Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper

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Biography

Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier 04.02.1948)
Alice Cooper is an American rock star, famous for his theatricality and use of shock tactics on stage.

Net Worth: In 2013, Celebrity Net Worth claimed that Alice Cooper had a net worth of 40 million USD.

Childhood: Alice Cooper was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Ella Mae and Ether Moroni Furnier. He studied at Washington Elementary School and then Nankin Mills Jr. High (now Lutheran High School Westland). Due to suffering from various childhood illnesses, Cooper's family moved with him to Phoenix, Arizona where he studied at Cortez High School before Glendale Community College.

Career: In 1964, at the age of 16, Cooper and some friends entered a talent competition as The Earwigs. None of them were able to play any musical instruments so they mimed along to a Beatles track and won the contest. Due to their love of the stage, they went to a local pawn shop, bought instruments and formed The Spiders. The band originally performed cover songs around Phoenix, with a giant black spider's web behind them on stage. They released their first original single in 1966, called 'Don't Blow Your Mind'. In 1968, they decided that they needed to adopt a gimmick in order to be noticed over other bands. They decided to try to utilise the full potential of the stage and take on a new name - they apparently used an Ouija board to come up with the comparatively wholesome Alice Cooper. Soon, Furnier chose to use the name for himself instead of just the band. He modelled his look on villainous female characters from various films that the band enjoyed. They thought that this villainous, cross dressing persona would cause controversy and subsequent recognition. The band played a gig in the Cheetah Club in Venice, California, and after ten minutes the entire venue was empty. A music manager approached them, thinking that their special brand of theatricality could be turned for his own gain, signed them a record deal with Frank Zappa, as Zappa was looking for interesting and unusual bands at the time. The band gained critical acclaim for their 'shock rock' style accidentally, as one early performance saw a chicken walk onto the stage. Cooper, not knowing what to do, chose to throw the chicken at the audience, thinking it would fly away. Instead, it fell into the front row - occupied by disabled viewers in wheelchairs - who reportedly proceeded to tear it to pieces. Zappa asked Cooper the next day about rumours of biting off the chicken's head and drinking it's blood. When Cooper denied the allegations, Zappa told him to lie to the press and claim that he did, in fact, do it. Due to the failure of their first two albums, the band chose to move from California to Detroit until 1972. In 1980, their third and final album from Zappa's Straight Records was released to far more success. Their contract was subsequently bought by Warner Bros. and the album was rereleased, reaching a higher level of success. Their 1971 tour featured stage fights, gothic torture and Alice Cooper's staged execution by electric chair, all while the band wore colour-contrasting glam-rock outfits. In 1974, the band went on hiatus, following a gruelling schedule of touring and recording that caused members to disagree and fight with each other. By 1975, Furnier legally changed his name to Alice Copper in order to escape legal reprisals when he began a solo career. The solo project was so successful, that Cooper officially left the band and went on to be a solo artist from then onwards. He toured until 1976, when he took a break due to his ever growing alcoholism. He returned in 1978 and began releasing albums to moderate success while steadily trying to discover a new sound. In 1983, he released DaDa - the final album on his Warner Bros. contract, before being once again hospitalised for alcoholism. The album was poorly received and his contract was not renewed. In 1986, he returned to the music industry after a brief fling with film and television, with the album Constrictor. This album spawn his tour, The Nightmare Returns, which was received as his best tour yet. Cooper continued to tour through the 1990s and 2000s, while also releasing albums.

Personal Life: Cooper continues to pay a yearly royalty to his original band mates for the use of his name, as it was originally created and used by all of them. In 2004, he wrote an issue of the Simpsons comic based on the Tree House of Horror series. In 1976, Cooper married ballerina instructor and choreographer Sheryl Goddard. She filed for divorce in 1983, but the couple reconciled in 1984. The couple have three children.



Biography by Contactmusic.com

Back To School: The Teen Anthems You Need To Get You Through September [Playlist]


Green Day Alice Cooper Wheatus Nirvana Bowling For Soup

Whether you see your school days as the best times of your life or the worst times, the beginning of September always brings with it that same nostalgia of new stationary, new haircuts and the hope that you'll finally achieve the level of cool you feel the need to strive for. Here are some iconic tunes that take us right back to those September days.

The Facts of Life - Black Box Recorder

The effects of teenage angst has not changed in the 20 years it's been since London indie band Black Box Recorder released their iconic coming-of-age hit. It's a rather soothing spoken word song about sexual fascination and exploration with the onset of puberty. We wouldn't go through it again if you paid us.

Continue reading: Back To School: The Teen Anthems You Need To Get You Through September [Playlist]

Wear A Mask! These Are The Songs Anti-maskers Need To Hear [Playlist]


Alice Cooper Chic Fugees

With the news that face masks are now becoming mandatory in shops and supermarkets in the UK (as in many countries), it's plain to see that the world is still divided on the issue. Most see it as an important step in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and any discomfort is worth it in the long run, while others are calling it a violation of their human rights.

Photo Credit: PixabayPhoto Credit: Pixabay

We're using music to tell you that it is your duty as a citizen to stop the spread of this pandemic by taking the responsibility to cover your face.

Continue reading: Wear A Mask! These Are The Songs Anti-maskers Need To Hear [Playlist]

Alice Cooper Owned A Priceless Andy Warhol Print And Didn't Even Realise It


Alice Cooper Andy Warhol

Can you imagine being so rich that you didn't realise you owned a priceless painting by one of the most renowned pop-artists in the world? Well, that's exactly what happened to shock rocker Alice Cooper when he decided to open up an old storage locker of his recently. 

Alice Cooper at the Silver Clef AwardsAlice Cooper at the Silver Clef Awards

It was actually his manager Shep Gordon and his mother who reminded him that he was in possession of a silkscreen print of Andy Warhol's Little Electric Chair from his Death and Disaster series. He had obtained it when the pair became friends back in the early 70s.

Continue reading: Alice Cooper Owned A Priceless Andy Warhol Print And Didn't Even Realise It

Friday The 13th: The Best Twitter Tributes


Ricky Gervais Alice Cooper

It's Friday the 13th! The most superstitious date of the year that usually occurs at least twice. Plenty of people have been Tweeting about this date, from hilarious memes and memorable gifs to multiple references to Jason Voorhees and the slasher movie franchise.

Friday the 13thFriday the 13th was on everyone's mind today

Here are our favourite Tweets from today: 

Continue reading: Friday The 13th: The Best Twitter Tributes

Alice Cooper , Hollywood Vampires - Hollywood Vampires performing live at Grona Lund amusement park at Grona Lund - Stockholm, Sweden - Monday 30th May 2016

Alice Cooper and Hollywood Vampires

Alice Cooper , Hollywood Vampires - Rock in Rio Lisboa 2016 - Day 3 - Performances - Hollywood Vampires at Rock in Rio Lisboa - Lisbon, Portugal - Friday 27th May 2016

Alice Cooper and Hollywood Vampires

Alice Cooper - Alice Cooper performing at Manchester Arena at Manchester Arena - Manchester, United Kingdom - Tuesday 3rd November 2015

Alice Cooper

15 Best Musician Cameos In Film History


Jack Antonoff Alice Cooper Keith Richards Marilyn Manson Billy Idol

After releasing his Bleachers documentary 'Thank You And Sorry' with a comedy spin, it was only a matter of time before we saw Jack Antonoff making a movie cameo. Now he's appearing in forthcoming comedy drama 'Hello, My Name Is Doris' as the lead singer of a band called Baby Goya.

Jack Antonoff in 'Hello, My Name Is Doris'Bleachers' Jack Antonoff plays a fictitious musician in 'Hello, My Name Is Doris'

It's always fun to see a musician starring in a movie - especially when it's a comedy - whether they play themselves, a fictitious musician or even a completely different character altogether. We compiled a list of some of the best musician movie cameos in history.

Continue reading: 15 Best Musician Cameos In Film History

Alice Cooper - Fox And Friends Summer Concert Series - Alice Cooper - New York City, New York, United States - Friday 14th August 2015

Alice Cooper

Johnny Depp Has Helped Form A New Supergroup - But What Other Superbands Are Out There?


Johnny Depp Alice Cooper Joe Perry McBusted Jack White Audioslave

What do Johnny Deep and Alice Cooper have in common? The desire to create a very exciting new supergroup it would seem. Eclectic actor Depp has joined forces with rock stars Alice Copper, Joe Perry, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum to form The Hollywood Vampires - a collaboration announced at the beginning of this year that will debut with two live Los Angeles gigs in September and perform Rock in Rio in Brazil later in the same month.

Johnny DeppJohnny Depp plans to wow audiences with his rock music skills in Hollywood Vampires

The addition of Johnny Depp as a musical accompaniment may sound strange to those who remember the Pirates of the Caribbean actor eschewing the idea of thespians crossing over to the world of music.

Continue reading: Johnny Depp Has Helped Form A New Supergroup - But What Other Superbands Are Out There?

Johnny Depp And Alice Cooper Supergroup 'Hollywood Vampires' Announces Live Dates


Johnny Depp Alice Cooper Joe Perry

Hollywood Vampires, the star-studded supergroup boasting Johnny Depp and Alice Cooper, have announced they’ll be performing a small number of live shows in support of their upcoming first album.

The band, which also features Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and ex-Guns ‘N’ Roses members Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, announced on Wednesday (August 12th) that they’ll play two live gigs in Los Angeles at The Roxy on September 16th and 17th, followed by a sole festival date at Rock In Rio in Brazil on September 24th.

Amber Heard and Johnny DeppJohnny Depp with Amber Heard in Tokyo earlier in 2015

Continue reading: Johnny Depp And Alice Cooper Supergroup 'Hollywood Vampires' Announces Live Dates

The Zombie Apocalypse Hits London During 2015 Relentless Kerrang! Awards


Kerrang Alice Cooper Marilyn Manson All Time Low Babymetal Bring Me The Horizon Judas Priest

As the zombie apocalypse took over the Relentless Kerrang! Awards last Thursday, many acts stumbled away with an award or two in tow. 

Kerrang Awards logo

In true rock fashion, the black carpet was laid awaiting the arrival of the bands at the Troxy in London as we eagerly awaited the results of awards such as Kerrang! Legend, Best Single, Best Album, Best British Newcomer and more. 

Continue reading: The Zombie Apocalypse Hits London During 2015 Relentless Kerrang! Awards

 Alice Cooper and Sheryl Goddard - LCM s/s 2016: One For The Boys Charity Ball held at the Roundhouse - Arrivals. - London, United Kingdom - Friday 12th June 2015

Alice Cooper and Sheryl Goddard

Super Duper Alice Cooper Trailer


It's fair to say that Vincent Furnier made musical history when he became Alice Cooper; an androgynous shock rocker who spent his teenage years pursuing a career in rock, and certainly not following in his preacher father's footsteps. From his inception, Alice Cooper went against the grain of what is accepted in modern music with over-the-top, gore-filled live shows which at one point saw a chicken get unwittingly murdered by his audience. However, the fun soon got out of hand when Alice Cooper and his band got fully submerged in the rock 'n' roll world of alcohol and drug abuse. Setting up the drinking club The Hollywood Vampires, Alice Cooper would be hospitalised more than once for his substance abuse issues, getting so obsessed with that world that he would not even be able to remember large chunks of his recording career.

Continue: Super Duper Alice Cooper Trailer

Johnny Depp Returns To Music In Alice Cooper Supergroup The Hollywood Vampires


Johnny Depp Alice Cooper Joe Perry Hollywood Vampires Aerosmith

Johnny Depp re-visits his musical roots in Alice Cooper's formation of supergroup The Hollywood Vampires, named after his legendary drinking club of the same name. Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry will also join the line-up. It's no secret that the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star and Hollywood heartthrob has a foot in the music industry, it being a big part of his childhood and teenage years. But now he's solidifying that part of his personality by joining a new band: The Hollywood Vampires, alongside Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. 

Johnny Depp promotes 'Mortdecai'
Johnny Depp joins the Hollywood Vampires

The Hollywood Vampires first came about in the 1970s and, while members happened to be some of the biggest rockstars in the world at the time, it was formed as drinking club rather than a band, where members were enlisted on whether or not they could drink the other members under the table. Among them were former Beatles John Lennon and Ringo Starr, as well as Keith Moon, Harry Nilsson and Bernie Taupin.

Continue reading: Johnny Depp Returns To Music In Alice Cooper Supergroup The Hollywood Vampires

Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper Quick Links

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Alice Cooper

Date of birth

4th February, 1948

Occupation

Musician

Sex

Male

Height

1.77




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