EXCLUSIVE: Dave Grohl Reveals Heartbreak Over Kurt Cobain Loss
Dave Grohl almost quit music following Kurt Cobain's death.
Sept. 10 2026, Published 1:45 p.m. ET
Dave Grohl has revealed hearing Nirvana again after Kurt Cobain's death "broke (his) heart," as the former bandmates returned to the studio months after the frontman died to mix the band's MTV Unplugged in New York album.
As RadarOnline.com readers know, Grohl, 57, was Nirvana's drummer alongside Cobain, who was 27 when he died by suicide in April 1994.
Pain of Hearing Nirvana After Kurt Cobain's Death
'It broke my heart' Grohl said of listening to Nirvana's music.
The band had not listened to their recordings since Cobain's death, making the sessions to finish the Unplugged album an especially painful experience.
Grohl recalled the period while appearing in If These Walls Could Rock, a documentary series examining the Sunset Marquis hotel in West Hollywood and its place in rock history.
He said: "We hadn't listened to any Nirvana since Kurt's passing. Listening to our friend every day that had passed away – oh God, it broke my heart."
Grohl recalled that producer Scott Litt eventually stopped the tape during one session and asked whether they wanted to continue.
The drummer said: "Nope."
The Foo Fighters frontman added the sessions took place after he first stayed at the Sunset Marquis with the band to work on the record. The emotional weight of hearing Cobain's voice and the music again made the process difficult, even as Grohl and the other surviving members worked to complete the album.
Spin Doctors Encounter Helps Dave Grohl
A Spin Doctors member’s unusual scene cheered Grohl up.
After the day's session ended, Grohl returned to the hotel feeling low.
Looking through the blinds, however, he noticed members of the band Spin Doctors outside, including their drummer, who he recognized by his long beard and hair. The band's singer was carrying a 35-millimeter camera and photographing cracks in the sidewalk.
Grohl said: "I remember being really down and looking out the blinds. I recognized the Spin Doctors because the drummer had this glorious beard, really long hair and a nice, hairy chest, too."
He said the unusual scene "kind of cheered me up."
How Kurt Cobain's Death Changed Dave Grohl's Music
A hitchhiker’s Cobain T-shirt influenced Grohl to keep making music.
Earlier this year, Grohl also described how he found a reason to continue making music after Nirvana ended.
Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, he added that the loss of Cobain left him unsure whether he wanted to remain in music.
Grohl said: "When Nirvana ended, I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't know if I wanted to continue playing music. It made me sad to think of playing in another band and losing Nirvana; losing Kurt was a really dark, emotional experience."
Seeking clarity, Grohl rented a car and drove around Ireland's Ring of Kerry. During the journey, he encountered a hitchhiker wearing a Cobain T-shirt, an experience he interpreted as a message that he should continue.
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Nirvana’s legacy remained influential in Grohl’s decision to move forward.
Grohl said: "All I wanted to do was disappear. As I was driving down this country road, I see a hitchhiker, and he had a Kurt Cobain T-shirt on. To me, I thought, this is the universe telling me, 'You have to continue. You have to move on. You have to go forward.'
"Music has always been the love of my life. It's helped me through some of my most difficult moments, and when I saw the kid with the Kurt Cobain T-shirt, I thought, 'Okay. I need to keep going.' I have so much reverence and respect for the past, but I need to have a future."
Nirvana became one of the defining rock bands of the early 1990s, transforming alternative music into a mainstream force.
Led by Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Grohl, the band's breakthrough album Nevermind sold millions worldwide, while the track Smells Like Teen Spirit became an enduring anthem of the grunge era.
