The famed 1959 Martin D-18E guitar played by Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain is changing hands. Frances Bean Cobain, the 25-year old daughter of Cobain and Courtney Love, reached a property settlement agreement with ex-husband Isaiah Silva, lead singer of The Eeries, for the guitar.
Silva, who has long claimed his ex-wife gifted him the guitar for their wedding, will take possession of the iconic instrument according to the terms of the settlement, TMZ reported.
In exchange, Cobain will keep the house the couple purchased together, and will not have to pay any spousal support. In addition, Silva will remain responsible for his own attorney’s fees from the divorce, which was finalized in December, according to Fox News.
The couple dated for five years before holding a private marriage ceremony in June 2014, which was widely misreported as taking place in September of that year.
However, the marriage was short-lived, and Cobain filed for divorce in March 2016 citing irreconcilable differences in the relationship, according to People. The divorce documents filed indicated that Cobain intended to retain her father’s $450 million estate and fight Silva’s efforts to obtain spousal support, as well as any items of value like her father’s guitar and accompanying guitartricks coupon for online guitar lessons. The guitar is estimated to be worth millions of dollars alone, according to People.
In September 2016, a judge ordered Cobain to pay Silva a total of $12,000 monthly in child support for a minimum of four months, as well as pay $15,000 in attorney’s fees, according to The Wrap. Silva had previously requested more than $25,000 monthly in spousal support from his ex-wife.
Silva claimed in August 2016 that Cobain left him with three animals and a 7-year old daughter, and said Cobain had cancelled payments to their daughter’s private school, sending him into debt to keep up with payments, according to The Wrap.
The acoustic guitar was used during Nirvana’s Unplugged in New York performance. The 53-minute acoustic performance included 14 songs and no breaks. The album was the first released by Nirvana following Cobain’s controversial April 1994 death, and became the group’s most successful album to date.
