Very informative post. Thanks for taking the time to share your view with us
With their upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Alice Cooper, is acknowledged as one of the most influential bands in rock history. At inception forty years ago, the group shocked the world so fundamentally that it seems to have taken a preternaturally long time for their incredible talent to be recognized.
In 1970, Alice Cooper flipped hippie ideals on their head and astonished the world, "driving a stake through the heart of the Love Generation," as the group's namesake put it.
It's arguable that without Alice Cooper, there might never have been KISS, Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, Motley Crue, Slipknot or Rob Zombie... maybe not even David Bowie, or at least not Ziggy Stardust. Heavy Metal took the imagery, punk took the tunes, rock and pop took the showmanship and fans the world over fell in love with the macabre sense of humor. Amazingly, those fans have included legends as diverse as Peter Sellers, Groucho Marx, Salvador Dali and Bob Dylan who proclaimed Alice as an "overlooked songwriter."
These days, artists as diverse as Metallica and Lady GaGa proclaim Alice Cooper's enduring influence on them.
True originals, Alice Cooper invented the concept of the rock concert as theatre with truly trailblazing stagecraft and showmanship in the early 1970's, with Alice himself continuing as a solo artist since 1975, remaining one of rock's global megastars with well over 50 million record sales to prove it.
The surviving band members (guitarist Glen Buxton died in 1997) upon hearing the induction news provided the following comments:
"This proves that Glen, Neal, Alice, Michael and I (and all of our fans) weren't so crazy after all. I'm absolutely thrilled because, let's face it, this great honor is about as good as it gets." Dennis Dunaway
"Sometimes, as we were blazing a new theatrical trail in rock, there were moments in the career of our band that overwhelmingly exceeded even our monstrous expectations. Being inducted into "The Rockn' Roll Hall Of Fame, Class Of 2011,"with my four best friends Michael, the late Glen Buxton, Alice and Dennis, is one of those incredible moments for our one-of-a-kind rock band." Neal Smith
"Take one part Yardbirds, one part West Side Story, starring Bela Lugosi and Bette Davis, and you have Hellzapoppin! and then POOF !! -- and you have Alice Cooper. Now if you can digest that, and the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame can digest that, we will happily be the Hall's arch villains. We are grateful from the bottom of our black little hearts." Alice Cooper
"The band that couldn't shoot straight strikes again, from having all our hits to being in so many Top 100 all-time polls -- be careful what you wish for because with hard work and perseverance and a good group of people like Neal, Dennis, Alice and Glen, you just might get it. It's just a shame that Glen couldn't be here with us to share in it, but we do also share this with (producer) Bob Ezrin and (manager) Shep Gordon, without whom..." Michael Bruce
Very informative post. Thanks for taking the time to share your view with us
You Guys are greater than the Rock-n-Roll Hall of fame- You Should have been inducted way before Glen Died.
-When your a Jet, your a Jet all the way..
From your first cigarette, to your last dyin day...
Was into you guys from the start of Love it to death back in '71
congrats Guys
I am so happy for the Alice Cooper Band past and present. They were awesome and the newer version is still a rocking! And my Mom hated them???!!!! LOL Which I just ignored her rants "he or it is terrible!!" But we all know they were tongue in cheek. Hope .... you don't ferget me or nothing Alice. I golfed with ya all day in 97 and that was my best day ever! See http://www.speeddemons.com/Alice-Cooper/Alice-Cooper-Golfing.asp
I still am a big fan NOW i gotta go to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame!
My daughter who at only ... only 4 years oooooooOOld did a video acting as you see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yBVcU_lbsw
way to go.Ive had the pleasure of seeing the Alice Cooper band new years eve muscle of love tour and then welcome to my nightmare tours in buffalo.Been a hudge fan since prettys for you.R.I.P Glen Buxton. Dennis has been a very heavy influence on my bass playing! Congrats guys P.S check out buffalo band DoDriver!
Congratulations! Alice Cooper (band and solo artist) has always been ahead of his/their time. It's just a shame that it took the Hall of Fame so long to catch up.
Nobody deserves it more!
I was born in August 1973, the morning after my parents were at a Three Dog Night show. After I was born my dad went out and bought 2 albums, for my mom he got Hard Labor by TGN and for me I got Billion Dollar Babies.
I would love to see the TV special The Nightmare on DVD and would like to see some more Alice Cooper on the game Rock Band.
So long overdue. I have listened to Alice since I was in 7th grade. I am now 51. While everyone else listened to Donny Osmond and David Cassidy I listened to Alice and Bowie. I played Billion Dollar Babies album so many times I wore it out. Just the other day I was shopping saw I saw Love it to Death and picked it up. The young cashier looked at it and said Alice Cooper who is he? My reply was a 10 minute history of Alice Cooper. Then he said was there another cd he would like to have one. So Alice will keep living on through another generation like this young man and my daughter (16). As well he should. Alice Cooper invented the stage SHOW!!! So many have tried to do the same but to me they could not hold a candle to Alice!!!
What happened why wasn't Dick Wagoner he was a big part of Alice. He was part of the group for many years.He also cowrote one of Alices biggest hits ONLY WOMEN BLEED.I think he shpould have been inducted to.
Thanks Paul
Congrats guys. You deserve it. I first saw this band way back in the late '60s at a local Phx club called the VIP. They were called "The Spiders" and performed dressed in all black with a clothes line spider web hung from the roof in front of the stage. Later they also painted their equipment with day-glo paints and had strobe lights and black lights on them while they played. They had this home made large wooden wheel turning behind them on stage powered by a guy with the mechanism from a bicycle and it was also painted in day-glo colors. Even back then they were expanding the ideas of stage effects and live performances to another level. They were the most popular band in Phx then and knew they had more worlds to expose to their incredible combination of music and performances. Great job guys and my best wishes to you all.
The Alice Cooper Group is the best Rock Band ever.
I will be getting the deluxe
box set soon, its been about time......30 yrs. ago!
Alice in th Hall???? ALRIGHT, THAT DOES IT....NO MORE MR. NICE GUY.....HE'S SICK... HE'S OBSENE......
I knew this would happen back in '74! Way to go ya sickos!
Alice, Ur Takin' my Baby Brother all the way!!!! .....Right on Man!!!!
In 1971 my older brother brought home the Love It To Death album, been a fan ever since, I remember standing in a store with my brother while we waited for some employee to show up so he could buy the Schools Out 8-track (remember them!), my mother refused to buy me the Killers album because it had a snake on the cover (gave me the money to buy it myself), my entire family watched the first episode of In Concert because I had to see Alice. Own every album, yes even Pretties for You & Easy Action, just love Levity Ball, favorite all time song is Blue Turk, love Dennis's bass lines on that song (& every song!). Just bought & listened/watched Theatre of Death, GREAT DVD. Live in Tucson now & watched his movie hosting & listen to his DJ'ing on the radio, wish I could get the In Concert concert on DVD so I could see the original band, guess I'll just have to be happy having with "Nice to see You Again Alice Cooper". Congrats on making the Hall of Fame!, KEEP ROCKIN'
Great news, and Congratulations !
My first concert was seeing you in Cincinnati in well 1970 something, my best friend and I snuck off with her brother and other friends to see your show, such a GREAT time!
I smile every time I think about it. What a SHOW ! I shall treasure that memory forever thank you !
It's about time. This was like making Michelangelo wait 25 years to be inducted into the Painters Hall of Fame.
You know the first time my wife and I ever saw Alice was when he opened up at the Olympia in Detroit. He was the opening act followed by Lighthouse from Canada with the headliner being Steppenwolf. Boy did they ever get the lineup wrong!! This was 1970. Since then we must have seen him 30 times. You're never ever too old to rock n Roll!!
Dennis
I grew up in starlight park/west phoenix back in the early 70s.So congradulations HOMIES!!!!!Been an Alice fan for damn near40 years now!Way to go boys!!!I crossed the ocean where no one could see!!And I put a time bomb in youoooorrr submarine!!!See ya at coopertown boys!!
Respect to ALICE COOPER Those sunrise EYES and a sick cynical horrible taste. Welcome to the nightmare of a shooting star who nearly loved himself to death. He looked really rough before rehab... He went to Hell then he came from behind the iron mask with poison, raising his fist to yell as he steps on you... hey stoopid it's time to kill, here comes Steven !!
The Coop has seen me through dark days and out (from) the other side too. His records, first editions, bootlegs and promo's, they cost me an arm and a leg to acquire, but hey that's record collecting :)
I last saw Alice in 2007 at the Brighton Centre c/w Motörhead & Joan Jett: STILL upsetting people with his sick antics :) His good old repertoire still unchanged... The last album was Along came a Spider still kicks although I couldn't find it on vinyl :(
Congratulations Alice Cooper on reaching the hall of fame, like weren't you already in there years ago ??
When I was growing up I was poor and couldn't afford to go to concerts.I would grab my album cover,listen to the record player,and stare at my Alice Cooper poster.My favorite album is From The Inside and my favorite poster is of Alice hung on stage.Years later I got a job and saw Alice at Cobo Hall in Detroit and I loved it.I've seen him many times after but have not seen him get hung on stage.Like Kissology, I would love to see a Cooperology dvd.Like everyone has said this induction is long over due.Congrats from your Canadian friend in Windsor.
Al
My interest in Alice started when I heard about the chicken incident at the Live Peace Toronto concert in 1969. Then 18 came on the airwaves and my older brother brought home the Love It To Death album when I was 11 in 1971 after he saw them play a concert at the St. Catharines,Ontario arena. Those eyes still creep me out when I open the gatefold album. I had Alice's hanging calendar on my wall when the Killer album came out. Ran to the record store to buy Schools Out (remember those places!!!). Same with Billion Dollar Babies, Muscle Of Love, Welcome To My Nightmare, Have collected most if not all albums now. Went to see the Nightmare movie at a local theatre in Welland and loved it. Still do!!! Tried to see him in 1980 at the CNE Grandstand in Toronto of which Alice was abent, riot broke out. That darn announcer started it all when came out and said with a foreign accent "Alice is not coming out, everybody go home!!!" Then all hell broke lose with a reported over $100,000 damage done to the stadium and many arrests, Kept my ticket stub though, did not want my money back. Finally saw Alice for the first time later in the late 80's and most every tour since then. Loved every show!!! Return to the Nightmare, Dirty Diamonds, Heaven and Hell Tour plus last year with Rob Zombie. Alice rocked!!! Going to see him on his next tour in Hamilton in May with my WNY family and my brother and his family who live in Hamilton. I hope he comes to Buffalo again too!!!Long Live Alice Cooper!!! Congratulations on the induction!! As a member of the hall of fame since it opened and having visited it every year, it's about friggin time!!! I hope to see more Alice stuff at the museum. Bring out the guillotine prop again for all to see. Too bad Alice closed his restaurant in Cleveland. The food was great, so was the atmosphere, took many pictures inside and out. So happy to know the remaining original band members along with Steve Hunter will perform together again at the ceremony!!!!!!!!!!!!! Telephone is ringing!!! Got me on the run!!!
Typically, I think the HOF is a bunch of BS. But, you're my all-time favorite band and I'm thrilled for you. There goes the neighborhood!
It's about time!! I have been a Alice fan since I was 12 years old ( back in 1979) Without Alice there would be no KISS, Rob Zombie or many other bands. ROCK ON ALICE!!!!!! Come to Wisconsin again soon!!!!!!!!!!!
About damn time the R&RHOF acknowledged a legitimate American Rock and Roll act!
I'm so excited! Been a fan since 1971 with "Love It To Death". The Alice Cooper band deserved this honor from the start!
Congrats, Been a fan since 1973 love ya Alice.
It's about time the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recognized the brilliant song writing of the original Alice Cooper group. Congratulations guys, nobody deserves it more then you!
Magnificos, hace más de treinta años que le sigo y nunca me defráuda. Alice Cooper es mi idolo.
Congrats..!!!!! It's been along time coming..!!!!!!
I love it to death!
Remember the Coop
The Rock Hall can at last claim some element of credibility. Congratulations to the Rock Hall for Alice Cooper being gracious enough not to mention years of snubs. He's a class act.
Its about time. Been an Alice fan since I was 15 yrs. old 1973.
Now an old rocker I still love a good Copper show. Saw you in Dallas a year ago still a great performer. I will be forever yours, Long live Alice....
about time as well!!
So thrilled for all of you!!! I will be in New York next weekend.....darn the luck....wish you were playing at the Waldorf then instead of tomarrow, but have a great show! It is so well deserved! LOVE you Alice!
Its about time you are inducted into the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame. I have been a fan from the very start. I'm just sorry I won't be able to come see you at the Horse Shoe in Indiana. Best wishes for a great future! Keep on rockin......