Jon Bon Jovi Also Dislikes Kurt Cobain (In Video Game Form)

09/17/09 5:10pm

by Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

Jon Bon Jovi has joined the debate over the Kurt Cobain avatar that appears in the recently released Guitar Hero 5.

Courtney Love, Cobain's widow, threatened legal action over the character last week, and former Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic also voiced their displeasure about it.

"I don't know that I would have wanted it, either," Bon Jovi told BBC News. "To hear someone else's voice coming out of a cartoon version of me? I don't know. It sounds a little forced."

Cobain's character sings two Nirvana songs, but can be "unlocked," which gives players the ability to use the avatar to sing other acts' songs.

Love's lawyer reportedly released a statement last week which protested the rather ironic ability for the Cobain character to sing songs by bands like Bon Jovi. Grohl and Novoselic want Activision to reprogram the game so players do not have this ability.

Meanwhile, Guitar Hero CEO Dan Rosensweig told NME.com that Love was fully aware the terms of the contract she signed with Guitar Hero and had accepted the fee as part of that contract.

"We are about the artists more than anyone else and we would like to make artists happy in every circumstance," he told the website. "I'm disappointed in this case because there seems to be confusion between the band and the estate.

"It's really not Guitar Hero's confusion. We went and spoke directly to the estate and made it crystal clear, got the rights, paid for the rights, and really we've done what we've always done. The fact that the rest of the band and the estate did not communicate — I'm not aware of those facts [about their communication].

"I can't speak for everybody being happy, it gets done with complete consent from artists. These are the artists who fans love. We hope over time that the estate will appreciate that."

Guitar Hero 5 also features avatars of Johnny Cash, Muse's Matthew Bellamy and Garbage's Shirley Manson.