Alice Cooper, born Vincent Damon Furnier in 1948, revolutionized rock music by transforming it into theatrical spectacle, pioneering the subgenre of shock rock in the late 1960s and early 1970s. As the frontman of the Alice Cooper band - initially a group effort before he adopted the name solo - his live shows featured guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood, and boa constrictors, blending garage rock riffs with vaudeville horror to provoke and entertain. Hits like "School's Out," "No More Mr. Nice Guy," and "Poison" captured teenage rebellion and adult angst with sharp wit and melodic hooks, influencing generations from Kiss to Marilyn Manson. Beyond the macabre persona, Cooper's music often carried a satirical edge, critiquing societal norms while delivering arena-ready anthems that cemented his status as a hard rock icon.
His career spans over five decades, marked by commercial peaks in the 1970s, a wilderness period of addiction in the 1980s, and a resilient comeback with albums like Trash (1989). Cooper's influence extends to film (appearing in Wayne's World), radio hosting, and even golf - he's an avid player with a handicap in the single digits. Interestingly, he was born in Detroit but raised in Phoenix; he once ran for governor of Arizona as a joke; he's a devout Christian who attends church regularly despite his onstage devilry; and he owns a sports bar in Phoenix called Cooper's town, where memorabilia from his career shares space with baseball artifacts.