Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier; February 4, 1948)[1] is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood, reptiles, baby dolls, and dueling swords,[2] Cooper is considered by many music journalists and peers to be “The Godfather of Shock Rock“.[3] He has drawn equally from horror films, vaudeville, and garage rock to pioneer a macabre and theatrical brand of rock designed to shock audiences.[4]
Originating in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1964, “Alice Cooper” was originally a band with roots extending back to a band called the Earwigs, consisting of Furnier on lead vocals and harmonica, Glen Buxton on lead guitar, and Dennis Dunaway on bass guitar and backing vocals. By 1966, Michael Bruce on rhythm guitar joined the three and Neal Smith was added on drums in 1967. The five named the band “Alice Cooper”, and Furnier eventually adopted it as his stage pseudonym.[5][6] They released their 1969 debut studio album with limited chart success. Breaking out with the 1970 single “I’m Eighteen” and the third studio album Love It to Death,[7] the band reached their commercial peak in 1973 with their sixth studio album, Billion Dollar Babies.[8] After[citation needed] the band broke up, Furnier legally changed his name to Alice Cooper and began a solo career in 1975 with the concept album Welcome to My Nightmare. Over his career, Cooper has sold well over 50 million records.[9]
