Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl admitted the toughest part about writing his autobiography was addressing Kurt Cobain‘s 1994 suicide at age 27. Grohl’s memoir, The Storyteller – Tales Of Life And Music, topped The New York Times Best Sellers list.
During an appearance on PBS’ Amanpour And Company, Dave Grohl was asked why he saved Cobain’s death for last when writing the book: “‘Cause, I was scared to write it. Y’know, it’s one thing to write about gettin’ stitches when you’re 12-years-old, or it’s one thing to write about takin’ your kids to the daddy/daughter dance — it’s another thing to write about something that you’ve barely spoken about with people close to you. I mean, I revealed some things in that story that I’ve never told my closest friends. First of all, I knew what people wanted me to write. I think that people have a lot of unanswered questions — as do I. So, I decided to write in, like, a much broader emotional sense.”
Grohl explained why he feels Kurt Cobain’s songs connected with so many people across the world: “I think that his simplicity and the beautiful, direct language in his lyrics, which I would consider poetry. His specific lens, his perspective on life. He was very open about writing about his own pain, which I think millions of people could relate to and connect with — because it was just him. That was it. It was just him.”
Foo Fighters perform tonight (October 22nd) in Atlanta at the Shaky Knees Festival.