{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Marc Costanzo
| image =
| caption =
| background = solo_singer
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1972|08|01}} [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]], [[Canada]]
| death_date=
| origin = [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]
| instrument = [[Vocals]], [[Guitar]], [[Piano]]
| genre = [[Pop music|Pop]]
| occupation = [[Record executive]], [[record producer]], [[artist]], [[songwriter]]
| years_active = 1991–present
| label = Funtrip, [[Work Records|Work]], [[Sony Music]], [[EMI Music Publishing|EMI]], [[Virgin Records]]
| associated_acts =
| website =
| current_members =
| past_members =
| notable_instruments =
}}
'''Marc Costanzo''' (born August 1, 1972) is a [[record industry|record executive]], [[record producer]], [[artist]] and [[songwriter]] from [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]. Born in [[Montreal]], he relocated with his family to [[Toronto]] in the early 90's. He is the [[lead vocalist]] and [[Record producer|producer]] of the [[pop music|pop]] band [[Len (band)|Len]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/len-p97704/biography|title=LEN|last=Huey|first=Steve|publisher=[[Allmusic]]|accessdate=29 August 2011}}</ref> and wrote the hit single "[[Steal My Sunshine]]".<ref name="Whitburn2010">{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 9th Edition: Complete Chart Information about America's Most Popular Songs and Artists, 1955-2009|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=EW9RsB0a0oAC&pg=PA376|accessdate=29 August 2011|year=2010|publisher=Random House Digital, Inc.|isbn=978-0-8230-8554-5|page=376}}</ref> He is Senior Creative at [[EMI Music Publishing]] and is responsible for signing several [[multi-platinum]] acts including [[Deryck Whibley]] from [[Sum 41]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=wg0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA66&dq=%22Marc+Costanzo%22&hl=en&ei=Yr1bTpW0BuXj0QHPir2UCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22Marc%20Costanzo%22&f=false|title=EMI Publishing Canada shines on|last=LeBlanc|first=Larry|date=29 January 2000|work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=66|accessdate=29 August 2011}}</ref> and [[Junior Sanchez]]. He has also won several awards including three [[MMVA]] awards as a [[Music video director]], two as an artist, a [[Billboard Music Award]], and several [[ASCAP]] awards as a [[songwriter]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Len (band)}}
{{Sum 41}}

{{Persondata
| name = Costanzo, Marc
| alternative names =
| short description =
| date of birth = August 1, 1972
| place of birth =
| date of death =
| place of death =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Costanzo, Marc}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Musicians from Toronto]]
[[Category:Canadian pop singers]]
[[Category:Canadian record producers]]
[[Category:Canadian music video directors]]
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[da:Marc Costanzo]]

Alice Cooper

2012-09-13T18:40:05Z

62.44.134.209:

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2012}}
{{refimprove|date=April 2012}}{{Infobox musical artist 
|name = Alice Cooper
|image = Cooper, Alice (2007).jpg
|caption = Cooper at the Scream Awards, 2007
|image_size =
|background = solo_singer
|birth_name = Vincent Damon Furnier
|alias =
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1948|02|04}}
|birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, United States
|death_date =
|religion = Christian
|instrument = Vocals, guitar, harmonica
|genre = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[hard rock]], [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]], [[shock rock]], [[Glam rock]]
|occupation = Singer-songwriter, actor, DJ
|years_active = 1963–present
|Associated Acts = Alice Cooper band, [[Ozzy Osbourne]], [[Slash (musician)|Slash]]
|label = [[Straight Records|Straight]], [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]], [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]], [[MCA Records|MCA]], [[Epic Records|Epic]], [[Spitfire Records|Spitfire]], [[Eagle Records|Eagle]], [[New West Records|New West]]
|website = {{URL|http://www.alicecooper.com/}}
}}

'''Alice Cooper''' (born '''Vincent Damon Furnier'''; February 4, 1948)<ref name=NMEBio>{{cite web | url=http://www.nme.com/artists/alice-cooper |work=NME | accessdate=January 18, 2009 | title=Alice Cooper Biography | archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20081205235439/http://www.nme.com/artists/alice-cooper| archivedate= December 05 2008 | deadurl= no}}</ref> is an American [[Rock music|rock]] singer, songwriter, and musician whose career spans more than four decades. With a stage show that features [[guillotine]]s, [[electric chair]]s, [[Theatrical blood|fake blood]], [[boa constrictor]]s, and [[doll|baby dolls]], Cooper has drawn equally from [[Horror film|horror movies]], [[vaudeville]], and [[garage rock]] to pioneer a grandly theatrical and violent brand of [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] designed to [[Shock rock|shock]].<ref name="Allmusic_bio">{{cite web | url=http://www.allMusic.com/artist/alice-cooper-p3962/biography | title= All Music: Alice Cooper|accessdate=December 23, 2010| author=[[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]]|publisher=allmusic| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20101110145057/http://allmusic.com/artist/alice-cooper-p3962/biography| archivedate= November 10 2010 | deadurl= no}}</ref>

Originating in [[Detroit]] in the late 1960s, Alice Cooper was originally a band consisting of Furnier on vocals and harmonica, lead guitarist [[Glen Buxton]], [[Michael Owen Bruce|Michael Bruce]] on rhythm guitar, [[Dennis Dunaway]] on bass guitar, and drummer [[Neal Smith (drummer)|Neal Smith]]. The original Alice Cooper band broke into the international music mainstream with the 1971 hit "[[I'm Eighteen]]" from the album ''[[Love It to Death]]'', which was followed by the even bigger single "[[School's Out (song)|School's Out]]" in 1972. The band reached their commercial peak with the 1973 album ''[[Billion Dollar Babies]]''.

Furnier's solo career as Alice Cooper, adopting the band's name as his own name, began with the 1975 [[concept album]] ''[[Welcome to My Nightmare]]''; in 2011 he released ''[[Welcome 2 My Nightmare]]'', his 19th album as a solo artist, and his 26th album in total. Expanding from his Detroit rock roots, in his career Cooper has experimented with a number of musical styles, including [[Concept album|conceptual rock]], [[art rock]], [[hard rock]], [[New Wave music|New Wave]], [[pop rock]], [[experimental rock]] and [[industrial rock]].

Alice Cooper is known for his social and witty persona offstage; ''[[Rolling Stone Album Guide|The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' has called him the world's most "beloved heavy metal entertainer".<ref>{{cite book |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |publisher=Fireside |isbn=0-7432-0169-8}}</ref> Cooper is credited with helping to shape the sound and look of heavy metal, and he is regarded as being the artist who "first introduced horror imagery to rock'n'roll, and whose stagecraft and showmanship have permanently transformed the genre".<ref name="SMH">
{{cite news
| url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/gig-reviews/alice-cooper/2007/07/02/1183229014162.html
| date = July 2, 2007
| title = Gig reviews: Alice Cooper
| author = Guy Blackman
|work=Sydney Morning Herald
| accessdate =August 15, 2008
}}</ref> Away from music, Cooper is a film actor, a golfing celebrity, a restaurateur and, since 2004, a popular [[radio programming|radio]] DJ with his classic rock show ''[[Nights with Alice Cooper]]''.

In 2011 the original Alice Cooper band was inducted into [[The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]].<ref name=HallofFame/>
==Early life==
Cooper was born as Vincent Damon Furnier in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Ella Mae (née McCart) and Ether Moroni Furnier. His father was a [[lay preacher]] in the [[Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)|Church of Jesus Christ]] (also known as the Bickertonite Church) which, historically, is a branch of the [[Latter Day Saint movement]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20063913,00.html |title=The Preacher's Son Who Became Alice Cooper |work=People |date=April 1, 1974 |accessdate=November 24, 2010}}</ref> He has French [[Huguenot]], [[Sioux]] Native American, English, Scottish, and Irish ancestry,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timesLive.co.za/sundaytimes/article54287.ece |title=How golf made shock rocker Alice green and serene |publisher=Times LIVE |date=September 1, 2009 |accessdate=November 24, 2010}}</ref> and was named after one of his uncles (Vincent Collier Furnier) and the writer [[Damon Runyon]].<ref>"The Fabulous Furniers" – chapter one of ''Alice Cooper, Golf Monster: A Rock 'n' Roller's 12 Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict''</ref> His paternal grandfather, Thurman Sylvester Furnier, was an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite). Vincent Furnier was active in his church at the ages of 11 and 12.<ref>Cooper, Alice ''Me: Alice'' (autobiography)</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Famous Mormons Tuesday, December 30, 2003 By Kaimi Wenger |url=http://timesAndSeasons.org/index.php/2003/12/famous-mormons/ |title=Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)—See comment No. 34 |publisher=TimesAndSeasons.org |date=December 30, 2003 |accessdate=August 13, 2011| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20110721212659/http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2003/12/famous-mormons/| archivedate= July 21 2011 | deadurl= no}}</ref>

While growing up in Detroit, Furnier attended Washington Elementary School, then Nankin Mills Jr. High, now [[Lutheran High School Westland]]. Following a series of childhood illnesses, Furnier moved with his family to [[Phoenix, Arizona]], where he attended Cortez High School in north Phoenix.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://rockhall.com/inductees/alice-cooper/bio/ |title=Alice Cooper Biography |publisher=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum |accessdate= April 23, 2012}}</ref> Vincent had gained admission into the [[University of Arizona]], [[University of Colorado]] and [[University of California-Davis]] – he declined all these offers.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}

==Recording career==
===1960s===
In 1964 sixteen year-old Furnier (later rumours suggested he was nineteen) was eager to take part in the local annual [[Letterman (sports)|letterman]]'s talent show, so he gathered fellow [[cross-country running|cross-country]] teammates to form a group for the show.<ref>Cooper describes in detail in his first autobiography, ''[[Me, Alice]]'', how he was tasked to organize an act for the show</ref> They named themselves '''The Earwigs'''. Because they did not know how to play any [[Musical instrument|instruments]] at the time, they dressed up like [[The Beatles]] and mimed their performance to Beatles songs. As a result of winning the talent show and loving the experience of being onstage, the group immediately proceeded to learn how to play instruments they acquired from a local [[pawn shop]]. They soon renamed themselves '''The Spiders''', featuring Furnier on vocals, [[Glen Buxton]] on lead guitar, John Tatum on rhythm guitar, [[Dennis Dunaway]] on bass guitar and John Speer on drums.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}} Musically, the group was inspired by artists such as The Beatles, [[The Rolling Stones]], [[The Who]], [[The Kinks]], [[The Doors]] and [[The Yardbirds]]. For the next year the band performed regularly around the Phoenix area with a huge black spider's web as their backdrop, the group's first stage prop. In 1965 they recorded their first single, "Why Don't You Love Me" (originally performed by The Blackwells), with Furnier learning the harmonica for the song.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}

In 1966 The Spiders graduated from high school, and after [[North High School (Phoenix, Arizona)|North High School]] footballer [[Michael Owen Bruce|Michael Bruce]] replaced John Tatum on rhythm guitar, the band scored a local No. 1 radio hit with "Don't Blow Your Mind," an original composition from their second single release. By 1967 the band had begun to make regular road trips to Los Angeles to play shows. They soon renamed themselves '''The Nazz''' and released the single "Wonder Who's Lovin' Her Now", backed with future Alice Cooper track "Lay Down and Die, Goodbye." At around this time drummer John Speer was replaced by [[Neal Smith (drummer)|Neal Smith]]. By the end of the year the band had relocated to Los Angeles.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}

In 1968 the band learned that [[Todd Rundgren]] also had a band called [[Nazz]], and found themselves in need of another stage name. Furnier also believed that the group needed a [[gimmick]] to succeed, and that other bands were not exploiting the showmanship potential of the stage. He chose the name "'''Alice Cooper'''" largely because it sounded innocuous and wholesome, in humorous contrast to the band's image and music, and eventually adopted this stage name as his own. Cooper later stated that the name change was one of his most important and successful career moves.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/cooper%20name%20change%20was%20the%20best%20decision%20i%20ever%20made_1049224 |title=Alice Cooper's name change |publisher=Contactmusic.com |date=November 7, 2007 |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref>

Nonetheless, at the time Cooper and the band realized that the concept of a male playing the role of a villain, a woman killer, in tattered women's clothing and wearing make-up, would have the potential to cause considerable social [[controversy]] and grab headlines. In 2007 in his book ''[[Alice Cooper, Golf Monster]]'' Cooper stated that his look was inspired in part by film. One of the band's all-time favorite movies was ''[[What Ever Happened to Baby Jane]]'' starring [[Bette Davis]]. "In the movie, Bette wears disgusting caked makeup smeared on her face and underneath her eyes, with deep, dark, black eyeliner." Another movie the band watched over and over was ''[[Barbarella (film)|Barbarella]]''. "When I saw [[Anita Pallenberg]] playing the Great Tyrant in that movie in 1968, wearing long black leather gloves with switchblades coming out of them, I thought, 'That's what Alice should look like.' That, and a little bit of [[Emma Peel]] from ''[[The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]''."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1037257/Its-A-Mans-World-Alice-Cooper.html |title=It's A Man's World: Alice Cooper |work=Daily Mail |date=July 29, 2008 |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref>

The classic Alice Cooper group [[Band (music)|line-up]] consisted of Furnier, lead guitarist Glen Buxton, rhythm guitarist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway and drummer Neal Smith. With the exception of Smith, who graduated from Camelback High School (which is referred to in the song "Alma Mater" on the album ''[[School's Out (album)|School's Out]]''), all of the band members were on the Cortez High School cross-country team, and many of Cooper's stage effects were inspired by their cross-country coach, Emmett Smith<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372260/ The Emmett Smith Story (1979) - IMDb]</ref> (one of Smith's class projects was to build a working [[guillotine]] for slicing watermelons). Cooper, Buxton and Dunaway were also art students, and their admiration for the works of [[surrealist]] artists such as [[Salvador Dalí]] would further inspire their future stage antics.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}

One night after an unsuccessful gig at the Cheetah club in [[Venice, California]], where the band emptied the entire room of patrons after playing just ten minutes, they were approached and enlisted by [[music manager]] Shep Gordon, who ironically saw the band's negative impact that night as a force that could be turned in a more productive direction. Shep then arranged an audition for the band with composer and renowned record producer, [[Frank Zappa]], who was looking to sign bizarre music acts to his new record label, [[Straight Records]]. For the audition Zappa told them to come to his house "at 7 o'clock." The band mistakenly assumed he meant 7 o'clock in the morning. Being woken up by a band willing to play that particular brand of psychedelic rock at seven in the morning impressed Zappa enough to sign them to a three-album deal. Another Zappa-signed act, the all-female [[The GTOs|GTOs]], who liked to "dress the Cooper boys up like full size [[Barbie doll]]s," played a major role in developing the band's early onstage look.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sickthingsuk.co.uk/people/p-christine.php |title=THE Unofficial Alice Cooper Site |publisher=SickthingsUK |date=November 5, 1972 |accessdate=April 8, 2012}}</ref><ref>[[Barry Miles]]'s biography of Frank Zappa includes a vivid description of how the GTO's influenced Cooper to wear makeup and dress in drag onstage</ref>

Cooper's first album ''[[Pretties for You]]'' (released in 1969) had a slight psychedelic feel. Although it touched the US charts for one week at No. 193, it was ultimately a critical and commercial failure.

Alice Cooper's "shock rock" reputation apparently developed almost by accident at first. An unrehearsed stage routine involving Cooper, a feather pillow and a live chicken garnered attention from the press; the band decided to capitalize on the tabloid sensationalism, creating in the process a new subgenre, [[shock rock]]. Cooper claims that the infamous "Chicken Incident" at the [[Toronto Rock and Roll Revival]] concert in September 1969 was an accident. A chicken somehow made its way onto the stage into the feathers of a feather pillow they would open during Cooper's performance, and not having any experience around farm animals, Cooper presumed that, because the chicken had wings, it would be able to fly.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.superseventies.com/ssalicecooper.html |title=''Alice Cooper – In His Own Words'' |publisher=Superseventies.com |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> He picked it up and threw it out over the crowd, expecting it to fly away. The chicken instead plummeted into the first few rows occupied by disabled people in wheelchairs, who reportedly proceeded to tear the bird to pieces.<ref>Cooper confirms this version of events in an interview in ''Alice Cooper: Prime Cuts''</ref>

The next day the incident made the front page of national newspapers, and Zappa phoned Cooper and asked if the story, which reported that he had bitten off the chicken's head and drunk its blood on stage, was true. Cooper denied the rumor, whereupon Zappa told him, "Well, whatever you do, don't tell anyone you didn't do it,"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/marilyn2.htm |title=Marilyn Manson Kills Puppies |publisher=Snopes.com |accessdate=February 29, 2012}}</ref> obviously recognizing that such publicity would be priceless for the band.<ref>Five years later, the Chicken Incident would be parodied in the [[Ray Stevens]] song "The Moonlight Special," with Cooper referred to as ''Agens Stoopa''.</ref>

The band have later claimed that this period was highly influenced by [[Pink Floyd]], and especially the album ''[[The Piper at the Gates of Dawn|Piper at the Gates of Dawn]]''. Glen Buxton said he could listen to Syd Barrett's guitar for hours at a time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hellbound.ca/2011/08/alice-cooper-old-school-1964-1974/ |title=Mentioned on the interview DVD by Alice Cooper and confirmed by the other members |publisher=Hellbound.ca |date=August 10, 2011 |accessdate=February 29, 2012}}</ref>

===1970s===
Despite the publicity from the Chicken Incident, the band's second album, ''[[Easy Action]]'', released in June 1970, met with the same fate as its predecessor. At around this time the band, fed up with Californians' indifference to their act, relocated to Cooper's birthplace, Detroit, where their bizarre stage act was much better received by the crowds of the [[Midwest]] states who were accustomed to the similar hard rock styles of local bands such as [[The Stooges]] and [[The MC5]]. Despite this, Cooper still managed to receive a cream pie in the face when performing at the [[Midsummer Rock|Cincinnati Pop Festival]]. Detroit would remain their steady home base until 1972. "L.A. just didn’t get it," Cooper stated. "They were all on the wrong drug for us. They were on acid and we were basically drinking beer. We fit much more in Detroit than we did anywhere else."<ref name="metrotimes">
{{cite news
| url = http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=5479
| date = October 8, 2003
| title = Alice doesn't live here anymore. But he can't forget the Motor City.
| author = Serene Dominic
| work = [[Metro Times]]
| accessdate =July 15, 2008
}}</ref>

Alice Cooper appeared at the Woodstock-esque, [[Strawberry Fields Festival]] near Toronto, Ontario in August 1970. The band's mix of glam and increasingly violent stage theatrics stood out in stark contrast to the bearded, denim-clad hippie bands of the time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roctober.com/roctober/behindthemusic3.html |title=Behind the Music Episode Guide, Part 3 |publisher=Roctober.com |accessdate=April 8, 2012}}</ref> As Cooper himself stated: "We were into fun, sex, death and money when everybody was into peace and love. We wanted to see what was next. It turned out we were next, and we drove a stake through the heart of the Love Generation".<ref>"The Death Proclamation of Generation X: A Self-Fulfilling Prophesy of Goth, Grunge and Heroin" by Maxim W. Furek. i-Universe, 2008; ISBN 978-0-595-46319-0 (p. 62)</ref>

In autumn 1970 the Alice Cooper group teamed with producer [[Bob Ezrin]] for the recording of their third album ''[[Love It to Death]]''. This was the final album in their Straight Records contract and the band's last chance to create a hit. That first success came with the single "[[I'm Eighteen]]", released in November 1970, which reached number 21 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] in early 1971. Not long after the album's release in January 1971 [[Warner Bros. Records]] purchased Alice Cooper's contract from Straight and re-issued the album, giving the group a higher level of promotion.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}

''Love It to Death'' proved to be their breakthrough album, reaching number 35 on the U.S. [[Billboard 200]] album charts. It would be the first of eleven<ref>[[Bob Ezrin#List of albums produced by Ezrin|See the Alice Cooper entry under ''List of albums produced by Ezrin'' at Ezrin's Wikipedia page]]</ref> Alice Cooper group and solo albums produced by Ezrin, who is widely seen as being instrumental in helping to create and develop the band's definitive sound.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://emusician.com/em_spotlight/bob_ezrin_interview/ |title=Bob Ezrin: I Was A Teenage Record Producer |publisher=Emusician.com |date=October 13, 2011 |accessdate=April 8, 2012}}</ref>

The group's 1971 tour featured a stage show involving mock fights and gothic torture modes being imposed on Cooper climaxing with a staged execution by [[electric chair]], with the band sporting tight, sequined, and color-contrasting [[glam rock]]-style costumes made by prominent rock fashion designer Cindy Dunaway (sister of band member Neal Smith, and wife of band member Dennis Dunaway). Cooper's androgynous stage role had developed to present a [[villain]]ous side, portraying a potential threat to modern society. The success of the band's single and album, and their tour of 1971, which included their first tour of Europe (audience members reportedly included [[Elton John]] and a pre-[[The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars|Ziggy]] [[David Bowie]]), provided enough encouragement for Warner Bros. to offer the band a new multi-album contract.

Their follow-up album ''[[Killer (Alice Cooper album)|Killer]]'', released in late 1971, continued the commercial success of ''Love It to Death'' and included further single success with "[[Under My Wheels]]", "Be My Lover" in early 1972, and "[[Halo of Flies (song)|Halo of Flies]]" which became a Top 10 hit in the Netherlands in 1972. Thematically, ''Killer'' expanded on the villainous side of Cooper's androgynous stage role, with its music becoming the soundtrack to the group's morality-based stage show, which by then featured a [[boa constrictor]] hugging Cooper on-stage, the murderous axe chopping of bloodied baby dolls, and execution by hanging at the [[gallows]]. Back then, the real criticism was aimed at questioning the artists' sexual ambiguity, rather than the stage gore.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}} In January 1972, Cooper was again asked about his peculiar name, and told talk show hostess Dinah Shore that he took the name from a "Mayberry RFD" character.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}

The summer of 1972 saw the release of the single "[[School's Out (song)|School's Out]]". It went Top 10 in the US, was a No. 1 single in the UK, and remains a staple on [[classic rock]] radio to this day. The album ''[[School's Out (album)|School's Out]]'' reached No. 2 on the US charts and sold over a million copies. The band now relocated to their new mansion in [[Greenwich, Connecticut]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sickthingsuk.co.uk/misc/mansion.php |title=THE Unofficial Alice Cooper Site |publisher=SickthingsUK |date=October 13, 1971 |accessdate=April 8, 2012}}</ref> With Cooper's on-stage androgynous persona completely replaced with [[spoiled brat|brattiness]] and [[machismo]], the band solidified their success with subsequent tours in the US and Europe, and won over devoted fans in droves while at the same time horrifying parents and outraging the social establishment.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}} In the United Kingdom, [[Mary Whitehouse]], a well-known campaigner for values of morality and decency, succeeded in having the [[BBC]] ban the video for "School's Out"{{citation needed|date=April 2012}} and Member of Parliament [[Leo Abse]] petitioned Home Secretary [[Reginald Maudling]] to have the group banned altogether from performing in the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alicecooperechive.com/articles/index.php?showmag=beat&showart=730900 |title=Articles |publisher=Alice Cooper eChive |date=October 19, 2001 |accessdate=April 8, 2012}}</ref>

In February 1973 ''[[Billion Dollar Babies]]'' was released worldwide and became the band's most commercially successful album, reaching No. 1 in both the US and UK. "[[Elected (song)|Elected]]", a late-1972 Top 10 UK hit from the album, which inspired one of the first MTV-style story-line promo videos ever made for a song (three years before Queen's promotional video for "[[Bohemian Rhapsody]]"), was followed by two more UK Top 10 singles, "Hello Hooray" and "[[No More Mr. Nice Guy (song)|No More Mr. Nice Guy]]", the latter of which was the last UK single from the album; it reached No. 25 in the US.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}} The title track, featuring guest vocals by [[Donovan]], was also a US hit single. Around this time Glen Buxton left Alice Cooper briefly due to his waning health.

[[File:Alice Cooper group 1973.JPG|thumb|The group in 1973.]]
With a string of successful [[concept album]]s and several hit singles, the band continued their gruelling schedule and toured the US once again. Continued attempts by politicians and pressure groups to ban their shocking act only served to fuel the myth of Alice Cooper further and generate even greater public interest.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}} Their 1973 US tour broke box office records previously set by [[The Rolling Stones]] and raised rock theatrics to new heights; the multi-level stage show by then featured numerous special effects, including Billion Dollar Bills, decapitated baby dolls and mannequins, a dental psychosis scene complete with dancing teeth, and the ultimate execution prop and highlight of the show: the [[guillotine]]. The guillotine and other stage effects were designed for the band by magician [[James Randi]], who appeared on stage during some of the shows as [[executioner]]. The Alice Cooper group had now reached its peak and it was among the most visible and successful acts in the industry. Beneath the surface, however, the repetitive schedule of recording and touring had begun to take its toll on the band, and Cooper, who was under the constant pressure of getting into character for that night's show, was consistently sighted nursing a can of beer.

''[[Muscle of Love]]'', released at the end of 1973, was to be the last studio album from the classic line-up, and marked Alice Cooper's last UK Top 20 single of the 1970s with "Teenage Lament '74". An unsolicited theme song was recorded for the [[James Bond]] movie ''[[The Man with the Golden Gun (film)|The Man with the Golden Gun]]'', but a different song of the same name by [[Lulu (singer)|Lulu]] was chosen instead. By 1974, the ''Muscle of Love'' album had not matched the top-charting success of its predecessor, and the band began to have constant disagreements. For various reasons the band decided to take a hiatus.

During this time Cooper relocated back to Los Angeles and started appearing regularly on TV shows such as ''[[Hollywood Squares]]'', and Warner Bros. released the ''[[Alice Cooper's Greatest Hits]]'' compilation album. It featured classic style artwork and reached the US Top 10, performing better than ''Muscle of Love''. However, the band's 1974 feature film ''[[Good to See You Again, Alice Cooper]]'' (consisting mainly of 1973 concert footage with 'comedic' sketches woven throughout to a faint storyline), released on a minor theatrical run mostly to drive-in theaters, saw little box office success. On March 5, 1974 Cooper appeared on episode 3 of '' [[The Snoop Sisters]]'' playing a satanic cult singer.

In 1975 Alice released his first solo album, ''[[Welcome to My Nightmare]]''. To avoid legal complications over ownership of the group name, Alice Cooper had by then become the singer's new legal name. The success of the solo album marked the final break with the original members of the band with Cooper collaborating with their producer Bob Ezrin, who recruited [[Lou Reed]]'s backing band, including guitarists [[Dick Wagner]] and [[Steve Hunter]], to play on the album. Spearheaded by the US Top 20 hit ballad, "[[Only Women Bleed]]", the album was released by [[Atlantic Records]] in March of that year and became a Top 10 hit for Cooper. It was a concept album that was based on the nightmare of a child named Steven, featuring narration by classic horror movie film star [[Vincent Price]] (who several years after ''Welcome to My Nightmare'' guested on [[Michael Jackson]]'s "[[Thriller (song)|Thriller]]"), and serving as the soundtrack to Cooper's new stage show, which now included more theatrics than ever (including an {{convert|8|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} furry [[Cyclops]] which Cooper decapitates and kills).
[[File:Wild Side Story 1978 West Opening.jpg|thumb|left|Cooper (second from right) laughs at Mae West's words after the opening of her last movie in 1978.]]
By this time, however, [[alcoholic beverage|alcohol]] was clearly affecting Cooper's performances. During the ''Welcome to My Nightmare'' tour in Vancouver, and only a few songs into the routine, Cooper tripped over a foot-light, staggered a few paces, lost his bearings, and plunged head-first off the stage and onto the concrete floor of the [[Pacific Coliseum]]. Some fans, thinking it was all part of the act, reached through the barriers to pull at his blood-matted hair before bouncers could pull him away for help. He was taken to a local hospital, where medical staff stitched his head wound and provided him with a skullcap. Cooper returned to the venue a couple of hours later and tried to perform two more songs, but within minutes he had to call it a night.

Accompanying the album and stage show was the TV special ''The Nightmare'', starring Cooper and [[Vincent Price]], which aired on US prime-time TV in April 1975. ''The Nightmare'' (which was later released on home video in 1983 and gained a Grammy Awards nomination for [[Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video|Best Long Form Music Video]]) was regarded as another groundbreaking moment in rock history. Adding to all that, a concert film, also called ''[[Welcome to My Nightmare (film)|Welcome to My Nightmare]]'' produced, directed and choreographed by the [[West Side Story]] cast member [[David Winters (choreographer)|David Winters]] and filmed live at London's [[Wembley Arena]] in September 1975, was released to theaters in 1976.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075419/fullcredits#cast Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare (1975) - Full cast and crew]</ref><ref>[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935916/ David Winters - IMDb]</ref> Though it failed at the box office, it later became a [[midnight movie]] favorite and a cult classic.

Such was the immense success of Cooper's solo project that he decided to continue alone as a solo artist, and the original band became officially defunct. It was also during this time that Cooper co-founded the legendary drinking club [[The Hollywood Vampires]].

[[File:Alice Cooper 1977.JPG|thumb|180px|Cooper in 1978.]]
Following the 1976 US No. 12 ballad hit "I Never Cry";<ref>{{cite web|url=http://emusician.com/em_spotlight/bob_ezrin_interview/ |title=Bob Ezrin has been directly credited with encouraging Cooper at this time to write ballads such as "Only Women Bleed" and "I Never Cry" |publisher=Emusician.com |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> two albums, ''[[Alice Cooper Goes to Hell]]'' and ''[[Lace and Whiskey]]''; and the 1977 US No. 9 ballad hit "[[You and Me (Alice Cooper song)|You and Me]]", it became clear from many performances during his 1977 US tour that Cooper was in dire need of help with his alcoholism (at his alcoholic peak it was rumored that Cooper was consuming up to two cases of [[Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)|Budweiser]] and a bottle of whiskey a day). Following the tour, Cooper had himself hospitalized in a New York sanitarium for treatment, during which time the live album ''[[The Alice Cooper Show]]'' was released.

In 1978 a [[sobriety|sobered]] Cooper used his experience in the sanitarium as the inspiration for the semi-autobiographical album ''[[From the Inside (Alice Cooper album)|From the Inside]]'', which he co-wrote with [[Bernie Taupin]]. The release spawned another US Top 20 hit "How You Gonna See Me Now", yet another ballad. The subsequent tour's stage show was based inside an asylum, and was filmed for Cooper's first home video release, ''[[The Strange Case of Alice Cooper]]'', in 1979. Around this time, Cooper performed "Welcome to My Nightmare", "You and Me" and "School's Out" on ''[[The Muppet Show]]'' (episode # 307) on March 28, 1978 (he played one of the [[devil]]'s henchmen trying to dupe [[Kermit the Frog]] and [[Gonzo (Muppet)|Gonzo]] into selling their souls). He also appeared in an against-typecasting role as a piano-playing disco bellboy in [[Mae West]]'s final film, ''[[Sextette]]'', and as a villain in the film ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (film)|Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]''. Cooper also led celebrities in raising money to remodel the famous [[Hollywood Sign]] in California. Cooper himself contributed over $27,000 to the project, buying an O in the sign in memory of friend and comedian [[Groucho Marx]].

===1980s===
Cooper's albums from the beginning of the 1980s, ''[[Flush the Fashion]]'', ''[[Special Forces (Alice Cooper album)|Special Forces]]'', ''[[Zipper Catches Skin]]'' and ''[[DaDa]]'', were not as commercially successful as his past releases. ''Flush the Fashion'', produced by [[Queen (band)|Queen]] producer [[Roy Thomas Baker]], had a thick, edgy [[New Wave music|New Wave]] musical sound that baffled even long-time fans, though it still yielded the US Top 40 hit "[[(We're All) Clones]]". The album ''Special Forces'' featured a more aggressive but consistent form of New Wave style, and included a new version of "Generation Landslide". The following album, ''Zipper Catches Skin'' was a more [[power pop]]-oriented recording, with lots of quirky high-energy guitar-driven songs. While those three albums engaged the experimental New Wave sound with energetic results, 1983 marked the return collaboration of producer [[Bob Ezrin]] and guitarist [[Dick Wagner]] with the haunting epic ''DaDa'', the final album in his Warner Bros. contract.

In 1983 after the recording of ''DaDa'', Cooper was re-hospitalized for alcoholism. In a deathly state of health he moved back to [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] to save his marriage from collapse, and so that he could receive the support of family and friends. Cooper was finally clean and sober by the time ''DaDa'' and ''The Nightmare'' home video (of his 1975 TV Special) were released in the fall of that year; however, both releases performed below expectations. Even with ''The Nightmare'' scoring a nomination for 1984's [[Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video]] (he lost to [[Duran Duran]]), it was not enough for Warner Bros. to keep Cooper on their books, so in 1984 Cooper became a "free agent" for the first time in his career.

After over a year on hiatus, during which time he spent being a full-time father, perfecting his golf swing every day on the golf course, and finding time to star in the Spanish [[B-grade]] horror movie production ''[[Monster Dog]]'', Cooper sought to pick up the pieces of his musical career. In 1985 he met and began writing songs with guitarist [[Kane Roberts]]. Cooper was subsequently signed to [[MCA Records]], and appeared as guest vocalist on [[Twisted Sister]]'s song "Be Chrool To Your Scuel". A video was made for the song, featuring Cooper donning his black snake-eyes make-up for the first time since 1979. But any publicity it may have generated toward Cooper's return to the music scene was cut short as the video was promptly [[ban (law)|banned]] because of its graphically gory make-up (by [[Tom Savini]]), and because of the innumerable zombies in the video and their insatiable appetite for gorging on human flesh.

In 1986 Alice Cooper officially returned to the music industry with the album ''[[Constrictor (album)|Constrictor]]''. The album spawned the hits "[[He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)]]" (the theme song for the movie ''[[Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives]]''; in the video of the song Cooper was given a cameo role as a deranged psychiatrist) and the fan favorite "Teenage Frankenstein". The Constrictor album was a catalyst for Cooper to make (for the first time since the 1982 ''Special Forces'' tour) a triumphant return to the road, on a tour appropriately entitled ''The Nightmare Returns''. The Detroit leg of this tour, which took place at the end of October 1986during Halloween, was captured on film as ''[[The Nightmare Returns]]'', and is viewed by some as being the definitive Alice Cooper concert film.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0191773/maindetails Alice Cooper: The Nightmare Returns (Video 1989) - IMDb]</ref> The concert, which received rave reviews in the rock music press,<ref>For example, see the November 13, 1986 issue of Kerrang! music magazine, whose front cover bears the headline 'The Night He Came Home ...Alice Knocks 'Em Dead in Detroit'</ref> was also described by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as bringing "Cooper's violent, twisted onstage fantasies to a new generation". The ''Constrictor'' album was followed by ''[[Raise Your Fist and Yell]]'' in 1987, which had an even rougher sound than its predecessor, as well as the Cooper classic "[[Freedom (Alice Cooper song)|Freedom]]". The subsequent tour of ''Raise Your Fist and Yell'', which was heavily inspired by the slasher horror movies of the time such as the ''[[Friday the 13th (franchise)|Friday the 13th]]'' series and ''[[Nightmare on Elm Street]]'', served up a shocking spectacle similar to its predecessor, and courted the kind of controversy, especially in Europe, that recalled the public outrage caused by Cooper's public performances in America in the early 1970s.

In Britain Labour M.P. [[David Blunkett]] called for the show to be banned, saying "I'm horrified by his behaviour – it goes beyond the bounds of entertainment" (even though Blunkett has been blind from birth).<ref>The Daily Mirror, (U.K.) April 6th, 1988</ref> The controversy spilled over into the German segment of the tour, with the German government actually succeeding in having some of the gorier segments of the performance removed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sickthingsuk.co.uk/timelines/t-ryfay.php |title=THE Unofficial Alice Cooper Site |publisher=SickthingsUK |accessdate=April 8, 2012}}</ref> It was also during the London leg of the tour that Cooper met with a near fatal accident during the hanging execution sequence at the end of the show.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sickthingsuk.co.uk/theatrics/gallows.php |title=THE Unofficial Alice Cooper Site |publisher=SickthingsUK |accessdate=April 8, 2012}}</ref>

''Constrictor'' and ''Raise Your Fist and Yell'' were recorded with lead guitarist [[Kane Roberts]] and bassist [[Kip Winger]], both of whom would leave the band by the end of 1988 (although Kane Roberts played guitar on "Bed of Nails" on 1989's album ''[[Trash (Alice Cooper album)|Trash]]'').

In 1987 Cooper made a brief appearance as a vagrant in the horror movie ''[[Prince of Darkness (1987 movie)|Prince of Darkness]]'', directed by [[John Carpenter]]. His role had no lines and consisted of generally menacing the protagonists before eventually impaling one of them with a bicycle frame. Cooper also appeared at ''[[WrestleMania III]]'', escorting wrestler [[Jake Roberts|Jake 'The Snake' Roberts]] to the ring. After the match was over, Cooper got involved and threw Jake's snake Damien at [[The Honky Tonk Man]]'s manager [[Jimmy Hart]]. Jake considered the involvement of Cooper to be an honor, as he had idolized Cooper in his youth and was still a huge fan.

In 1988, Cooper's contract with MCA Records expired and he signed with [[Epic Records]]. Then in 1989 his career finally experienced a legitimate revival with the [[Desmond Child]] produced and [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]]-nominated album ''[[Trash (Alice Cooper album)|Trash]]'', which spawned a hit single "[[Poison (Alice Cooper song)|Poison]]", which reached No. 2 in the UK and No. 7 in the US, and a worldwide [[concert|arena tour]].

===1990s===
1991 saw the release of Cooper's 19th studio album, ''[[Hey Stoopid]]'', again featuring several of rock music’s glitterati guesting on the record. Released as glam metal's popularity was on the wane, and just before the explosion of grunge, it failed to have the same commercial impact as its predecessor. The same year also saw the release of the video ''Alice Cooper: Prime Cuts'' which chronicled his entire career using in depth interviews with Cooper himself, Bob Ezrin, and Shep Gordon. One critic has noted that ''Prime Cuts'' demonstrates how Cooper had used (in contrast to similar artists who succeeded him) themes of satire and moralisation to such good effect throughout his career.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=3619 |title=Review of ''Prime Cuts'' by Mark Boydell |publisher=Dvdtimes.co.uk |date=April 25, 2002 |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> It was in the ''Prime Cuts'' video that Bob Ezrin delivered his own summation of the Alice Cooper persona: "He is the psycho killer in all of us. He's the axe murderer, he's the spoiled child, he's the abuser, he's the abused; he's the perpetrator, he's the victim, he's the gun slinger, and he's the guy lying dead in the middle of the street".<ref>Shep Gordon interview for ''Prime Cuts''</ref>

By the early 1990s Cooper had become a genuine cultural icon, guesting on records by the most successful bands of the time, such as the [[Guns N' Roses]] album ''[[Use Your Illusion I]]'', on which he shared vocal duties with [[Axl Rose]] on the track "[[The Garden (song)|The Garden]]"; making a brief appearance as the abusive stepfather of [[Freddy Krueger]] in the ''[[Nightmare On Elm Street]]'' film ''[[Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare]]'' (1991).

Cooper made a famous cameo appearance in the 1992 hit comedy film ''[[Wayne's World (film)|Wayne's World]]''. Cooper and his band first appear onstage performing "Feed My Frankenstein" from ''Hey Stoopid''. Afterwards at a backstage party, the movie's main characters Wayne and Garth discover that when offstage Cooper is a calm, articulate intellectual when he and his band discuss the history of [[Milwaukee]] in surprising depth. In a now famous scene, Wayne and Garth respond to an invitation to hang out with Cooper by kneeling and bowing reverently before him while chanting "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!"

In 1994 Cooper released ''[[The Last Temptation (Alice Cooper album)|The Last Temptation]]'', his first concept album since ''DaDa''. The album deals with issues of faith, temptation, alienation and the frustrations of modern life, and has been described as "a young man's struggle to see the truth through the distractions of the 'Sideshow' of the modern world".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Alice_Cooper_The_shock_rock_pioneer_speaks_about_his_Christian_faith/30163/p1/ |title=Darren Hirst article on Cooper, featuring an analysis of ''The Last Temptation'' |publisher=Crossrhythms.co.uk |date=January 3, 2008 |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> Concurrent with the release of ''The Last Temptation'' was a three-part comic book series written by [[Neil Gaiman]], fleshing out the album's story. This was to be Cooper’s last album with Epic Records, and his last studio release for six years, though during this period the live album ''[[A Fistful of Alice]]''<ref>http://home.att.net/~rarebird9/alicecooper.html</ref> was released, and in 1997 he lent his voice to the first track of [[Insane Clown Posse]]'s ''[[The Great Milenko]]''. In 1999, the four-disc box set ''[[The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper]]'' appeared, which contained an authorized biography of Cooper, ''Alcohol and Razor Blades, Poison and Needles: The Glorious Wretched Excess of Alice Cooper, All-American'', written by ''[[Creem]]'' magazine editor [[Jeffrey Morgan]].

During his absence from the recording studio, Cooper toured extensively every year throughout the latter part of the 1990s, including, in 1996, South America, which he had not visited since 1974. Also in 1996, Cooper sang the role of [[Herod Antipas|Herod]] on the London cast recording of the musical ''[[Jesus Christ Superstar (1996 London Cast)|Jesus Christ Superstar]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1142886/a/Jesus+Christ+Superstar.htm |title=Jesus Christ Superstar CD Tracks |publisher=Cduniverse.com |date=March 7, 2000 |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref>

He also made an appearance on an episode of ''[[That 70s Show]]'', at the end of which he and two other (minor) guest characters parody ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''.

===2000s===
[[File:Cooper, Alice (Flickr).jpg|thumb|220px|right|Cooper in 2004 on a film set in L.A.]]
The first decade of the 21st century saw a sustained period of activity from Alice Cooper. In the decade that he turned sixty, he toured extensively and released (after a significant break) a steady stream of studio albums to favorable critical acclaim. During this period Cooper was also recognized and awarded in various ways: he received a Rock Immortal award at the 2007 [[Scream Awards]];<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/news/alice-cooper-spike/071023-03 |title=Cooper joked in an interview regarding the award "Are you sure they don't mean immoral?" |publisher=Tvguide.com |date=October 23, 2007 |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> was given a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in 2003;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3286705.stm |title=article covering the event |publisher=BBC News |date=December 3, 2003 |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> he received (in May 2004) an honorary doctoral degree from [[Grand Canyon University]];<ref>[http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=18238 bpnews.net]</ref> was given (in May 2006) the [[key to the city]] of [[Alice, North Dakota|Alice]], North Dakota;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4771763.stm |title=article on the award |publisher=BBC News |date=May 15, 2006 |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> he won the living legend award at the 2006 Classic Rock Roll of Honour event;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6124434.stm |title=Alice Cooper scoops legend award |publisher=BBC News |date=November 7, 2006 |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> and he won the 2007 ''Mojo'' music magazine Hero Award.

The lengthy break between studio albums ended in 2000 with ''[[Brutal Planet]]'', which was a return to horror-lined heavy metal, with industrial rock, and with subject matter thematically inspired by the brutality of the modern world, set in a [[dystopia]]n post-apocalyptic future, and also inspired by a number of news stories that had recently appeared on the [[CNN]] news channel.<ref name="canoe2000">{{cite web|url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/C/Cooper_Alice/2000/08/29/744188.html |title=CANOE – JAM! Music – Artists – Cooper, Alice : Reality scares Alice |publisher=Jam.canoe.ca |date=August 29, 2000 |accessdate=April 8, 2012}}</ref> The album was produced by Bob Marlett, with longtime Cooper production collaborator [[Bob Ezrin]] returning as executive producer. The accompanying world tour, which included Cooper's first concert in Russia, was a resounding success, introducing Alice Cooper to a new audience and producing the live home video, ''[[Brutally Live]]'', in 2001. During one memorable episode in ''Brutally Live'', [[Britney Spears]] (being played by Alice Cooper's real life daughter, Calico), and representing "everything that my audience hates – the softening of rock and roll...the sweetness of it" is executed by Cooper.

''Brutal Planet'' was succeeded by the sonically similar and widely acclaimed sequel ''[[Dragontown]]'', which saw [[Bob Ezrin]] back at the helm as producer. The album has been described as leading the listener down "a nightmarish path into the mind of rock's original conceptual storyteller"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=2056773 |title=An online review of ''Dragontown'' can be found here |publisher=Cduniverse.com |date=October 9, 2001 |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> and by Cooper himself as being "the worst town on Brutal Planet". Like ''The Last Temptation'', both ''Brutal Planet'' and ''Dragontown'' are albums which explore Cooper's personal faith perspective (born again Christianity). It is often cited in the music media that ''Dragontown'' forms the third chapter in a trilogy begun with ''The Last Temptation'';<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mp3.com/albums/493259/reviews.html |title=Alice Cooper: Dragontown |work=mp3.com |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20110607055026/http://www.mp3.com/albums/493259/reviews.html |archivedate=2011-06-07 |accessdate=April 18, 2012}}</ref> however, Cooper has indicated that this in fact is not the case.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hmmagazine.com/exclusive/alice_cooper_part_2200304/index.php |title=HM – Internet Exclusives |publisher=Hmmagazine.com |accessdate=April 8, 2012}}</ref>

Cooper again adopted a leaner, cleaner sound for his critically acclaimed<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicomh.com/albums/alice-cooper.htm |title=Alice Cooper – The Eyes Of Alice Cooper | album reviews |publisher=musicOMH |accessdate=April 8, 2012}}</ref> 2003 release ''[[The Eyes of Alice Cooper]]''. Recognizing that many contemporary bands were having great success with his former sounds and styles, Cooper worked with a somewhat younger group of road and studio musicians who were very familiar with his oeuvre of old. However, instead of rehashing the old sounds, they updated them, often with surprisingly effective results. The resulting ''Bare Bones'' tour adopted a less-orchestrated performance style that had fewer theatrical flourishes and a greater emphasis on musicality. The success of this tour helped support the growing recognition that the classic Cooper songs were exceptionally clever, tuneful and unique.

Cooper's radio show, ''[[Nights with Alice Cooper]]'', began airing on January 26, 2004 in several US cities. The program showcases classic rock, Cooper's personal stories about his life as a rock icon and interviews with prominent rock artists. The show is broadcast on nearly 100 stations in the US and Canada,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nightswithalicecooper.com/ |title=Nights with Alice Cooper |publisher=Nights with Alice Cooper |accessdate=August 13, 2011| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20110716134403/http://www.nightswithalicecooper.com/| archivedate= July 16 2011 | deadurl= no}}</ref> and has also been broadcast all over the world.

A continuation of the songwriting approach adopted on ''The Eyes of Alice Cooper'' was again adopted by Cooper for his 24th studio album, ''[[Dirty Diamonds]]'', released in 2005. ''Dirty Diamonds'' became Cooper's highest charting album since 1994's ''The Last Temptation''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=40365 |title=Blabbermouth article reporting on Billboard announcement re: the album |publisher=Roadrunnerrecords.com |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> The Dirty Diamonds tour launched in America in August 2005 after several European concerts, including a performance at the [[Montreux Jazz Festival]] in Switzerland on July 12. Cooper and his band, including Kiss drummer [[Eric Singer]], were filmed for a DVD released as ''[[Live at Montreux (Alice Cooper album)|Alice Cooper: Live at Montreux 2005]]''. One critic, in a review of the Montreux release, commented that Cooper was to be applauded for "still mining pretty much the same territory of teenage angst and rebellion" as he had done more than thirty years previously.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/05/21/0908173.php |title=Glen Boyd review of the Montreux DVD |publisher=Blogcritics.org |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref>

In December 2006 the original Alice Cooper band reunited to perform six classic Alice Cooper songs at Cooper's annual charity event in Phoenix, entitled "Christmas Pudding".<ref>Damon Johnson, a guitarist in Cooper's then band, filled in for the deceased Glen Buxton.</ref>

On July 1, 2007 Cooper performed a duet with [[Marilyn Manson]] at the [[BestFest|B'Estival]] event in [[Bucharest, Romania]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Entertainment/2007/06/27/cooper_manson_in_concert_for_first_time/1362/ |title=The event received considerable media coverage; for example, see the United Press International article |publisher=Upi.com |date=June 27, 2007 |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> The performance represented a reconciliation between the two artists; Cooper had previously taken issue with Manson over his overtly anti-Christian on-stage antics and had sarcastically made reference to the originality of Manson's choosing a female name and dressing in women's clothing.<ref name="canoe2000"/> Cooper and Manson have been the subject of an academic paper on the significance of adolescent antiheroes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ap.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/27/1/54 |title=From Alice Cooper to Marilyn Manson |doi=10.1176/appi.ap.27.1.54 |publisher=Ap.psychiatryonline.org |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref>

In January 2008 he was one of the guest singers on the new [[Avantasia]] album ''[[The Scarecrow (album)|The Scarecrow]]'', singing the 7th track, "The Toy Master". In July 2008, after lengthy delays, Cooper released ''[[Along Came a Spider (album)|Along Came a Spider]]'', his 25th studio album. It was Cooper's highest charting album since 1991's ''Hey Stoopid'', reaching No. 53 in the US and No. 31 in the UK. The album, visiting similar territory explored in 1987's ''Raise Your Fist and Yell'', deals with the nefarious antics of a deranged [[serial killer]] named "Spider" who is on a quest to use the limbs of his victims to create a human spider. The album generally received positive reviews from music critics, though ''Rolling Stone'' magazine opined that the music on the record sorely missed Bob Ezrin's production values.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/22028709/review/22575622/along_came_a_spider |title=Alice Cooper Along Came a Spider Rolling Stone album review |work=Rolling Stone |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> The resulting ''Theatre of Death'' tour of the album (during which Cooper is executed on four separate occasions) was described in a long November 2009 article about Cooper in ''The Times'' as "epic" and featuring "enough fake blood to remake ''[[Saving Private Ryan]]''".

===2010s===
In January 2010, it was announced that Alice would be touring with [[Rob Zombie]] on the "Gruesome Twosome" tour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gruesometwosometour.com/ |title=Rob Zombie & Alice Cooper |publisher=The Gruesome Twosome Tour |accessdate=November 24, 2010| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20101123021551/http://gruesometwosometour.com/| archivedate= November 23 2010 | deadurl= no}}</ref> In May 2010, Cooper made an appearance during the beginning of the season finale of the reality-show ''[[American Idol]]'', in which he sang "[[School's Out (song)|School's Out]]".<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rXyG5NXgDg |title=Alice Cooper Appearence At `American Idol` – School´s Out |publisher=YouTube |date=October 31, 2010 |accessdate=April 8, 2012}}</ref>

[[File:Alice Cooper-Live-Wacken 2010.jpg|210px|thumb|left|Alice Cooper performing live at [[Wacken Open Air]] in 2010]]
With his daughter and former band member [[Dick Wagner]], Cooper scored the music for the indie horror flick ''Silas Gore''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Slasher |first=Masked |url=http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/38649/alice-cooper-and-his-daughter-tackle-silas-gore |title=Alice Cooper and his Daughter Tackle Silas Gore |publisher=Dreadcentral.com |date=July 21, 2010 |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref>

During 2010, Cooper began working on a new album, dubbed ''[[Welcome 2 My Nightmare]]'', a sequel to the original ''Welcome to My Nightmare''.<ref name="rm"/> In a Radio Metal interview, he said that "We'll put some of the original people on it and add some new people [...] I'm very happy with working with Bob (Ezrin) again."<ref name="rm">{{cite web | url=http://www.radiometal.com/en/article/alice-cooper-talks-about-his-nightmare,1593 | title=ALICE COOPER TALKS ABOUT HIS NIGHTMARE… | accessdate=February 20, 2011 | date=June 28, 2010 | publisher=Radio Metal|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5weCLHTQc|archivedate=February 20, 2011}}</ref>

On December 15, 2010, it was announced Cooper and his former band would be inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]. The official Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place March 14, 2011 where Cooper was inducted by fellow horror-rocker Rob Zombie. Original members Bruce, Cooper, Dunaway, and Smith all made brief acceptance speeches and performed "I'm Eighteen" and "School's Out" live together, with Steve Hunter filling in for the late Glen Buxton. Alice showed up for the event wearing a (presumably fake) blood-splattered shirt and had a live giant albino boa snake wrapped around his neck.<ref name=HallofFame>{{cite web|url=http://www.soundspike.com/news/article/1239-rock_and_roll_hall_of_fame_news_rock_hall_makes_it_official_alice.html|title=Rock Hall makes it official: Alice Cooper, Neil Diamond among new class|publisher=SoundSpike|date=December 15, 2010 |accessdate=December 17, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=150936|title=ALICE COOPER Band Members Comment On ROCK HALL Induction News – December 15, 2010|publisher=Blabbermouth.net|date=December 15, 2010|accessdate=December 17, 2010}}</ref> Cooper told ''Rolling Stone'' magazine that he was "elated" by the news and that the nomination had been made for the original band, as "We all did go to the same high school together, and we were all on the track team, and it was pretty cool that guys that knew each other before the band ended up going that far".<ref name="Rolling Stone">{{Cite news
| url = http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/alice-cooper-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-inductee-was-elated-when-he-got-the-news-20101214
| date = December 14, 2010
| title = Alice Cooper, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, Was 'Elated' When He Got the News
| author = Andy Greene
|work=Rolling Stone
| accessdate =December 23, 2010
}}</ref>

On March 10, 2011, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Alice Cooper, Jennifer Warnes and others performed at a benefit concert in Tucson, Arizona benefiting The Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding, a foundation that raises awareness about and provides medical prevention and treatment services to people with mental disorders.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jacksonbrowne.com/news/2011/03/07/jackson-browne-and-alice-cooper-organize-all-star-line-march-10-concert-tucson-conve |title=AND ALICE COOPER ORGANIZE ALL-STAR LINE-UP FOR March 10 CONCERT AT TUCSON CONVENTION CENTER |publisher=Jackson Browne |accessdate=July 7, 2011| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20110713072554/http://jacksonbrowne.com/news/2011/03/07/jackson-browne-and-alice-cooper-organize-all-star-line-march-10-concert-tucson-conve| archivedate= July 13 2011 | deadurl= no}}</ref> In June 2011 Cooper took his place in the Reasonably Priced Car at the BBC auto show ''[[Top Gear (2002 TV series)|Top Gear]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.motorward.com/2011/06/top-gear-series-17-episode-1-preview-spoiler-alert/ |title=Top Gear Series 17 Episode 1 Preview [Spoiler Alert] |publisher=Motorward |date=June 24, 2011 |accessdate=July 7, 2011}}</ref>

Cooper supported [[Iron Maiden]] on their [[Maiden England World Tour]] from June to July 21, 2012,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/iron-maiden-announce-us-tour/ | title=Maiden announce US tour | date=February 15, 2012 | accessdate=February 15, 2012 |work=[[Metal Hammer]]}}</ref> and then headlined [[Bloodstock Open Air]] on Sunday August 12th. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bloodstock.uk.com/events/boa-2012/bands/alice-cooper |title=Bloodstock - Band Profile For ALICE COOPER |publisher=Bloodstock.uk.com |date= |accessdate=2012-08-13}}</ref>

==Style and influences==
During an interview for the program ''Entertainment USA'' in 1986 Cooper stunned interviewer [[Jonathan King]] by stating that [[The Yardbirds]] were his favorite band of all time.<ref>Interview aired on Entertainment USA, BBC 2 (U.K.) during either November/December 1986</ref> Perhaps King should not have been so taken aback, as Cooper had as far back as 1969 said that it was music from the mid-sixties, and particularly from British bands [[The Beatles]], [[The Who]], and [[The Rolling Stones]], as well as The Yardbirds, that had the greatest influence on him.<ref name="poppin_int">{{Cite news
| url = http://www.mjq.net/interviews/alice.htm
| date = September 1969
| title = Interview with Alice Cooper
| author = Mike Quigley
| work = [[Poppin (magazine)|Poppin]]
| accessdate =October 23, 2007
| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20071024004544/http://www.mjq.net/interviews/alice.htm| archivedate= October 24 2007 | deadurl= no}}</ref> Cooper would later pay homage to The Who by singing "I'm A Boy" for ''[[A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who]]'' in 1994 at Carnegie Hall in New York, and performing a cover of "[[My Generation]]" on the ''Brutal Planet'' tour of 2000.

During an interview with [[Ozzy Osbourne]] from radio program ''Nights with Alice Cooper'' on May 22, 2007, Cooper again affirmed his debt of gratitude to these bands, and to The Beatles in particular. During their discussion, Cooper and Osbourne bemoaned the often inferior quality of songwriting coming from contemporary rock artists. Cooper stated that in his opinion the cause of the problem was that certain modern bands "had forgotten to listen to The Beatles".

On the 25th anniversary DVD of ''[[Cabaret (film)|Cabaret]]'', [[Liza Minnelli]] stated that Cooper had told her that his whole career was based on the movie ''Cabaret''.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}

Evidence of Cooper's eclectic tastes in classic and contemporary rock music can be seen in the track listings of his radio show; in addition, when he appeared on the [[BBC Radio 2]] program ''Tracks of My Years'' in September 2007, he listed his favorite tracks of all time as being: "[[19th Nervous Breakdown]]" (1966) by The Rolling Stones; "[[Turning Japanese]]" (1980) by [[The Vapors]]; "[[My Sharona]]" (1979) by [[The Knack]]; "[[Beds Are Burning]]" (1987) by [[Midnight Oil]]; "My Generation" (1965) by The Who; "[[Welcome to the Jungle]]" (1987) by Guns N' Roses; "[[Rebel Rebel]]" (1974) by David Bowie; "[[Over Under Sideways Down]]" (1966) by The Yardbirds; "[[Are You Gonna Be My Girl]]" (2003) by [[Jet (band)|Jet]]; and "[[A Hard Day's Night (song)|A Hard Day's Night]]" (1964) by The Beatles,<ref>September 3, 2007 edition of BBC Radio 2 program ''Tracks of My Years'', hosted by [[Ken Bruce]]</ref> and when he appeared on [[Desert Island Discs]] in 2010 he chose the songs "[[Happenings Ten Years Time Ago]]" by The Yardbirds; "[[I Get Around]]" by [[The Beach Boys]]; "[[I'm a Boy]]" by The Who; "Timer" by [[Laura Nyro]]; "[[21st Century Schizoid Man]]" by [[King Crimson]]; "[[Been Caught Stealing]]" by [[Jane's Addiction]]; "Work Song" by [[The Paul Butterfield Blues Band]] and "[[Ballad of a Thin Man]]" by [[Bob Dylan]].<ref name="bbc_desert island discs">{{cite web | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00w1151| title= Desert Island Discs: Alice Cooper |date=November 21, 2010|accessdate=December 13, 2010| author=Kirsty Wark|work=BBC| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20101124181244/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00w1151| archivedate= November 24 2010 | deadurl= no}}</ref>

[[Rob Zombie]], former front man of [[White Zombie (band)|White Zombie]], claims his first "metal moment" was seeing Alice Cooper on [[Don Kirshner's Rock Concert]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Posted 5/22/06 |url=http://www.vh1classic.com/view/playlist/1531879/87125/Heavy_The_Story_of_Metal_Heavy_Q_and_A/First_Metal_Moment_Q_and_A/index.jhtml |title="Metal: As Defined By Gods" from Heavy: The Story of Metal | Show Clip | VH1.com |publisher=Vh1classic.com |accessdate=November 24, 2010}}</ref> Zombie has also claimed to have been heavily influenced by Cooper's costumes.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1037257/Its-A-Mans-World-Alice-Cooper.html |title=It's A Man's World: Alice Cooper | Mail Online |work=Daily Mail |date=July 29, 2008 |accessdate=April 8, 2012}}</ref>

In a 1978 interview with ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', Bob Dylan stated, "I think Alice Cooper is an overlooked songwriter".<ref>Cott, Jonathan (January 26, 1978). [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5940104/the_rolling_stone_interview_part_i/ ''The Rolling Stone Interview'']. Rolling Stone.</ref>

{{Quote box |quoted=true |bgcolor=#FFFFF0 |salign=center |align=right|width=25% |quote=  I know the words to every Alice Cooper song. The fact is, if you can call what I have a musical career, it all started with me miming to I'm Eighteen on a jukebox|source=[[John Lydon]] speaking in 2002
}}
In the foreword to Alice Cooper's CD retrospective box set ''[[The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper]]'', [[John Lydon]] of [[The Sex Pistols]] pronounced ''[[Killer (Alice Cooper album)|Killer]]'' as the greatest rock album of all time, and in 2002 Lydon presented his own tribute program to Cooper on BBC radio. Lydon told the BBC that "I know the words to every Alice Cooper song. The fact is, if you can call what I have a musical career, it all started with me miming to I'm Eighteen on a jukebox".<ref name="bbc_Lydon">{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2346057.stm| title= Former Sex Pistol joins Radio 2|date=October 21, 2002|accessdate=January 13, 2011|work=BBC}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2346057.stm |title=Lydon also admitted in an interview with the BBC that 'I know the lyrics to every single Alice Cooper song' |publisher=BBC News |date=October 21, 2002 |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref>

[[The Flaming Lips]] are longtime Alice Cooper fans and used the bass line from "Levity Ball" (an early song from the 1969 release ''Pretties for You'') for their song "The Ceiling Is Bending". They also covered "Sun Arise" for an Alice Cooper tribute album. (Cooper's version, which closes the album ''Love It to Death'', was itself a cover of a [[Rolf Harris]] song.)

In 1999 Cleopatra Records released ''Humanary Stew: A Tribute to Alice Cooper'' featuring a number of contributions from rock and metal all-star collaborations, including [[Dave Mustaine]], [[Roger Daltrey]], [[Ronnie James Dio]], [[Slash (musician)|Slash]], [[Bruce Dickinson]], and [[Steve Jones (musician)|Steve Jones]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://music.yahoo.com/read/review/14236292 |title=An online review of the album at Yahoo Entertainment can be found here |publisher=Music.yahoo.com |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}{{dead link|date=April 2012}}</ref> The album was notable for the fact that it was possible to assemble a different supergroup for each cover version on the record, which gave an indication of the depth of esteem in which Cooper is held by other eminent musicians within the music industry.

A song by alternative rock group [[They Might Be Giants]] from their 1994 album ''[[John Henry (album)|John Henry]]'' entitled "Why Must I Be Sad?" mentions 13 Cooper songs, and has been described as being "from the perspective of a kid who hears all of his unspoken sadness given voice in the music of Alice Cooper; Alice says everything the kid has been wishing he could say about his alienated, frustrated, teenage world".<ref name="tmbg">{{cite web | url=http://tmbw.net/wiki/Why_Must_I_Be_Sad| title= Why Must I Be Sad?|accessdate=October 21, 2009| work=This Might Be a Wiki – the tmbg knowledge base}}</ref>

Such unlikely non-musician fans of Cooper included [[Groucho Marx]] and [[Mae West]], who both reportedly saw the early shows as a form of vaudeville revue,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s1396692.htm |title=''Enough Rope'' re: Groucho Marx and Mae West |publisher=ABC |location=Australia |date=June 20, 2005 |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> and artist [[Salvador Dalí]], who on attending a show in 1973 described it as being surreal, and made a [[hologram]], ''First Cylindric Chromo-Hologram Portrait of Alice Cooper's Brain''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Olga Mataev |url=http://www.abcgallery.com/D/dali/dali219.html |title=Salvador Dali's Hologram Portrait of Cooper |publisher=Abcgallery.com |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref><ref>A replica of the hologram can be seen at the [[Salvador Dalí Museum, Saint Petersburg|Dalí Museum]] in [[St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg]], Florida. Cooper and original band members Dennis Dunaway and Glen Buxton studied Dalí as art students at Cortez High School in [[Phoenix, Arizona]], and the cover art of Cooper's DaDa album features a slightly altered version of Dalí's painting "Slave Market with Disappearing Bust of Voltaire."</ref>

==Personal life==
Cooper, a huge fan of ''[[The Simpsons]]'', was asked to contribute a storyline for the September 2004 edition of Bongo Comics's ''Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror'', a special ''Monsters of Rock'' issue that also included stories plotted by [[Gene Simmons]], [[Rob Zombie]] and [[Pat Boone]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snpp.com/news/pr10_06_04.html |title=2004 Fox/Bongo Press Release detailing the various storylines, which also remarks on Cooper's notoriously 'wicked sense of humor' |publisher=Snpp.com |accessdate=August 13, 2011| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20110628231657/http://www.snpp.com/news/pr10_06_04.html| archivedate= June 28 2011 | deadurl= no}}</ref> Cooper's story featured Homer Simpson being a [[Jason Voorhees]], Friday the 13th style killer and Alice and the citizens of [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]] are being stalked by Homer.

On June 20, 2005, ahead of his June–July 2005 tour, Cooper had a wide-ranging interview with interviewer of celebrities [[Andrew Denton]] for the Australian ABC Television's ''[[Enough Rope]]''. Cooper discussed various issues during a revealing and frank talk, including the horrors of acute alcoholism and his subsequent cure, being a Christian, and his social and work relationship with his family.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s1396692.htm ''Enough Rope]'' interview transcript, June 20, 2005</ref> During the interview, Cooper remarked "I look at [[Mick Jagger]] and he's on an 18-month tour and he's six [sic] years older than me, so I figure, when he retires, I have six more years. I will not let him beat me when it comes to longevity."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s1396692.htm |title=''Enough Rope''comments Mick Jagger and retirement |publisher=ABC |location=Australia |date=June 20, 2005 |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref>

The actual ownership of the Alice Cooper name is an example of the value of a single copyright or trademark. Since "Alice Cooper" was originally the name of the band, and not the lead singer (cf. [[Uriah Heep (band)|Uriah Heep]], [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]], [[Amy Meredith]], etc.), and it was actually owned by the band as whole, Cooper paid, and continues to pay, a yearly royalty to his original bandmates for the right to use the name commercially.

Cooper is a fan of the [[National Hockey League|NHL]] [[Phoenix Coyotes]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/story/2012/02/20/wdr-alice-cooper-hockey-fan.html|title=Detroit shock rocker Alice Cooper loves hockey|publisher=CBC |location=Canada |accessdate=February 20, 2012|date=February 20, 2012}}</ref> On February 18, 2012 the Coyotes gave away his [[bobblehead]] in a promotion for the first 10,000 fans for a game with the [[Dallas Stars]].<ref>[http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/gametracker/recap/NHL_20120218_DAL@PHO NHL Recap - Dallas Stars at Phoenix Coyotes - Feb 18, 2012 - CBSSports.com]</ref>

===Relationships and family===
In the period when the Alice Cooper group was signed to [[Frank Zappa]]'s Straight label, [[Miss Christine]] of the GTOs became Cooper's girlfriend. Miss Christine (real name: Christine Frka), who had actually recommended Zappa to the group, died on November 5, 1972 of an overdose.<ref>Cooper describes how he fell for Miss Christine in his 1976 autobiography ''Me, Alice''</ref>

Another long-time girlfriend of Cooper's was Cindy Lang, with whom he lived for several years. They separated in 1975. Lang sued Cooper for [[palimony]], and they eventually settled out of court in the early 1980s.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004840/bio IMDb bio]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sickthingsuk.co.uk/musicians/m-alice.php |title=''Sick Things UK'' re: Estrangement from Cindy Lang |publisher=Sickthingsuk.co.uk |accessdate=August 13, 2011| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20110723234406/http://www.sickthingsuk.co.uk/musicians/m-alice.php| archivedate= July 23 2011 | deadurl= no}}</ref>

After his separation from Lang, Cooper was briefly linked with actress [[Raquel Welch]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Melissa Whitworth 12:02 am BST Aug 28, 2007 |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?xml=/portal/2007/08/28/nosplit/ftcooper128.xml |title=Cooper's liaison with Welch is described in a 2007 ''Daily Telegraph'' article |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=August 28, 2007 |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> Cooper then reportedly left Welch, however, to marry, on March 20, 1976, ballerina instructor/choreographer Sheryl Goddard, who performed in the Alice Cooper show from 1975 to 1982. In November 1983, at the height of Cooper's alcoholism, Sheryl filed for divorce, but by mid-1984, she and Cooper had reconciled.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sickthingsuk.co.uk/timelines/t-dada.php |title=''Sick Things UK'' re: Reconciliation of Cooper and Sheryl Goddard |publisher=Sickthingsuk.co.uk |accessdate=August 13, 2011| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20110723235442/http://www.sickthingsuk.co.uk/timelines/t-dada.php| archivedate= July 23 2011 | deadurl= no}}</ref> The couple has remained together since. In a 2002 television interview, Cooper claimed that he had "never cheated" on his wife in all the time they had been together. In the same interview, he also claimed that the secret to a lasting and successful relationship is to continue going out on dates with your partner.<ref>The Johnny Vaughan Show (UK) 2002.</ref> The couple have three children: elder daughter Calico Cooper (born 1981), an actress and singer who has been performing in her father's stage show since 2000; son Dash (b. 1985), a student at [[Arizona State University]], and also plays in a band called Runaway Phoenix; and younger daughter Sonora Rose (b. 1993).

===Drug recovery===
In 1986, [[Megadeth]] was asked to open for Cooper for dates on his US Constrictor tour. After noticing the hardcore [[drug abuse|abuse of alcohol and other drugs]] in the band, Cooper personally approached the band members to try to help them control their abuse, and he has stayed close to front man [[Dave Mustaine]], who considers Cooper to be his "godfather".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl/band_timeline.html |title=The Realms of Deth - Megadeth Timeline |publisher=Megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl |date= |accessdate=16 April 2012}}</ref> Since overcoming his own addiction to alcohol in the mid-1980s, Cooper has continued to help and counsel other rock musicians with addiction problems. "I've made myself very available to friends of mine – they're people who would call me late at night and say, 'Between you and me, I've got a problem.'"<ref>{{cite web|author=Up for Discussion Jump to Forums |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003791560 |title=Cooper quoted in April 18, 2008 billboard.com article |work=Billboard |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref> In recognition of the work he has done in helping other addicts in the recovery process, Cooper received in 2008 the [[Stevie Ray Vaughan]] Award at the fourth annual MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite web|author=Up for Discussion Jump to Forums |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003791560 |title=Alice Cooper Receives MusiCares MAP Fund Award |work=Billboard |accessdate=August 13, 2011}}</ref>

===Religion and politics===
Although he originally tended to shy away from speaking publicly about his religious beliefs, Cooper has in recent years been vocal about his faith as a [[born-again Christian]].<ref name="jesus_journal">{{cite web | url=http://www.jesusjournal.com/content/view/79/85/ | title= Alice Cooper Is A Christian |date=March 28, 2006 |accessdate=September 23, 2009| work=JesusJournal.com| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20091101143609/http://www.jesusjournal.com/content/view/79/85/| archivedate= November 01 2009 | deadurl= no}}</ref>

Throughout his career, Cooper's philosophy regarding politics is that politics should not be mixed with rock music. He has usually kept his political views to himself, and in 2010 said "I am extremely non-political. I go out of my way to be non-political. I'm probably the biggest moderate you know. When [[John Lennon]] and [[Harry Nilsson]] used to argue politics, I was sitting right in the middle of them, and I was the guy who was going 'I don't care.' When my parents would start talking politics, I would go in my room and put on [[The Rolling Stones]] or [[The Who]] on as long as I could to avoid politics. And I still feel that way".<ref name="Rolling Stone"/> On occasion he has spoken out against musicians who promote or opine on politics; for example, in the run-up to the [[U.S. presidential election, 2004|2004 presidential election]], he told the Canadian Press that the then crop of rock stars campaigning for and touring on behalf of [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic]] candidate [[John Kerry]] were committing "treason against rock n' roll". He also added that upon seeing the list of musicians who supported Kerry, "if I wasn't already a [[George W. Bush|Bush]] supporter, I would have immediately switched. [[Linda Ronstadt]]? [[Don Henley]]? Geez, that's a good reason right there to vote for Bush."<ref name="WP_treason">
{{cite news
| url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27098-2004Aug23.html
| date = August 24, 2004
| title = Alice Cooper's Political Makeup
| author = Richard Leiby
|work=The Washington Post
| accessdate =August 15, 2007
}} On Zimbio's list of [http://www.zimbio.com/Famous+Republicans/articles/GiOVZw1djN-/Alice+Cooper "Famous Republicans"] (accessed 2012-05-08), Cooper is a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]].</ref>

===Love of golf===
Cooper has on several occasions credited golf as having played a major role in helping him to overcome his addiction to alcohol,<ref name="contactmusic_golf">{{cite web | url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/coopers%20golf%20addiction_1049258 | title= Alice Cooper – Cooper's Golf Addiction |date=November 7, 2007 |accessdate=September 23, 2008| work=[[Contactmusic.com]]}}</ref> and has even gone as far to say that when he took up golf, it was a case of replacing one addiction with another.<ref name="telegraph_golf">
{{cite news
| url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/11/13/svgadget13.xml
| date = November 13, 2005
| title = Club Class
| author = Alice Cooper
|work=The Daily Telegraph
| accessdate =August 15, 2008
}}</ref><ref name="billboard_golf">{{cite web | url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003581021 | title= Alice Cooper: Saved By The Golf Course? |date=May 27, 2007|accessdate=August 23, 2008| work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref> The importance that the game has had in his life is also reflected in the title to his 2007 autobiography, ''Alice Cooper, Golf Monster''.<ref name="randomhouse_golf">{{cite web | url=http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307394255 | title= Alice Cooper, Golf Monster|date=April 28, 2007|accessdate=August 13, 2008| work=[[Random House]]}}</ref> Cooper, who has participated in a number of [[Pro-Am]] competitions,<ref>Details of the [[Pro-Am]] events Cooper has participated in can be found in ''Alice Cooper, Golf Monster''</ref> plays the game six days a week, off a [[Golf handicap|handicap]] of two.<ref name="bbc_desert island discs"/> Since 1997 he has hosted an annual golf competition, the ''Alice Cooper Celebrity AM Golf Tournament'', all proceeds from which go to his charity, the [[Solid Rock Foundation]]. In 2005 while playing with manager Shep Gordon on The Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Cooper recorded an impressive round of two-over par 74 on the world-class course. Cooper has also appeared in commercials for [[Callaway Golf]] equipment, was a guest of veteran British player and broadcaster [[Peter Alliss]] on ''A Golfer's Travels''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clearwaterimages.biz/series1/series1.html |title=A GOLFER'S TRAVELS - Series 1 |publisher=Clearwaterimages.biz |date= |accessdate=2012-04-16}}</ref> He wrote the foreword to the [[Gary McCord]] book "Ryder Cup" and participated in the second [[All*Star Cup]] in South Wales.<ref name="bbc_golf">{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_east/5289398.stm | title= Stars turn out for celebrity golf |date=August 27, 2006|accessdate=December 23, 2008| author=Nick Dermody|work=BBC| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20090116023007/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_east/5289398.stm| archivedate= January 16 2009 | deadurl= no}}</ref> In an interview with [[VH1]], friend and fellow golfer [[Pat Boone]] said that Cooper was "'this close' to being a pro".

==Discography==
:''See: [[Alice Cooper discography]]''
{{columns-list|2|
* ''[[Pretties for You]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Easy Action]]'' (1970)
* ''[[Love It to Death]]'' (1971)
* ''[[Killer (Alice Cooper album)|Killer]]'' (1971)
* ''[[School's Out (album)|School's Out]]'' (1972)
* ''[[Billion Dollar Babies]]'' (1973)
* ''[[Muscle of Love]]'' (1973)
* ''[[Welcome to My Nightmare]]'' (1975)
* ''[[Alice Cooper Goes to Hell]]'' (1976)
* ''[[Lace and Whiskey]]'' (1977)
* ''[[From the Inside (Alice Cooper album)|From the Inside]]'' (1978)
* ''[[Flush the Fashion]]'' (1980)
* ''[[Special Forces (Alice Cooper album)|Special Forces]]'' (1981)
* ''[[Zipper Catches Skin]]'' (1982)
* ''[[DaDa]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Constrictor (album)|Constrictor]]'' (1986)
* ''[[Raise Your Fist and Yell]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Trash (Alice Cooper album)|Trash]]'' (1989)
* ''[[Hey Stoopid]]'' (1991)
* ''[[The Last Temptation (Alice Cooper album)|The Last Temptation]]'' (1994)
* ''[[Brutal Planet]]'' (2000)
* ''[[Dragontown]]'' (2001)
* ''[[The Eyes of Alice Cooper]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Dirty Diamonds]]'' (2005)
* ''[[Along Came a Spider (album)|Along Came a Spider]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Welcome 2 My Nightmare]]'' (2011)
}}

==Awards and nominations==

[[Grammy Award]]s
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!Nominated work
!Award
!Result
|-
|align=center|[[26th Grammy Awards|1984]]
|Alice Cooper: The Nightmare
|[[Grammy Award for Best Music Video, Long Form|Best Music Video, Long Form]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|align=center|[[39th Grammy Awards|1997]]
|Hands of Death (Burn Baby Burn)
|[[Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance|Best Metal Performance]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|align=center|[[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|2011]]
|Original Alice Cooper Band
|[[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|Inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]
|{{won}}
|}

==Filmography==
:''See: [[Alice Cooper filmography]]''

==List of Alice Cooper band personnel==
;Current
* Alice Cooper – [[lead vocals|vocals]], guitar, harmonica (1963–present) 
* [[Chuck Garric]] – bass guitar, [[backing vocals|vocals]] (2002–present) 
* [[Ryan Roxie]] – guitar, [[backing vocals|vocals]] (1996–2006, 2012-present) 
* [[Tommy Henriksen]] – guitar, [[backing vocals|vocals]] (2011–present) 
* [[Orianthi]] – guitar, [[backing vocals|vocals]] (2011–present) 
* [[Glen Sobel]] – drums, percussion (2011–present) 
* [[Jonathan Mover]] – drums, percussion (2012–present) 

;Past
{{See also|List of Alice Cooper personnel}}

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== References ==
*{{cite book|author=Alice Cooper, Keith Zimmerman|title=Alice Cooper, Golf Monster: A Rock 'n' Roller's 12 Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict|publisher=Crown Publishers|year=2007|isbn=0-307-38265-6}}
*{{cite book|author=Alice Cooper, Steven Gaines|title=Me, Alice: The Autobiography of Alice Cooper|publisher=Putnam|year=1976|isbn=0-399-11535-8}}
*{{cite book|author=Wolfgang Heilemann, Sabine Thomas|title=Alice Cooper: Live on Tour, Studio, Backstage|publisher=Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf|year=2005|isbn=3-89602-651-8}}
*{{cite book|author=[[Michael Owen Bruce|Michael Bruce]], Billy James|
title=No More Mr. Nice Guy: The Inside Story of the Original Alice Cooper Group|publisher=SAF Publishing Ltd|year=2000|isbn=0-946719-32-2}}
*{{cite book|author=[[Bob Greene]]|
title=Billion Dollar Baby|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=1974|isbn=978-0-689-10616-3}}
*{{cite book|author=[[Jeffrey Morgan]]|
title=Alcohol and Razor Blades, Poison and Needles: The Glorious Wretched Excess of Alice Cooper, All-American|publisher=(Reproduced on the [http://www.alicecooper.com/ Alice Cooper official website])|year=1999}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons}}
* {{Official website|http://www.alicecooper.com}}
* [http://www.nightswithalicecooper.com/ Official ''Nights with Alice Cooper'' website]
* [http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/cooper_alice/artist.jhtml Alice Cooper Artist Page @ VH1.com]
* [http://allmusic.com/artist/alice-cooper-p3962 Alice Cooper at Allmusic.com]

{{Alice Cooper}}

{{Persondata
| NAME =Alice Cooper
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH =February 4, 1948
| PLACE OF BIRTH =Detroit, Michigan, United States
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Alice}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:Actors from Michigan]]
[[Category:Alice Cooper| ]]
[[Category:American Christians]]
[[Category:American DJs]]
[[Category:American heavy metal musicians]]
[[Category:American heavy metal singers]]
[[Category:American musicians of French descent]]
[[Category:American musicians of Irish descent]]
[[Category:American people of English descent]]
[[Category:American people of Scottish descent]]
[[Category:American rock musicians]]
[[Category:American rock singers]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records artists]]
[[Category:Bands with fictional stage personas]]
[[Category:Kerrang! Awards winners]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Arizona|Alice Cooper]]
[[Category:Musicians from Arizona]]
[[Category:Musicians from Detroit, Michigan]]
[[Category:People from Wayne County, Michigan]]
[[Category:People from Paradise Valley, Arizona]]
[[Category:People from Phoenix, Arizona]]
[[Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics]]
[[Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees]]

{{Link FA|ru}}

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