Frances Cobain

Frances Bean Cobain

Frances Bean Cobain at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2015
Born August 18, 1992
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation Visual artist
Net worth Increase $170 million (2011)[1]
Partner(s) Isaiah Silva (2010–present; engaged)
Parent(s) Kurt Cobain
Courtney Love

Frances Bean Cobain (born August 18, 1992) is an American visual artist,[2] and only child of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain and Hole frontwoman Courtney Love.

Early life

Cobain was born at 7:48 a.m. on August 18, 1992 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.[3] She was named after Frances McKee, the guitarist for the Scottish indie pop duo The Vaselines.[4][5][6] Her middle name Bean was chosen because Kurt Cobain thought she looked like a kidney bean on the ultrasound. Her godfather is former R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe. Both Rosemary Carroll, attorney for Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, and Nirvana,[7] and actress Drew Barrymore[8] have served as her godmother.

Before Love gave birth to her daughter, there were rumors suggesting that she used heroin during her pregnancy. This scandal intensified when Vanity Fair published Lynn Hirschberg's article "Strange Love" that alleged Love admitted to using heroin even after learning of her pregnancy. Along with husband Kurt Cobain, Love maintained that Vanity Fair took her words out of context.[9] Eventually, child welfare services launched an investigation questioning their parenting abilities. The investigation was eventually dismissed, but not without a significant amount of legal wrangling and Cobain being removed from her parents' custody for a short time, beginning when she was two weeks old. After a lengthy legal battle, Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love were able to regain custody of their daughter. They employed several nannies over the next two years to help them care for her. According to Michael Azerrad in CoMe aS YoU ARe: The Story of Nirvana, this incident inspired Kurt Cobain to write the song "Rape Me."[10]

On April 1, 1994, Cobain visited her father, Kurt Cobain, at the Exodus Recovery Center, a rehab center in Marina Del Rey, California, where they played together. This would be the last time Cobain saw her father alive.[11] On the morning of April 8, 1994, Kurt Cobain was found dead at his home in Seattle.[12] A final ceremony was arranged for Kurt Cobain by his mother on May 31, 1999, attended by both Love and Tracy Marander.[13] Cobain was subsequently raised by her mother, aunts, and paternal grandmother.[14] Cobain's early years growing up were in Seattle and Los Angeles. Cobain was placed again in her grandmother's care for a time after her mother's drug-related arrest in October 2003. Hours after her arrest, Love overdosed on painkillers. Love regained custody of Cobain in 2005.

On December 11, 2009, a California Superior Court in Los Angeles appointed Wendy O'Connor, her paternal grandmother, and Kimberly Cobain, her father's sister, as temporary co-guardians of Cobain.[15] On December 16, 2009, it was reported that a judge had issued a related temporary restraining order, prohibiting Love from having any direct or indirect contact with her daughter.[16] The papers were filed under the heading "motion to seal all documents ... relating to a minor and allegations of domestic violence." Among those documents are Frances Cobain's medical records, according to the filing.[17] On August 18, 2010, Cobain inherited 37% of her late father's estate.[18][19] Documents showed that Cobain, not Love, now controls the publicity rights to the name and image of her father, Kurt Cobain.[20][21] In 2011 Cobain bought her first home, a $1.8 million Spanish-style villa in West Hollywood, a few blocks away from Sunset Strip.[22]

Career

Modeling

In August 2006, she was photographed for Elle magazine in her father's famous brown cardigan and pajama pants as part of an article featuring children of rock stars in their parents' clothing. She explained, "I wore his pajamas because he got married in them to my mom in 1992 in Hawaii so I thought they would be cute if I wore them today. He was too lazy to put on a tux so he got married in pajamas!" In February 2008, she appeared in a photo spread for Harper's Bazaar dressed as Evita.[23] Cobain modeled for Hedi Slimane for a web photo series released August 2, 2011.[24][25][26]

Artwork

In July 2010, Cobain debuted a collection of artwork titled Scumfuck under the pseudonym "Fiddle Tim" at the La Luz de Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles.[27][28][29] On August 4, 2012 Cobain participated in the group show 'MiXTAPE' under her given name. Artists were asked to pick a song and create art inspired by that song. Frances chose the song "Black" by The Jesus and Mary Chain. The eclectic mix of songs chosen were featured for digital download on iTunes.[30][31][32] On October 30, 2012, Cobain announced that her first solo exhibition would take place in February 2013.[33]

Other ventures

According to Rolling Stone magazine, the title and cover photograph for the 2005 box set Sliver: The Best of the Box, were chosen by Cobain.[34] Cobain worked as an intern for Rolling Stone magazine from June to August 2008.[35] In 2009, it was reported that Cobain had turned down the role of Alice in Tim Burton's big budget film Alice in Wonderland.[36]

Cobain appeared as a guest vocalist on the song "My Space" from the album Evelyn Evelyn by Evelyn Evelyn, which was released March 30, 2010.[37] Amanda Palmer from Evelyn clarified that Cobain was one of some 20 artists who sang the same line and whose voices were mixed together in the recording.[38] Cobain was also an executive producer on the HBO movie about her father's life, "Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck".[39]

Personal life

In September 2005, a 13-year-old Cobain gave her first interview, to Teen Vogue where she discussed her personal style and mentioned her parents.[40] Another appeared in the January 2006 issue of i-D, where she expressed negativity over tabloid portrayals of her mother and was quoted as saying, "When you see a lot of lies about her in the tabloids, it can be hurtful." She also gave an interview in 2010 about her art as "Fiddle Tim."

In September 2008, Cobain hosted an "RIP Childhood" 16th birthday celebration at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. It has been called a suicide-themed party in several media reports, but the nature of the theme has also been disputed. The event was funded by Love, and included a performance from Mindless Self Indulgence.[41] In early January 2010, she began dating musician Isaiah Silva. In October 2011, it was announced that Cobain and Silva were engaged.[42][43]

In a June 2014 interview, singer Lana Del Rey expressed admiration for several artists who died young, including Kurt Cobain, and added, "I wish I was dead already.... I do. I don't want to have to keep doing this."[44] Frances Cobain responded on her Twitter account: "I'll never know my father because he died young & it becomes a desirable feat because ppl like u think it's 'cool'...Well, it's fucking not. Embrace life, because u only get one life. The ppl u mentioned wasted that life. Don't be 1 of those ppl."[45] Del Rey subsequently stated that her words were taken out of context.[46]

References

  1. ↑ Glink, Ilyce (October 24, 2011). "Frances Bean Cobain Purchases West Hollywood Home". CBS. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Frances Bean Cobain: No Apologies". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 2013-09-25.
  3. ↑ Cross, Charles R. Heavier Than Heaven, Hyperion, 2001. ISBN 0-7868-6505-9 p. 246.
  4. ↑ "Frances Bean Cobain, daughter of late rocker Kurt Cobain, celebrates 18th birthday".
  5. ↑ "Grunge icon remembered".
  6. ↑ "The Vaselines Record Second Album After 20 Years".
  7. ↑ Morales, Tatiana (April 5, 2004). "Kurt Cobain: Not A Suicide?". CBS News. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  8. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (September 23, 2011). "Nirvana Heiress Frances Bean Cobain: About A Girl". MTV. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Courtney Love". Behind the Music. June 21, 2010. VH1 network.
  10. ↑ Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana, by Michael Azerrad.
  11. ↑ Charles R. Cross, Heavier Than Heaven. Hyperion, 2001
  12. ↑ "The Mourning After", Entertainment Weekly, 29 April 1994.
  13. ↑ Brodeur, Nicole (5 January 2006). "Sad reminder of Kurt Cobain's legacy". Seattle Times (nwsource.com). Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  14. ↑ Courtney Love has lost custody of her child three times. "Frances Bean Cobain Has Steered Clear Of Her Parents' Spotlight", MTV, 18 December 2009. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Cobain's mother gets guardianship of granddaughter", Associated Press, USA Today, 14 December 2009. accessed 16 April 2012.
  16. ↑ "Court to Courtney: Stay Away From Frances", TMZ.com. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
  17. ↑ Fleeman, Mike (December 23, 2009). "Did Courtney Love's Daughter Face Domestic Violence?". People.com. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  18. ↑ Ley, Rebecca (August 18, 2010). "Frances Bean Cobain turns 18". The Sun. thesun.co.uk. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  19. ↑ Uhl, Carey (May 13, 2012). "Documents Show Courtney Love Lost The Rights to Kurt Cobain’s Image and Likeness to His Daughter Frances Bean Cobain | mxdwn.com News". Mxdwn.com.
  20. ↑ Uu (May 2, 2012). "Courtney Love Lost Rights to Kurt Cobain's Image, Frances Bean in Control - Spinner Canada". Spinner.ca.
  21. ↑ Uhl, Carey (May 13, 2012). "Documents Show Courtney Love Lost The Rights to Kurt Cobain’s Image and Likeness to His Daughter Frances Bean Cobain | mxdwn.com News". Mxdwn.com.
  22. ↑ Rolph, Amy (August 18, 2010). "Frances Bean Cobain buys LA mansion with Nirvana money". seattlepi.com. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  23. ↑ Riedel, Jeff. "Frances Bean Cobain". Harpers Bazaar (Hearst Communications, Inc.).
  24. ↑ Nikki, Darlene (August 10, 2011). "New pictures of Frances Bean Cobain". Upvenue.com. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  25. ↑ Grunge Grrrl Frances Bean Cobain Grew Up Gothamist.com. Retrieved 2011-08-09.
  26. ↑ Hedi Slimane Diary. 2011-08-02.
  27. ↑ La Luz de Jesus Gallery Los Angeles, California.
  28. ↑ Kamens, Laurie. "Frances Bean Cobain Assumes Pseudonym, Debuts Artwork".
  29. ↑ Pattiz, Rebecca. "Frances Bean Cobain: No Apologies".
  30. ↑ Miller, Bridgette.Frances Bean Cobain & More Create Art That Rocks for MiXTAPE LA Bust (magazine) August 02, 2012
  31. ↑ LA MIXTAPE: AS A GESTURE OF LOVE L.A. Record August 3rd, 2012
  32. ↑ Duran, Amy. IN L.A.: LA MIXTAPE @ LEBASSE PROJECTS CHINA TOWN juxtapoz magazine Monday August 20, 2012
  33. ↑ https://twitter.com/alka_seltzer666/status/263400046257659905
  34. ↑ "Unreleased Nirvana Due". Rolling Stone. November 4, 2010. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  35. ↑ Published 7/21/08. "Frances Cobain is a summer intern at Rolling Stone". Theinsider.com. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  36. ↑ Published 9/6/09. "Frances Bean Cobain "Alice In Wonderland" Snub". Popcrunch.com. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  37. ↑ "Kurt Cobain's Daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, makes singing debut" February 6, 2010.
  38. ↑ Palmer, Amanda. "The Story Behind 'Evelyn Evelyn'", Amanda Palmer Blog. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
  39. ↑ "Frances Bean Cobain on life after Kurt's death: An exclusive Q&A". CNN. April 9, 2015. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Don't expect any grunge from Frances Bean", Vogue. 7 September 2005.
  41. ↑ "Frances Cobain has suicide-themed birthday party".
  42. ↑ "Frances Bean Cobain engaged: Courtney Love's daughter set to wed The Rambles singer Isaiah Silva", New York Daily News, October 2011.
  43. ↑ "Frances Bean Cobain: Is She Engaged?", People, 27 October 2011.
  44. ↑ Jonze, Tim (June 12, 2014). "Lana Del Rey: 'I wish I was dead already'". The Guardian. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  45. ↑ "Tweet by Cobain". Twitter. June 22, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  46. ↑ Grow, Cory (24 June 2014). "Lana Del Rey Explains 'I Wish I Was Dead' Quote to Frances Bean Cobain". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 8 February 2015.

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