Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American singer, songwriter and actor whose career spans over five decades. With his distinctive raspy voice and a stage show that features guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood, deadly snakes, baby dolls, and dueling swords, Cooper is considered by music journalists and peers alike to be "The Godfather of Shock Rock". He has drawn equally from horror films, vaudeville, and garage rock to pioneer a macabre and theatrical brand of rock designed to shock people...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionRock Singer
Date of Birth4 February 1948
CityDetroit, MI
CountryUnited States of America
Every single night, it seemed to be the same seven or eight guys: Harry Nilsson, myself, Mickey Dolenz, Bernie Taupin, Keith Moon when he was in town. It was actually sort of a social club, drinking club, for rock stars that drank - seriously drank.
When I was a kid and my parents started talking about politics, I'd run to my room and put on the Rolling Stones as loud as I could. So when I see all these rock stars up there talking politics, it makes me sick. If you're listening to a rock star in order to get your information on who to vote for, you're a bigger moron than they are. Why are we rock stars? Because we're morons. We sleep all day, we play music at night and very rarely do we sit around reading the Washington Journal.
If somebody had told me that you have a choice of being a rock star or playing left field for the Tigers, there would not have been a choice at all. I would have said, 'Where's my locker?'
Why are we rock stars? Because we're morons. We sleep all day, we play music at night and very rarely do we sit around reading the Washington Journal.
If you're listening to a rock star in order to get your information on who to vote for, you're a bigger moron than they are.
The age of the audience has dropped 10-15 years, maybe more. All of the audiences through Spain, Italy through Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia are like 15-16 through 25. It's like 1972 again.
I'm on in 80 cities. Madison was the first place we went No. 1 in the ratings.
I've got a crew that has been with me for quite a while, ... They know how to break down the disappearing coffin trick. They know how to break down the guillotine.
They coincide with each other but they don't at the same time. So what it is, is when people come to see us the first time, they see this.
We identified with Frank. We were of course influenced - when everybody hears Zappa, they're influenced by him, just like The Beatles.
There is so much great rock from the '60s, '70s, a little thinner in the '80s. I can't believe that there are only 40 songs that get played. There is such a variety of music from that era. There are just so many bands that never get played.
This whole album takes you in a lot of different directions, yet it still really sounds like an Alice album. There are no fillers. Pick any song you think might be a single and I'm happy with that song representing the album. That to me is quality.
And you'd be right to do that. But the funny thing is I haven't watered down Alice. Alice the character on stage is just as dastardly as ever. If you sit in the first 20 rows of my show, you're covered in fake blood. The attitude behind it is totally for fun. The audience in the '70s was so easy to shock. Now I can't be as shocking as CNN.
This community cannot afford to go backwards we need to be moving ahead and moving together regardless of the color of skin one has,