In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Amy Lee talked about how sad she felt when Kurt Cobain died.
The singer was just 12 years old when she heard the news of Cobain’s death in April 1994. She recalled:
“I remember it was a school day. A normal, sunny day, kids running around the house, when it came on the news. I felt it so hard, I was crying, watching in total disbelief. ‘In Utero’ was the first album I ever had and Nirvana were my favourite thing in the whole world.”
Amy Connected To Cobain Through Pain
She continued, further sharing how she felt at the time:
“So it was like I had just fallen in love – and he was dead. It was so shocking to me, but it made me dive deeper into the music and start listening to the lyrics [as written] from the perspective of somebody who was crying out in pain.”
She Found A Voice In ‘Heart-Shaped Box’
In a 2021 talk with Forbes, Lee said Nirvana’s song ‘Heart-Shaped Box’ really spoke to her. It made her feel like she was part of a big rock community even though she was young. She said:
“When it comes to rock in particular, I don’t know if I would have put it into words like part of a community because I wasn’t out in it. I was a kid, alone. I wasn’t old enough to go to real concerts, and if I was, we were in Arkansas, so there weren’t any [laughs]. I remember feeling understood. I remember feeling like somebody out there can put into words the way I feel and can’t describe. And it comes from feeling like there’s things that you feel that aren’t represented on the outside. I remember having a reaction like that to ‘Heart-Shaped Box.’”
At 13 years old, she watched its music video on MTV at a friend’s house, and it affected her. She became obsessed with the song and played it loudly many times. Because of its dark themes, she felt understood. This song got her into ’90s alternative and grunge music.