On stage, Alice Cooper is among the most recognizable faces of shock rock, but off stage he talks about his Sunday church visits, reading the Bible and his return to the Christian faith. The 78-year-old musician presented his autobiography “Devil on My Shoulder“ to fans in the British city of Wolverhampton.
The meeting also includes a question and answer session and is part of a tour in the UK dedicated to the book. In it, Alice Cooper talks about her career, which lasted nearly six decades, about the years of addictions and about the man behind the stage makeup and provocative performances.
„I was like the prodigal son“
„My life is quite unusual, because I was like the prodigal son. I grew up in the bosom of the Christian church, I distanced myself from it as much as possible, and then I returned“, says the musician.
Alice Cooper points out that he attends church every Sunday and sometimes leads Bible readings. This part of his life contrasts with the image he has been building for the public since the beginning of his career.
Two images of one person
The artist is known as the “godfather of shock rock“, and among his most popular songs are “School's Out“, “Poison“ and “I'm Eighteen“. In his autobiography, he explores the difference between his on-stage persona and his off-stage persona.
“Alice, the character I play on stage, is the complete opposite of who I am,“ says Cooper, whose real name is Vincent DamonFournier. He compares the relationship between the two to that of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
The book traces the ups and downs of his career, as well as the periods when alcohol and drugs took center stage in his life. According to the musician, cocaine use has turned him into a different person and everything has become completely focused on the drug.
“We all learned from the people who died at the age of 27 - we realized that this lifestyle does not lead to anything good“, he points out. Alice Cooper adds that today's young people face greater dangers related to drugs than previous generations.
Cooper is also the founder of the organization Solid Rock, which offers free after-school classes in music, dance and other arts. According to him, such support is especially important for children because of the increasingly dangerous environment outside the home.
In “Devil on My Shoulder“ the musician collects stories of fame, addictions, faith and the creation of the stage image that made the name Alice Cooper one of the most recognizable in rock music.