Happy Birthday Kurt Cobain! Singer Would Have Turned 50 On Monday

Kurt Cobain, who was the poster boy for the rise of grunge music while inspiring a generation of plaid shirts and unwashed hair, would have celebrated his 50th birthday on Monday.

Cobain, who died at the age of 27 from a self-inflicted shotgun wound, remains an icon for a huge generation of dedicated 50-something rock music lovers. Cobain personified the rock star lifestyle of sex, drugs and rock and roll while maintaining an anti-celebrity persona.

The singer shot himself at his home in Seattle on April 5, 1994, ending his life, his suffering and, at least symbolically, the grunge movement. Rock has kept evolving since his suicide yet “Nevermind,” Nirvana’s brutal 1991 masterpiece, is still widely considered one of the most influential albums in history. “He remains the most important musician of the last two decades in music, with an album that is still one of the last great rock records,” said Charles R. Cross, who has written three books on the artist including “Here We Are Now: The Lasting Impact of Kurt Cobain.” h/t yahoo news

Cobain penned most of Nirvana’s biggest hits including “Lithium,” and the radio classic, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

Happy birthday Kurt! You are missed.