forgotten, and they declared Feb. 20, 2014 – the day that would have been Cobain's 47th birthday – Kurt Cobain Day.
The celebration included the unveiling of the statue, which features Cobain's shaggy moptop and scruffy beard as well as a cement tear running down its cheek. It also bears a striking resemblance to the "And Jesus Wept" statue at the Oklahoma City National Memorial, which depicts Jesus Christ weeping with his head in his hands. The Cobain figure looks distraught and sad, and although the real Cobain was known for his battles with addiction and depression, it seems like an odd choice to memorialize him crying.
[Related: Nirvana’s ‘In Utero’ Turns 20: The Drama Over Kurt Cobain’s Last Musical Testament]
Randi Hubbard created the statue with help from local Aberdeen art students, and it was housed in her muffler shop for many years, reports Komo News. Now it will be on display in the Aberdeen Museum of History for all the world to see. "This has been a long time coming; we should have done it long ago," said Aberdeen Mayor Bill Simpson.
Nirvana will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April.