Alice Cooper

This is the story of how good kids, from presumedly good families, went horribly wrong.

One might ponder how a band of Phoenix, AZ high school buddies who possessed a knack for cranking out third rate Rolling Stones, The Who and Yardbirds covers could, over time, devolve into the founders of Shock Rock.

First as the Earwigs, then the Spiders and finally the Nazz, the roots of Alice Cooper (the band) began to take hold. Finding there was another band recording under the moniker the Nazz (with Todd Rundgren) forced a change. From an ouija board came the name Alice Cooper. Or so the legend goes. 

The band’s singer, a minister’s son, changed his name from Vincent Furnier to Alice Cooper. It was such a good name the rest of the band adopted it as well.

Alice Cooper relocated to L.A. and signed with Frank Zappa’s label. In that environment, every bit of weirdness was encouraged. Alice Cooper (the lead singer) even managed to become an occasional drinking buddy of The Doors’ Jim Morrison. But after two albums nothing seemed to jell so the group left Tinseltown. moving to the heartland, Coop’s hometown – Detroit – playing long and hard, heavily influenced by the MC5 and Iggy Pop & the Stooges,

Alice (the singer) always went for the showbiz jugular. Over the top or forget it. Give ’em what they came for: Rock, violence, death and sex – in that order. Alice Cooper bonded with their audience, expressed their frustrations and prayed on their base desires.

Driving riff-laden guitars propelled teen or anti-social (usually the same thing) anthems. Even though the band’s high school days were nearly a decade behind them, they knew how it felt to be unpopular, left out and constantly put down by the “in-crowd.” And they never forgot. 

Alice Cooper (the singer) had a snarling voice and wild, out of control demeanor. The stage show grew with the band’s success and excess. It included a gallows and Cooper’s “execution.” Then there was the boa constrictor (named Shed Bundy or Julius Squeezer). It was wrapped around Cooper like a living reptilian mink stole. The snake was an indispensable part of the act. And that was what it was: An act. It was a ’50s horror movie with a hard Rock beat. Nostalgic yet contemporary, shocking but often performed with a wry sense of humor. A startling, compelling combination. You had to watch.

By being the anti-role model, Alice became THE role model.

With the arrival of the “School’s Out” album Alice Cooper found themselves on the cover of Rolling Stone. The accompanying article was entitled “Gold Diggers of 1984.” The title had an extra dystopian punch since that magic year was still way in the future.

Another thing that made Alice Cooper a success was timeliness. As eighteen-year-old boys were registering for the draft and the possibility of being sent to fight in Vietnam, Alice Cooper released the empathetic “I’m Eighteen.” As summer approached “School’s Out” vaulted up the charts. When the ’72 election loomed Alice Cooper threw his hat into the ring with “Elected.” 

The band re-surfaced momentarily as Billion Dollar Babies.

After spending a considerable portion of the decade in a haze, Cooper checked into the Betty Ford clinic. He even managed to cash in on the misery with the “From The Inside” album and found commercial success with a couple of tepid ballads. 

In a move that some, including Cooper himself thought would never happen, Alice Cooper (the band) was one of the 2011 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They were selected along with Darlene Love, Dr. John, Tom Waits and Neil Diamond. 

Alice Cooper (The Band)  

Alice Cooper   Vocals  

Glen Buxton   Lead Guitar  

Michael Bruce   Rhythm Guitar/Keyboards/Backing Vocals  

Dennis Dunaway   Bass  

Neal Smith   Drums  

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