Shock Rock Rules — Alice Cooper!

For Halloween the past two years, a good friend of mine and fellow boomer has dressed up as Alice Cooper. Some of my own costumes are a bit out there and I have to stop explain who I’m supposed to be, but not my friend—everyone knows Alice, boomer and nonboomer alike.

Alice Cooper started life as Vincent Damon Furnier. He was born in 1948 in Detroit and grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, where he started his first band while still in high school. He changed his name officially to Alice Cooper, from his band’s name, in 1972. Perhaps he is best remembered for his shocking theatrics and horror-movie makeup, but those of us who loved him and his music knew there was more to it than just the fact that he made our parents very nervous (well, that was a bonus for some of us).

Unlike shock rockers who came later, Alice didn’t take himself too seriously. Sure, there was fake blood, dismembered dolls and snakes but it was all in good fun. And, for some reason, many of his songs seemed perfectly timed to our teenage angst and rebellion. Sometimes, it was as though he had been hanging out with us all along. Of course, “School’s Out,” was almost a teen anthem and, my other personal favorite, “I’m 18” nailed it for many of us boomers.

Alice still tours, has his own syndicated radio show and owns a couple of restaurants — not bad for a guy who used to “chop his own head off” on stage!

—Betty

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Great Alice Cooper Links

Wikipedia has a good biography of Alice and includes a complete disography

Alice's restaurant is called Alice Cooperstown and there’s one in Phoenix and one in Cleveland.

Alice’s radio show is called Nights With Alice Cooper