Alice Cooper facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Alice Cooper
Cooper performing in Nuremberg in 2024
Born	Vincent Damon Furnier (1948-02-04) February 4, 1948 (age 77) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation	Singer songwriter actor
Years active	1964–present
Works	Discography filmography
Spouse(s)	Sheryl Goddard (m. 1976)
Children	3, including Calico Cooper
Musical career
Origin	Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Genres	Hard rock shock rock glam rock heavy metal
Labels	Straight Warner Bros. Atlantic MCA Epic Spitfire Steamhammer UMe earMusic

Members	List of solo band members

Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer with a career that has lasted over sixty years. With his unique raspy voice and exciting stage shows, many people call him "The Godfather of Shock Rock". His shows often include props, magic tricks, and scary themes, like something out of a horror movie.

Alice Cooper started as a band in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1964. The band members were Furnier, guitarists Glen Buxton and Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway, and drummer Neal Smith. After the band broke up in 1975, Furnier legally changed his name to Alice Cooper and started a successful solo career. He has sold over 50 million records worldwide.

Cooper is known for mixing different music styles, like hard rock, glam rock, and heavy metal. He was one of the first artists to bring horror movie themes to rock and roll. His amazing stage performances have changed the genre forever. Besides music, Cooper is also an actor, a radio host, and a skilled golfer.

Early Life and First Bands
The Alice Cooper Band
- Rise to Fame
- Major Success in the 1970s
A Successful Solo Career
The 1980s and a Big Comeback
Later Career and Lasting Legacy
Style and Influence
Personal Life
Images for kids
Band members
Discography
See also

Early Life and First Bands

Vincent Damon Furnier was born in Detroit, Michigan, on February 4, 1948. His father was a church evangelist. As a child, he was often sick, so his family moved to the warmer city of Phoenix, Arizona. He went to Cortez High School, where he joined the cross-country running team. In his high school yearbook, he wrote that his goal was to be "A million record seller."

In 1964, a 16-year-old Furnier and his cross-country teammates formed a band called the Earwigs for a school talent show. They dressed up like the Beatles and performed funny versions of their songs. The crowd loved them, and they won the show. This inspired them to become a real band. They bought instruments and learned to play, renaming themselves the Spiders.

The band became popular locally and started traveling to Los Angeles for shows. They changed their name again to Nazz. By 1968, they needed a new name because another band was already called Nazz. They chose "Alice Cooper" because it sounded sweet and normal, which was a funny contrast to their wild music and look.

The Alice Cooper Band

The classic Alice Cooper band included Furnier on vocals, Glen Buxton on lead guitar, Michael Bruce on rhythm guitar, Dennis Dunaway on bass, and Neal Smith on drums. They were known for their creative and sometimes shocking stage shows.

Rise to Fame

The band moved to Los Angeles and signed a record deal with Frank Zappa's label, Straight Records. Their first album, Pretties for You (1969), didn't sell well. The band's "shock rock" style developed over time. One famous story involves a live chicken during a concert in 1969. Cooper, thinking the chicken could fly, tossed it into the crowd. The story got exaggerated in the newspapers, which helped build the band's scary reputation.

The band moved to Michigan, where audiences loved their energetic style. In 1970, they worked with producer Bob Ezrin on their third album, Love It to Death. The single "I'm Eighteen" became a huge hit, reaching number 21 on the charts. This was their big break. The album was re-released by Warner Bros. Records, which gave them more promotion.

Cooper performing in 1972

Their tours became famous for their theatrics. Cooper would stage mock fights and gothic tortures, ending with a fake execution by an electric chair. The band wore flashy, sequined costumes, which was part of the glam rock style.

Major Success in the 1970s

The band's next album, Killer (1971), was also a success. It featured hit songs like "Under My Wheels" and "Be My Lover". Their stage show became even more elaborate, featuring a live snake and other spooky props.

In the summer of 1972, they released the song "School's Out". It became a massive hit, reaching number 1 in the United Kingdom. The album of the same name sold over a million copies. The song is still played on the radio today, especially when school lets out for the summer.

The group in 1973

Their 1973 album, Billion Dollar Babies, was their most successful. It went to number 1 in both the U.S. and the U.K. It included hits like "Elected" and "No More Mr. Nice Guy". Their tour for this album was a huge spectacle, featuring a multi-level stage and a guillotine prop for a grand finale. The band was at the height of its fame.

However, the constant touring and recording started to cause problems within the band. Their next album, Muscle of Love (1973), was their last with the original lineup. The members decided to take a break, which ended up being permanent.

A Successful Solo Career

In 1975, Furnier legally changed his name to Alice Cooper and started his solo career. His first solo album was Welcome to My Nightmare, a concept album about a child's bad dream. It was a huge success, with the hit song "Only Women Bleed". The stage show was more theatrical than ever, featuring dancers, giant creatures, and narration by horror movie star Vincent Price.

A TV special called The Nightmare aired in 1975, bringing his stage show to a wider audience. Cooper had proven that he could be just as successful on his own.

Cooper in 1976

Throughout the late 1970s, Cooper released more albums like Alice Cooper Goes to Hell and Lace and Whiskey. He had more hit songs, including the ballads "I Never Cry" and "You and Me". After a tour in 1977, Cooper took some time off to focus on his health. He returned in 1978 with the album From the Inside, which was inspired by his experiences.

The 1980s and a Big Comeback

In the early 1980s, Cooper experimented with a new wave sound on albums like Flush the Fashion (1980) and Special Forces (1981). After releasing the album DaDa in 1983, he took a long break from the music business to deal with personal issues and improve his health.

In the 1970s, Cooper founded a celebrity club, the Hollywood Vampires, at the Rainbow Bar and Grill in West Hollywood, California

In 1986, Alice Cooper made a triumphant return with the album Constrictor. It featured the song "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)", which was the theme for the movie Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. His new tour, "The Nightmare Returns," was a huge success and brought his thrilling stage show to a new generation of fans.

He followed this with Raise Your Fist and Yell in 1987. His tours continued to be inspired by horror movies, which sometimes caused controversy but also made his shows very popular. In 1989, he released the album Trash, which included the massive hit single "Poison". The song reached No. 2 in the U.K. and No. 7 in the U.S., making Cooper a major star once again.

Later Career and Lasting Legacy

Alice Cooper has continued to record albums and tour the world. In the 1990s, he released albums like Hey Stoopid (1991) and The Last Temptation (1994). He also made a memorable cameo in the 1992 movie Wayne's World, where the characters Wayne and Garth famously bowed down to him, chanting "We're not worthy!"

Cooper in 2006

Since 2000, he has released a steady stream of albums, including Brutal Planet (2000), The Eyes of Alice Cooper (2003), and Detroit Stories (2021). In 2004, he started his own classic rock radio show, Alice's Attic (originally called Nights with Alice Cooper).

In 2011, the original Alice Cooper band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The surviving members performed together at the ceremony. In 2015, he formed the supergroup Hollywood Vampires with actor Johnny Depp and guitarist Joe Perry of Aerosmith.

On July 25, 2025, the original band members reunited for a new album titled The Revenge of Alice Cooper. It was their first album together in over 50 years and included previously unreleased tracks from their original guitarist, Glen Buxton, who passed away in 1997.

Style and Influence

Alice Cooper was influenced by British rock bands from the 1960s, such as the Beatles, the Who, and the Rolling Stones. He was also inspired by the theatrical performances of artists like Arthur Brown, who was known for his wild stage act.

Arthur Brown was a major influence on Cooper. He was known for his exciting live shows.

Many famous musicians have been influenced by Alice Cooper. Rob Zombie said that seeing Cooper on TV was his first "metal moment." John Lydon of the Sex Pistols called Cooper's album Killer the greatest rock album of all time. Even folk-rock legend Bob Dylan once said, "I think Alice Cooper is an overlooked songwriter."

Cooper's mix of rock music and scary theatrics has had a lasting impact on music and pop culture. He showed that a rock concert could be a full-blown theatrical production.

Personal Life

Alice Cooper has been married to choreographer Sheryl Goddard since 1976. She performed in his stage shows in the 1970s and early 1980s. They have three children: Sonora, Calico, and Dashiell.

Cooper is a big sports fan, especially of golf. He says that playing golf helped him stay healthy and focused. He plays almost every day and has even written a book about his love for the game, called Alice Cooper, Golf Monster. He is also a fan of the Detroit Red Wings hockey team and the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team.

Throughout his career, Cooper has avoided mixing music with politics. He has famously run for president as a joke every four years since 1972, releasing his song "Elected" each time. He believes that rock and roll should be about entertainment, not politics.

Images for kids

Cooper in 1974
Cooper performing at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland, 2011
Cooper performing live at Wembley Arena in London, England, 2012
Cooper performing live at Caesars Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, 2022
Alice Cooper and his band perform at the White River Amphitheatre in Washington state in 2023.
Cooper (left) and artist Salvador Dalí in 1973