Who's Who In NIRVANA's History J–R

Johnson, Calvin
Founder of K Records and renowned Olympian hipster/scenester. Cobain appeared on his Boy Meets Girl radio programme on Olympia Community Radio on September 25th 1990
Jones, Barrett
Producer and NIRVANA drum-tech. Recorded 'Oh, The Guilt', 'Curmudgeon' and 'Return Of The Rat'. Also worked with Grohl on his Pocketwatch demo's and various Foo Fighters' material. Owns half of the Laundry Room Studios
Kader, Rob
An early "super fan" mentioned in Cross's Cobain biography Heavier Than Heaven
Kasper, Adam
Producer. Recorded NIRVANA's final studio session, January 28th-30th 1994, at Robert Lang Studios. Also mixed tracks from the NIRVANA boxset
Kates, Mark
Director of alternative music promotion at Geffen
Kelly, Eugene
Member of the Vaselines, one of Cobain's favourite bands. NIRVANA covered several of their songs, and dueted with Eugene during NIRVANA's set at the 1991 Reading Festival
Kennedy, Myles
NIRVANA drum-tech and monitor man
Kerouac, Jack
Wrote the book The Dharma Bums, which inspired the NIRVANA song 'Beans'
Kerslake, Kevin
Directed the videos for Come As You Are, Lithium (with Mark Racco), In Bloom (Geffen version) and Sliver. Tried to sue the band for stealing his idea for the Heart-Shaped Box video. Also directed Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!
Kirkwood, Cris
Member of the Meat Puppets, the band NIRVANA invited to play with them on their Unplugged performance for MTV, covering three of their songs
Kirkwood, Curt
Member of the Meat Puppets, the band NIRVANA invited to play with them on their Unplugged performance for MTV, covering three of their songs
Knievel, Evel
One of Cobain's childhood heroes
Kostelnik, Alex
Operated one of the camera at NIRVANA's Evergreen State College video shoot on March 20th 1990
Lanegan, Mark
Screaming Tree's singer and friend of Cobain's. Recorded projects with Cobain and Novoselic in August and December 1989. Passed away February 22nd, 2022
Lavine, Michael
New York-based photographer who shot the band many times
Ledbetter, Huddie
Folk singer who was one of Cobain's musical influences. Cobain covered the Ledbetter song 'Where Did You Sleep Last Night?' many times in his career. Often referred to as 'Leadbelly' or 'Lead Belly'
Litt, Scott
REM's producer who was brought in to remix 'All Apologies', 'Heart-Shaped Box' and 'Pennyroyal Tea' for In Utero. Also produced the posthumous release Unplugged In New York
Llewelyn, Doug
"People's Court" post-trial interviewer who appears as the host in the In Bloom video
Loftin, Myer
Briefly a childhood friend of Cobain's in Abderdeen. The pair met in art class and found they had similar musical tastes. They parted ways as Loftin was openly gay and Cobain grew tired of the being teased about his association with him. Passed away October 18th, 2002
Lord, Mary Lou
Boston singer/songwriter and ex-girlfriend of Cobain's
Love, Courtney
Cobain's wife (1992-1994) and lead singer of the band Hole
Ludwig, Bob
Mastered In Utero, From The Muddy Banks of The Wishkah, NIRVANA and the boxset
Lukin, Matt
Melvin's bassist. Cobain first met, and became friends with Matt, via the baseball team at Montesano High School (having been forced by Don Cobain to join). Lukin was in the Melvins at the time. Cobain and Lukin lived together briefly in 1986
Mackenzie, Garry
NIRVANA's drum tech of the European In Utero tour
MacLeod, Alex
NIRVANA's tour manager
McKagan, Duff
Bass player of Velvet Revolver, formerly of Guns 'N Roses fame. One of the last people to see Cobain alive
McKee, Frances
Member of the Vaselines, one of Cobain's favourite bands. NIRVANA covered several of their songs
Marander, Tracy
Cobain's first serious girlfriend and about whom the song 'About A Girl' was supposedly written
Markey, Dave
Filmmaker who produced the the documentary 1991: The Year That Punk Broke on which NIRVANA appear
Mason, Jeff
NIRVANA's production manager
Mason, Warren
Cobain's guitar teacher as a child. Warren was in a band with Cobain's uncle, Chuck Fradenburg. Novoselic briefly took lessons from Warren too. Passed away April 3rd, 2021
May, Jim
Proprietor of the Community World Theatre in Tacoma when NIRVANA first played here on 04/18/87. Tracey Marander, Cobain's girlfiend at the time, knew Jim, and helped secure the gig
McClure, Nikki
Danced onstage for the 10-31-1991 Halloween show along with Ian Dickson. They wore "boy" and "girl" shirts with their roles reversed. She is now an artist based out of Olympia
Meisel, Michael
Assistant to John Silva at Gold Mountain, now of Silva Artist Management
Merlis, Jim
NIRVANA's US publicist at Geffen/DGC Records
Mintz, Alan
Lawyer who acted as NIRVANA's advocate when they were seeking to sign to a major label. Remained the band's lawyer throughout their career
Montgomery, Craig
NIRVANA's soundman. Produced 'Gallons Of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through The Strip' and versions of 'Aneurysm' and 'Even In His Youth' appearing on the 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' single
Moon, Matthew "Slim"
Musician (Earth, Witchypoo, Slim Moon) and one-time neighbour of Cobain. CEO of Kill Rock Stars and 5RC records
Moore, Caitlin
Alias of a dealer Cobain procured drugs from in 1994 according to Heavier Than Heaven
Moore, Thurson
Guitarist/singer with the band Sonic Youth, one of Cobain's favourite bands, and with whom NIRVANA toured in the summer of 1991. Co-wrote the liner notes of the NIRVANA boxset.
Moreland, James
Courtney Love's first husband
Muller, Don
NIRVANA's US booking agent at Triad Agency
Nase, Kelly
NIRVANA's tour accountant on the In Utero tour
Neathery, Darrin
High school friend of Cobain's
Novoselic, Diana
Novoselic's sister
Novoselic, Krist/Chris
NIRVANA's bassist (sometimes his first name is spelt Chris, the American-English spelling). Krist's father is also called Krist
Novoselic, Maria
Novoselic's mother
Novoselic, Robert
Krist Novoselic's brother. Robert, friends with Cobain, first introduced Kurt and Krist
Novoselic, Shelli
Novoselic's first wife
Novoselic, Darbury Ayn
Novoselic's second/current wife
O'Connor, Brianne
Cobain's half-sister
O'Connor, Pat
Wendy's Frandenburg's second husband and Cobain's step-dad
O'Connor, Wendy
Cobain's mother
O'Hanlon, Virginia
Dave Grohl's mother's maiden name
Orth, Lisa
Credited with art direction on Bleach
Osborne, Roger "Buzz"
Singer/guitarist of the Melvins. Cobain first met, and became friends with the Melvins frontman, through art class at Montesano High School. Supposedly it was Buzz introduced Cobain to punk rock
Overbay, Craig
NIRVANA's sound engineer on the In Utero tour
Pavitt, Bruce
Co-founder of Sub Pop records with Jonathan Poneman
Pavlovic, Stephen
NIRVANA's AU booking agent at Magnet Promotions
Peel, John
BBC Radio 1 DJ; the first DJ in the UK to give exposure to punk, reggae, hip-hop and rap, long before any crossed into mainstream. Almost anyone who is anyone in the rock world has recorded a session for Peel's show. Nirvana recorded for John Peel on three occasions and released several of the session tracks on their Hormoaning EP and later again on Incesticide
Peters, Dan(ny)
Drummed briefly for NIRVANA after Chad was asked to leave the band. Sliver was recorded with Dan behind the drum kit, but Dan only played live once for NIRVANA at their infamous Seattle Motorsport's show on 22nd September 1990
Petersen, Candice
Ran K Records with Calvin Johnson
Peterson, Charles
Seattle photographer whose images helped to define the "Grunge" scene and Sub Pop records. Peterson's photos were used for Nirvana's Sub Pop promos and can also be found on many of the band's record inlays, inc. Bleach, Incesticide and In Utero
Pickerel, Mark
Screaming Trees drummer. Collaborated with bandmate Mark Lanegan and Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic in August 1989
Plakas, Dee
Member of the band L7 and friend of Cobain's
Poneman, John
Co-founder of Sub Pop records with Bruce Pavitt
Pop, Iggy
One of Cobain's musical inspirations. After Cobain's death Courtney Love supposedly gave Iggy the NIRVANA unreleased song 'Talk To Me'
Pross, Steve
Island A&R man who tried to sign the band to Island once they decided to join a major
Racco, Mark
Collaborated with Kevin Kerslake on the video for Lithium
Reed, Jesse
Childhood friend of Cobain's from Aberdeen. The Reeds took Cobain in for a while, but Cobain was deemed to be a bad influence on Jesse and was asked to leave. The pair later lived together again briefly in 1985
Ritchie, Simon
Real name of Sid Vicious, often used by Cobain as a pseudonym to book hotel rooms and even the In Utero recording session
Robicheaux, Milton
leader of the Happy Dogs. Gave NIRVANA their first Texas gig at Alfred's in San Antonio
Rohr, Kelsey
Actress who played the little KKK girl in the Heart-Shaped Box video
Rose, Rex
Actor who played the Eldery Man on the cross in the Heart-Shaped Box video
Rosenfelder, John
DGC radio promotions employee in charge of College and Metal radio promotion
Ross, Jeff
Seattle based artist, designed and printed posters and t-shirts for the band
Ruthenberg, Georg
Real name of Pat Smear, NIRVANA's second guitarist between September 1993 and April 1994