Vincent Damon Furnier, 4 February 1948, Detroit, Michigan,
USA. Alice Cooper became known as the 'master of shock
rock' during the 70s and remained a popular hard-rock artist
into the 90s. The Furnier family moved to Phoenix, Arizona,
where Vincent began writing songs while in junior high school.
Inspired by a dream to become as famous as the Beatles and
Rolling Stones, Furnier formed a group in the early 60s called
the Earwigs. By 1965 their name had changed to the Spiders
and then the Nazz (no relation to Todd Rundgren 's band of the
same name). Both the Spiders and Nazz played at local dances
and recorded singles that were moderately popular regionally.
In 1968, the Nazz, which also included Mike Bruce (b. 21
November 1948, California, USA; lead guitar), Dennis Dunaway
(b. 15 March 1946, California, USA; bass), Glen Buxton (b. 17
June 1947, Washington, DC, USA, d. 18 October 1997, Iowa,
USA; guitar) and Neal Smith (b. 10 January 1946, Washington,
USA; drums), changed its name to Alice Cooper, reportedly due
to Furnier's belief that he was the reincarnation of a 17th-century
witch of that name. The name Alice Cooper was also attached to
Furnier, who invented an androgynous, outrageously attired
persona to attract attention. The band played deliberately abrasive
rock music with the intention of shocking and even alienating those
attending its concerts. In 1969 the Alice Cooper band found a
kindred spirit in Frank Zappa, who signed them to his new Straight
Records label. The group recorded two albums, Pretties For You
and Easy Action, before switching to Straight's parent label, Warner
Brothers Records, in 1970. By that time, Cooper had adopted more
extreme tactics in his live performances, using a guillotine and electric
chair as stage props and a live snake as part of his wardrobe. The
finishing touch was the thick, black eye make-up that dripped down his
face, affording him his trademark demonic appearance. As the group
and its singer built a reputation as a bizarre live act, their records began
to sell in greater quantities. In 1971 'Eighteen' was their first single to
reach the US charts, at number 21. Cooper's commercial breakthrough
came the following year with the rebellious 'School's Out' single and
album, both of which made the US Top 10, with the single topping the
UK chart. A streak of bestselling albums followed: the number 1 Billion
Dollar Babies, then Muscle Of Love, Alice Cooper's Greatest Hits and
Welcome To My Nightmare, all of which reached the US Top 10. The
last was his first true solo album following the dissolution of the band,
and Cooper officially adopted the Alice Cooper name as his own.
In contrast to his professional image, the offstage Cooper became a
Hollywood celebrity, playing golf and appearing on television talk shows,
as well as developing a strong friendship with Groucho Marx, with whom
he planned a television series. In tribute to the legendary comedian he
purchased one of the 'O's from the famous Hollywood sign and dedicated
it to his memory. The late 70s saw him appearing in films such as Sextette
and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band . In 1978 Cooper admitted
to chronic alcoholism and entered a New York hospital for treatment.
From The Inside, with songs co-written by Bernie Taupin, reflected on the
experience. His band continued touring, and between 1979 and 1982, it
featured ex- Iron Butterfly lead guitarist Mike Pinera (b. 29 September
1948, Tampa, Florida, USA). Cooper continued recording into the early
80s with diminishing results. In 1986, after a four-year recording absence,
he signed to MCA Records, but none of his albums for that label reached
the US charts. A 1989 set, Trash, his first for Epic Records, returned him
to the Top 40 and yielded a Top 10 single, 'Poison', his first in 12 years.
Hey Stoopid found him accompanied by Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Slash
and Axl Rose from Guns N'Roses, while his 90s tours saw Cooper drawing
a new, younger audience who considered him a heavy metal pioneer. This
impression was immortalized by Cooper's appearance in the 1992 film
Wayne's World, wherein the haphazard protagonists kneel before their idol
proclaiming that they are 'not worthy'. In recent times, Neal Smith has
become a property agent; Bruce is still a songwriter but is bitter about the
past - he became an author with the publication of No More Mr Nice Guy.
Buxton lived in Iowa and was plagued by ill health until his death in 1997,
while Dunaway runs a craft shop with his wife in Connecticut.
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