Kurt Cobain was the voice of a generation thanks to his band Nirvana starting the grunge rock revolution in the early '90s. Songs like 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', 'All Apologies' and 'Come As You Are' made the band one of the big successes on MTV, despite their counter culture stance. Tragically, Kurt departed this world in April 1994, aged 27. On what would have been his 56th birthday, on February 20, learn more about the rock icon...

Kurt Cobain released only three studio albums with Nirvana - ‘Bleach’, ‘Nevermind’ and ‘In Utero’ from 1989 to 1993. Those three LPs have stood the test of time and continued to be played today as well as being covered by many artists such as Tori Amos and Sinead O’Connor.

In case you'd not noticed it, Kurt Cobain used to play his guitar with his left hand - even though he was not left-handed. The reason why he used to do that is still a mystery, but that was his style.

An essential part of the Nirvana sound was undoubtedly Dave Grohl's drumming. But did you know Kurt once wanted to fire Dave? In an interview with Vulture, Grohl - who was the band's second sticksman and didn't play on their debut LP 'Bleach' - himself revealed that he once heard Kurt say "we need a drummer that's more rudimental".

Kurt Cobain loved movies! During a chat for the CD ‘Nirvana - It’s An Interview’ - which was distributed to radio stations at the height of the band's popularity - he revealed his favorite films. Kurt loved ‘Paris, Texas’, ‘Over the Edge’ and Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 classic ‘Rear Window’.

In 1992, Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love’s daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, was born in Los Angeles, California. Today, she is a well-known star in her own right, and fans believe she looks exactly like her late dad.

Kurt was born in Aberdeen, Washington. His mother Wendy worked as a waitress, while his father Donald was a mechanic. His parents divorced when he was nine and the split and his mom and dad's future relationships had a profound effect on Kurt as he felt "ashamed" that he didn't have a typical family and was resentful towards his new stepmother and stepmother - who was abusive towards his mother. He was a problem teenager and was eventually kicked out of his mother's home after struggling to live with his dad and step-siblings.

Kurt Cobain was a true human rights defender and he showed it through his music. In the liner notes to Nirvana's third album ‘In Utero’, he wrote: "If you’re a sexist, racist, homophobe or basically an a******, don’t buy this CD. I don’t care if you like me, I hate you." Also, in a 1993 interview with Advocate, he described himself as being "gay in spirit". At high school, Kurt formed a close friendship with gay classmate but never identified as homosexual himself, but was frequently taunted by other students.

One of the most memorable Kurt Cobain on-stage moments took place in 1993, during an Oakland concert. After noticing that a man was seemingly groping a girl in the audience, the grunge icon stopped his performance, threw his guitar to the ground and confronted him.

Cobain passed away in 1994. His body was found at his Lake Washington, Seattle, home. Authorities determined that he ended with his own life with a shotgun blast to the head. The autopsy showed a high concentration of heroin and traces of diazepam in his system. His death had been preceded by a failed intervention organised by his wife Courtney Love and rehab stint which he quit. Cobain was cremated and his ashes were scattered into Washington’s Wishkah River.

Kurt Cobain was survived by Courtney Love and their daughter Frances. His life and career have been depicted in many film and TV projects, such as 'Kurt and Courtney' and 'Soaked in Bleach'. Kurt will always be remembered by music fans, and his legacy will continue.