I grew up with Alice Cooper's "Greatest Hits" album. I knew of his hits, but little else. But my interest increased years ago when I heard of his conversion to Christianity. I immediately purchased "The Last Temptation" and loved it. I've also followed him regularly with "Brutal Planet," "Dragontown," and "The Eyes of Alice Cooper." One of my oldest posts at this site consists of my reflections on "Brutal Planet."
In this book, Alice writes of how he exchanged his addiction to alcohol for an addiction to golfing. His unique style of theater rock and his commitment to golf has opened the door for many unusual relationships. He writes of his relationships with diverse personalities from Groucho Marx and Bob Hope to the Beatles (and many, many others inbetween).
In 1983, Alice became a Christian. His wife, Sheryl, is a preacher's kid and his own father was a preacher. While working with a Christian marital counselor following a near collapse of his marriage, he came to faith. Thank God that his pastor encouraged him to remain in music, rather than give it up. His pastor told him that God had not made a mistake in his successful career. He said, "What speaks louder? You preaching the word? Or is it your lifestyle that communicates with people? You're in the world of rock 'n' roll, booze, and sex. Yet you're the guy who never cheats on his wife, who doesn't go to strip bars with the boys, and doesn't get high. Your band sees you reading the Bible at night on the bus. What speaks louder than that? I don't see any reason why you should quit being Alice Cooper" (197).
By playing the character of Alice Cooper on stage, Alice is able "to take shots at the absurdity of the world" through his music (206). I love Alice! For more on Cooper's unique perspective, check out my Truth in Strange Places.
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