Alice Cooper Biography
Early Life
Alice Cooper, born as Vincent Damon Furnier on February 4, 1948, in Detroit, Michigan, is an iconic American rock musician and singer. Cooper is known for his theatrical phase presence and frequently described as "The Godfather of Shock Rock". Raised by his father, Ether Moroni Furnier, a preacher, and his mom, Ella Mae Furnier, Alice grew up in a spiritual home in the Detroit area prior to transferring to Phoenix, Arizona, throughout his teenage years.
As a child, Furnier was a devoted fan of cinema, especially scary films, which later on affected his stage presence and persona. He was also active in sports and took part in his high school track and field team.
Development of Alice Cooper Band
In 1964, while still in high school, Furnier formed his first band, "The Earwigs", with friends Glen Buxton (guitar), Dennis Dunaway (bass), and John Speer (drums). The band at first carried out covers of popular Beatles tunes, ultimately changing its name to "The Spiders". In 1967, with the addition of Michael Bruce (guitar and keyboard), they renamed themselves the "Nazz". However, after finding that
Todd Rundgren's band at the time shared the exact same name, they ultimately picked the name "Alice Cooper". Furnier, adopting the persona and name of Alice Cooper himself, ended up being the lead singer and face of the band.
The Rise and Making of Shock Rock
In 1968, the Alice Cooper band was found by
Frank Zappa, who signed them to his record label, Straight Records. Their very first album, "Pretties for You", was released in 1969, but it was met very little success. The follow-up, "Easy Action", likewise stopped working to make an influence on the music scene.
In 1971, with the assistance of producer Bob Ezrin, the band launched the single "I'm Eighteen" from their album "Love It to Death". The song ended up being a hit, peaking at number 21 on the Billboard charts, and developing Alice Cooper as an effective rock act. Their stage shows ended up being increasingly theatrical, including aspects of horror motion pictures, vaudeville, and freak shows, making Alice Cooper synonymous with shock rock.
Peak of Alice Cooper's Success
Following the success of "I'm Eighteen", the Alice Cooper band released the albums "Killer" (1971), "School's Out" (1972), and "Billion Dollar Babies" (1973), all of which were commercially effective and solidified their place in rock 'n' roll history. Throughout this period, Alice Cooper adopted his renowned stage clothing, including dark makeup and tight vinyl clothes.
However, internal issues and stress started to grow within the band, mostly due to Furnier's progressively dominant role as Alice Cooper. In 1975, the band chose to dissolve, and Furnier continued to make music under the name Alice Cooper as a solo artist.
Alice Cooper Solo Career
Alice Cooper's solo profession started with the release of the album "Welcome to My Nightmare" in 1975. He continued his stunning and outrageous performance, often including gruesome props and dramatic performances. He launched several more albums for many years, with varying degrees of success, such as "Alice Cooper Goes to Hell" (1976), "From the Inside" (1978), and "Flush the Fashion" (1980).
In 1989, Cooper launched "Trash", which featured the hit single "Poison", his very first top-ten hit since the 1970s. He continued to make music and trip thoroughly throughout the 1990s and 2000s, launching albums like "The Last Temptation" (1994) and "Brutal Planet" (2000).
Personal Life and Legacy
Alice Cooper married Sheryl Goddard in 1976, and the couple stays married to this day. They have 3 children together: Calico, Dash, and Sonora Rose. Cooper, now a devout Christian, hangs around off the roadway offering and contributing to charitable causes in the Phoenix area.
Alice Cooper's influence can be felt throughout the world of rock 'n' roll. His unique stage existence and theatrics, integrated with his dark persona, have actually made him an icon for generations of artists. In 2011, Alice Cooper was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, solidifying his place in music history.
Our collection contains 30 quotes who is written / told by Alice.
Related authors: Michael Owen Bruce (Musician), Todd Rundgren (Musician), GG Allin (Musician), Daisy Berkowitz (Musician), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete), Johnny Kelly (Musician), Frank Zappa (Musician)
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