Alice Cooper first made a name for himself (quite literally—his real name is Vincent Furnier) in the late 1960s as daring showman and a solid craftsman of songs. His shock-rock antics yielded Cooper numerous radio hits, and his ground-breaking albums have inspired legions of aspiring musicians.
Cooper was inspired himself to pursue a musical vocation at a young age. As Cooper explained in a phone interview, “When the British Invasion first came along, I was at the perfect age for getting it. The Beatles and the Stones came out and I thought to myself, ‘That looks like fun.’ So, when I was 16 I put a band together and to this day rock & roll has been the only job I’ve ever had.”
Given the nature of his occupation, Cooper initially had trouble determining whether or not he was on the clock. “I used to think that people would be disappointed if they ran into me on the streets and I wasn’t handling snakes, wearing make-up, and acting the part. But I’ve come to realize that I only have to be Alice for two hours a night, and that’s when I’m touring. Otherwise, there’s no reason to be that persona. Alice was designed to be the premier rock & roll villain. And if you want to experience that…come to the show…but don’t expect it when I pick my kid up from school.”
In addition to his day job, Cooper appears to be a man of many hobbies. This nightmarish rock star is not ashamed of his affection for golf. He is also the proud proprietor of a unique chain of restaurants, Alice Cooper’s Town. And in what is left of his spare time, Cooper functions as a popular syndicated disc jockey with a real niche of his own. “On my show [Nights With Alice Cooper] I play the classics that seem to have disappeared. Like most listeners, I grew weary of the steady diet of Zeppelin and AC/DC that has been the standard offering for so long. From me you also get stuff like the Hollies, Zappa, Procol Harum, and anything else I feel like playing that day.”
Cooper is quick to remind the world that he continues to release albums of new material and keeps up quite well with the current music scene. “At the moment I especially dig bands like the Raconteurs, Jet, and Panic! At The Disco, but I feel sorry for them, because unfortunately, the business is no longer designed to give artists a break and let them develop like it was when me and Bowie and Elton were coming up. Nowadays bands are lucky to get a shot at a second album, let alone the chance to nurture a 40 year career.”
Alice Cooper will showcase all the hits and misses of his long career when he plays across the river at Belterra Resort and Casino this Saturday, August 23th. The concert starts at 8 p.m.
Get tickets at http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/160040D399F7241E?artistid=734811&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1
