This is a weird one. I’ll let the folks who did this speak for themselves:

What might some of the rock ‘n’ roll era’s greatest stars have achieved and what might they look like now, if they had not died before their time? To explore these tantalizing questions, Sachs Media Group partnered with photo restoration and manipulation company Phojoe to create this gallery of images. It is a heartfelt tribute to the memory of beloved artists who helped shape generations of music fans, in order to keep their memory alive for future generations.

Here are some insights about the Kurt Cobain image:

Insights by Dr. Reebee Garofalo and Elijah Wald: “Given his aversion to celebrity, had Cobain lived he would likely have continued to work with Nirvana but also explored smaller, less commercial projects with other players, trying to recapture some of the anonymity and artistic freedom of his early years. He would probably have pursued artistic outlets offstage and behind the scenes, eschewing the limelight and using his fame to bring attention to young musicians on the cutting edge, as well as exploring his deep interest in Americana styles by producing and collaborating with older roots artists.”

Dr. Reebee Garofalo, a professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where he taught for 33 years. Dr. Garofalo is an internationally known scholar of popular music studies who has written numerous articles on music and politics, racism, censorship and the globalization of the music industry. Among his recent publications is Rockin’ Out: Popular Music in the U.S.A.
Elijah Wald, a musician and frequent writer about music, including more than ten years as world music writer for the Boston Globe. In recent years he has written books on such diverse subjects as Delta blues, Mexican drug ballads, hitchhiking and a broad social history of American popular music. He has authored eleven books, including How the Beatles Destroyed Rock ’n’ Roll: An Alternative History of American Popular Music.

To see images of Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Karen Carpenter and others as they might look if they were still alive, head here.