SEATTLE, April 10 -- A vast crowd of Kurt Cobain's fans gathered near downtown Seattle on Sunday for an emotional memorial vigil for the lead singer of the giant grunge-rock band Nirvana.
Estimated at over 10,000, the crowd mourned Cobain, 27, with incense, poems, music and testimonials. A stirring recording from Cobain's wife, pop singer Courtney Love, left many in tears.
Her voice quivering with rage and sorrow, she read from his suicide note and repeatedly cursed him for taking his own life.
In Cobain's suicide note, of which Love read only portions, the tormented singer said he thought he was a fake and that his biggest crime was going on stage and faking it.
'I haven't felt the music or really written anything for years now,' she said, qouting his note.
'I don't have any passion anymore,' he wrote.
Love responded by crying and cursing. In painful tones, she asked Cobain why he did not quit the music world instead of killing himself.
'I'm really sorry you guys,' Love said to a hushed, spellbound and somber throng of fans. 'I don't know what I could have done. I wish I could have been there.
The King County Medical examiner has ruled that Cobain died from a single shotgun blast to the head that was 'apparently self-inflicted.' His body was found at his Seattle home Friday.
Cobain's death shocked the popular music world, especially in Seattle, where Cobain and Nirvana were at the epicenter of grunge rock.
Telephones rang nonstop all weekend at Seattle radio station KXRX, one of three stations sponsoring of the vigil.
'The listeners really have a lot of great emotions for Nirvana,' said disc jockey Angela Kirby. 'Many have seen them at small show and see them as close friends. The vigil is definitely very necessary. It's something we have to do.'
Afterward, promoter Jon Bartholemew said the vigil's goals were realized.
'All we set out do to was get people to openly deal with what happened,' he said.
Stephanie Reader, music editor at the Tacoma News-Tribune and a longtime follower of the rock singer, was among those crying while Love spoke.
'Her words really hit me hard,' Reader said. 'I feel so sorry for her.'
Beth Carpenter, a 27-year-old fan from Redmond, Washington, carried a candle to the vigil because she said she related to Nirvana's lyrics. She said she was 'just drawn to this place right now.'
Nirvana brought Seattle's grunge sound -- a punk-metal-rock blend -- to the United States, and scored enormous success with its second album, 'Nevermind,' in 1991.
Cobain's body was discovered Friday morning by an electrician who had gone to his home in an upscale Seattle neighborhood. A shotgun and a suicide note were recovered by police.
