Jan. 31, 2022

As Alice Cooper launches 2022 tour in Ohio, he divulges Detroit and Cincinnati stories and reflects on genre-bending collabs

via WOUB

2022 marks 50 years since the unleashing of “School’s Out,” the penultimate anthem for celebrating the end of the school year and diving headfirst into summer.

Half a century later, fans can still hear that anthem’s lead proclaimer – Alice Cooper – belt it out in concert. And he will kick off the new “School’s Out” year in Ohio this weekend, across two cities!

Alice Cooper performs at the Andrew J. Brady Music Center in Cincinnati on Friday, January 28; and then the Stranahan Theater in Toledo on Saturday, January 29.

In addition, Alice Cooper has a new album out — entitled “Detroit Stories.” The record pays homage to the city of Detroit, where Cooper was born as Vince Fournier in 1948. Not only is Detroit where Alice Cooper began life on Earth; it’s also where Alice Cooper, the rock band, took off after they relocated from a faltering premiere in Los Angeles.

“Detroit Stories” was produced by Bob Ezrin, who also produced “School’s Out” in 1972. Alice Cooper was actually Ezrin’s big break; his string of smash successes with Cooper quickly catapulted Ezrin to become one of rock’s most blockbuster producers, such as “The Wall” by Pink Floyd — one of the largest selling albums in history.

In fact, the idea of having school kids sing the unforgettable “we don’t need no education” refrain on “Another Brick In the Wall,” came from Ezrin — a compelling testament to how Alice Cooper is one of the greatest rock ’n’ roll influencers in history.

WOUB’s Ian Saint had the chance to speak with Alice Cooper shortly before his 2022 tour kicks off in Ohio. They discussed a plethora of astonishing Alice anecdotes in Ohio; why Alice Cooper was confounding to Californians in the late ’60s, but cheered in Motor City; when Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane refused to perform unless Alice Cooper was allowed to perform on the west coast; and much more.