ALICE COOPER
1975 TODAY
wow. What can I say about Alice Cooper? So much.
Great Rock Albums and Songs...riffs & jams.....On Stage Theatrics...Boa-Constrictors ....Guillotine Illusions ...Make-Up, Costumes...Stage Blood.....Straight Jackets...
Much in common with magicians and other strange types.
I am such a big fan and have been for many years along with my brother Bill.
Photo above left is my brother Bill sitting with Alice Cooper and wife Sheryl who was...Back then .... his girlfriend. Where am ??? I'm holding the camera that took the photo.
But more about that in a bit.
First let me say that way back when.....my favorite bands were Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Alice Cooper.
Must say that I love music ...all types of music...hard rock is my favorite but I LOVE all of the pop songs on radio from the 60's and 70's when I was growing up....and I mean everything... R & B, country, rock, classical...all of it.
However, this page is about Alice Cooper so......
Let me start with saying that the first time I remember hearing an Alice Cooper song was around 1972-73 .
I was around 10 years old visiting my Aunt Stella and Uncle Larry's summer place in Bayville, Long Island, NY. ( some of the best memories of my life)
I was hanging out with my older cousin Joe who was listening to music and messing around with an illegal but very popular substance at the time...( my Dad would have killed me if he knew I was sitting in that room ) I was only 10 but hanging around and this song comes on the radio "School's Out".
I'm sure you've heard "Schools Out"....an awesome song.
Now at the time I HATED school and so the attitude, heavy guitar riff and growling vocal delivery of Alice Cooper in that song was a life changing and attitude changing experience for me.
Beyond that song....these guys were a theatrical band with songs that were not just rock but by Alice's own admission were influenced by old movies and theater more than rock music.
The music and creative musicianship (self-taught) was amazing....great melodies, catchy tunes, witty and humorous as well as dark lyrics...the make-up and theatrics on stage was different than anything else at the time.
Glen Buxton ( guitar), Michael Bruce (guitar), Dennis Dunaway (bass), Neal Smith (drums) and Alice Cooper (vocals) an unbelievable band of self-taught musicians with creativity and vision to create many rock masterpieces..
Songs that integrated melodies from West Side Story to Sound Of Music to other crazy things...songs such as "Dead Babies"..."Muscle of Love" ... "Sick Things"..."I Love The Dead" ... "Looney Tunes" ... "Generation Landslide" ... "Welcome to My Nightmare".
As a fan of horror movies and rock music I was immediately a fan of Alice Cooper ( the band and the man).
My brother Bill was also a huge fan (probably more than me at the time)
We would wait for the newest album to come out and walk a long way to purchase and then listen over and over sitting in our room with black light & posters on the walls.
OK....check this out........
Can you imagine my surprise, shock & awe when I discovered that right down the block from me (about 10 houses)......a little old woman, one of my newspaper route customers turned out to have a son who was a tour manager for Alice Cooper and Kiss ( another one of my favorite bands at the time and another story).
How did I discover this? Well as a newspaper delivery boy you get "tips" from customers. Tips usually means coins or dollars but this wonderful woman started giving me like....autographed albums and posters and press kits and other assorted AWESOME Alice Cooper and KISS memorabilia.
Then one afternoon the unbelievable happened..... I got word that HE was here.
I mean ALICE COOPER was visiting the home of his tour managers mom...RIGHT DOWN THE BLOCK from my house.
I'm thinking NO WAY....at that time his new album :Welcome To My Nightmare" was out and he was ON TOP....guest star on every show from The Tonight Show to The Muppet Show.
Imagine the biggest star you can think of...Michael Jackson....Madonna.....Miley Cyrus.......Back then ALICE COOPER was HUGE!!!!!!!......and he was right down the block from me.
It was truly surreal. MAGIC!!!!!
I was one of the lucky few who was lucky enough to be invited in to meet this icon.
My brother Bill and I went up and spoke for a bit with our idol.
We only had a few minutes but it was truly an inspiring moment. One of those moments in life when you realize that dreams CAN come true....that there really is magic. Everyone is blessed to have at least one of these moments in there life. ( Many do not recognize, acknowledge or appreciate that one magical moment) I have been blessed to have had many of these MAGICAL moments.
There was only time for ONE photo...we didn't want to overstay our welcome at this private family dinner.
Had to think quick and act fast....who would believe that WE actually met Alice Cooper...we could hardly believe it ourselves.
I was a bit proud of myself, for once, that instead of being the usual selfish, "jerk" big brother that I usually was....I unselfishly told my younger brother to be the one in the photo with Alice and Sheryl and I was content to just be the one taking the photo. I cherish this photo even though I'm not in it...just one of the many exciting experiences I've had with my bro over the years.
( Bill was a bigger fan than me at the time so it seemed like the only right thing to do )
We were both blown away...it was like meeting Santa Clause or some other mythical figure IN PERSON. Alice Cooper was BIGGER THAN LIFE at the time. 1975-1976
One of the things that has impressed me.....
Back then we said to each other..."Wow...did you see his girl?...She's beautiful"!
We figured she was just one of his Rock Star babes/ "flings".
However he married her and ...all these years later...Alice is still married to this woman and they have a beautiful daughter who has been a big part of his stage show.
Alice Cooper has been a real influence in my life as an artist and an example of a family man.
On stage and in his music he creates an exciting, mysterious, dark and humorous performer....like Vincent Price.
In his private life...he has kept a clear head and a sense of humor and wit and is a good husband and father.
These days Alice Cooper hosts a radio show that plays all over the country and I enjoy listening whenever I can...especially while building in my workshop.
While other rock stars of his generation are just plain "burnt out"...Alice Cooper is still witty and smart and funny as hell.....he plays some great music and has many stories to tell about just about every great rock star past & present.
He has met, worked with and toured with everyone from Jimi Hendrix to the Rolling Stones...The Who... Jim Morrison and The Doors.....Led Zeppelin....OZZY OSBOURNE.....so many more.
Check out his radio show some time.
Alice Cooper and The ORIGINAL Alive Cooper Band have produced some fantastic and classic rock music....not to mention some of the coolest album covers of all time.
The Boa-Constrictor??....was I influenced by Alice?
1983 TODAY
Hmmmmm... I wonder!