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Alice Cooper
Now that the band had a reputation and some press, they went in to record another album. In 1971, they released "Love It To Death". The single "I'm Eighteen" was a hit. A new generation of fans thirsting for something new jumped on the Alice Cooper bandwagon. With their momentum, the band released "School's Out" the next summer.
The album went to number 2 on the charts and sold over a million copies. The single with the same name was a top 10 hit in the US and a number one in the UK.
Continuing with that success, the band released "Billion Dollar Babies" in 1973. The album went to number one in the US and in the UK. It featured the single "No More Mr. Nice Guy", one of their most popular songs. The band now had the freedom to play anywhere in the world and played many sold out shows.
With the most shocking move yet, Alice Cooper split up as a band. Vincent had already changed his own name to Alice Cooper to continue the legacy. He went on as a solo artist and released "Welcome to my Nightmare" in 1975. He was backed by Lou Reed's band, and the album was another top 10 success. The album placed Cooper in more of a mainstream genre this time around. It seemed as if he was changing with his new band to appeal to a wider audience even.
However, the change was short lived. Alice Cooper released three unsuccessful albums before 1977. That same year, he was hospitalized for alcoholism. Cooper came out of the hospital a changed man before he released "From the Inside". It wasn't until 1989 that Cooper's sales were high again. His best selling album "Trash" featured the singles "Poison", "Bed of Nails", and "House of Fire". Before this surge, he had put out six additional records, changed bands again, and led celebrities in an effort to remodel the famous "Hollywood" sign in California. These days Cooper is most likely to be seen golfing or at his club "Cooperstown" in Arizona.
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Artist Biography - Alice Cooper
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 Vincent Damon Furnier was born in Detroit Michigan on February 4th, 1948. Vincent was drawn to music early on, and one of his largest influences was The Beatles. When he was old enough to form his own band, he played around with many different names. Some of his former bands included the Earwigs, The Spiders, and The Nazz. However, Vincent learned that Todd Rundgren already had a band called the Nazz, so he decided to change the name to Alice Cooper. Vincent believed that he was the reincarnation of a witch named Alice Cooper. Upon settling on a name, the band packed up and headed for California. The members of the band, which were Vincent, guitarists Mike Bruce and Glen Buxton, bassist Dennis Dunaway, and drummer Neal Smith, chose a manager by the name of Shep Gordon. With Shep's assistance, the band was soon signed to Frank Zappa's record label, Straight Records. They quickly released two albums titled "Pretties For You" and "Easy Action". The names of these albums raised the eyebrows of the general public and critics.
Realizing that the band generated more publicity by pushing society's buttons, Vincent and Alice Cooper incorporated outlandish theatrics in their performances. The band became known for their outrageous stage shows, which used make up, electric chairs, guillotines, fake blood, snakes, and just about anything else you can imagine to shock their audience. The press labeled the band and told horror stories of their live performances. The name of their entertaining concerts and music was created… and it was called "Shock Rock".
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For more information , enjoy the official homepage of Alice Cooper
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