Which Singer was Born or Passed Away in April?

Get Insights of Popular Artists with Interesting Background Information

Birthday

Kelly Clarkson: April 24th

Plenty of casting shows promise to turn regular people into famous singers. But Kelly Clarkson showed as the first winner of the American casting American Idol that the dream of many hobbyists can be fulfilled. The pop singer has won the TV casting show, and later several times the Grammy Award and has sold more than 25 million albums and 40 million singles. These figures make her the most successful participant in a casting show.

School Time and First Jobs

At school, Kelly learned piano and violin. A teacher advised her to attend the school choir. From then on, she was enthusiastic about a music career. After school, Kelly appeared in smaller roles on TV, had jobs at the zoo, as a place keeper, animator, promoter or barwoman.

American Idol

In 2002, Kelly Clarkson applied to American Idol. Her friend urged her to participate and lend her the money to travel to Dallas. Among 10,000 applicants, she made it into the live show and eventually won.

Success as a Singer

The single A Moment Like This reached #1 of the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 2002. The first album Thankful reached double platinum. Kelly Clarkson has also become known in the UK, Canada, Australia and the European countries with the hits such as Miss Independent, Since U Been Gone, Breakaway or Behind These Hazel Eyes.

Current Projects

In the year 2015, the most recent album of the singer came out, which was called Piece by Piece. She reached the top places in the American album charts and was awarded with gold. At the beginning of 2017, Kelly Clarkson worked with Aloe Blacc to record a duet for the soundtrack of the film The Shack.

Farewell

Kurt Cobain: April 5th

On April 5th 1994 the legendary grunge musician Kurt Cobain, the singer, guitarist and songwriter of most songs of Nirvana, died.

Childhood and Youth

When Kurt was nine years old, his parents divorced. He lived first with his mother, later he moved to his father. The relationship with both parents did not seem very good, as Cobain later also expressed in songs like "Serve the Servants". Within four years, he lived with ten different people like grandparents, uncles, parents of friends, etc. As a child, Kurt also took medication because of his hyperactivity and later suspected that this was the cause of symptoms of the nervous disease narcolepsy occurring until the adult age. On his 14th birthday Kurt Cobain received a guitar from his uncle. Shortly thereafter, he teamed up with fellow musicians to make music. This period also influenced his later indie and punkrock style. At 18, the later musician left school and moved to Olympia, Washington. However, he found no work and remained powerless.

Musical and Private Successes

From 1986, Cobain joined Krist Novoselić, whom he had already met at the age of 15, to play in various bands. In 1987, Nirvana was finally created. Three studio albums were released with Nirvana. With the album Nevermind, which appeared in 1991, Kurt wrote music history. The single Smells Like Teen Spirit brought the musical direction grunge, a subgenre of alternative rock, into the focus of the public. Kurt Cobain was also involved in solo projects and those of nearby artists and bands in the following years. In April 1989, he met Courtney Love in the course of a performance. The couple married in Hawaii in 1992. In the same year, the joint daughter Frances Bean Cobain was born.

Health Problems and the End of a Music Legend

Cobain suffered repeatedly from stomach problems, the cause of which could not be diagnosed and therefore made a treatment impossible. As a means of pain relief, Kurt discovered drugs. Drug abuse became more and more excessive with years and increasing fame. Despite a total of six attempts, he did not stop taking heroin. In 1994, a tour was interrupted due to health problems and Cobain flew with Courtney Love to Rome, where he was taken to hospital two days later. By taking tranquilizers, the doctors thought of a suicide attempt, which was denied by Cobain himself. The singer then accepted a new drug addiction therapy. On April 1, Kurt fled from the hospital and hide. By this time Nirvana had already disbanded, which was confirmed by the other band members Krist Novoselić and Dave Grohl only a few years later. Just four days after the escape, Kurt Cobain was found dead in his home in Seattle after an overdose of heroin and a head shot. His farewell letter ended with a quote from the song My My, Hey Hey from Neil Young: It’s better to burn out than to fade away.

Get all songs via the Audials Wishlists

Launch Audials One or Audials Music Rocket. Under "music wishes" in the area "Music and More" and "+ music wishes" enter an artist to receive a list of all songs. However, the individual albums can also be found in this view. Click on an album. Select now "Wish album" to let it appear in the wishlist. After closing the window and clicking on "Fulfill" the songs are sought and recorded.

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