On This Date, October 19th, in 1997: Glen Buxton, guitarist for the original band called Alice Cooper died of complications from pneumonia in Mason City, IA. He was 49 years old. Glen played guitar on all of the original band albums including Love It To Death, Killer, School’s Out, Billion Dollar Babies and Muscle of Love. In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked Buxton number 90 on its list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. RIP Glen!
Kinda lost interest after Glen. it was the end of an era. Glad I was there to catch it.
Glen was a genuine lover of life itself. His ability to create music was effortless to say the least. I was so very fortunate to have been bandmates with GB. I truly enjoyed listening to the many stories he would tell, as much as I did rehearsing for the next show. I will always remember the compliment he gave me after running through Schools Out for the 1st time; he looked at me and said ‘you played that just like Neal did.’I had no idea he was even paying attention to how I was playing. Like I stated before, ‘effortless.’
Glen’s name lives large yet today among legendary rock guitarists who thank him for their inspiration to want to succeed in music. Those 5 young men set new standards for which all others have strived to become, the originators of ‘Glam Rock’ and all are class acts, yet sincerely humble when asked about the past. My only wish is that Glen could have mortally made the induction stage he so deserved. R.I.P. GB your legacy lives on, your talent still encourages dreams.
So glad I got to see you on the B$B tour. Gone but never forgotten. RIP my friend. You are truly missed.
Glen played on all the great (best) coop records/songs. RIP my friend and hope all’s well on your journey…
I always loved Glen’s sideburns. His guitar playing ripped. I was very saddened to hear of his passing, especially since I never heard him play. I miss the original Alice Cooper band.
RIP GB. And thank you Gail for all your support for our ACG boys.
GB will always be alive in my mind. I’ll always listen to Alice Cooper.
I saw them several times with Glen…the original lineup!
No one made the guitar howl and scream like Glen. A massively important element of the original Alice Cooper sound and sounded like a real character. RIP GB.
Great talent. He left us too soon. I remember one night after a high school reunion about twenty years ago having a long discussion about Glen’s talents with a friend of mine who played guitar in a local band while we were in high school back in the mid 1970s.
I loved Glenn and was devastated to hear of his passing. Was always hoping for a reunion of Real Alice Cooper Group. Will always regret missing Billion Dollar Babies tour.
Many a day and night practicing your guitar licks! Thanks to you, I became the player I am today! Keep Rockin’ Glen, you are sorely missed over here!
Never saw the original Alice Cooper band but all the albums from the original band are true pieces of rock history from Pretties For You to Muscle of Love and Glen’s guitar playing was always amazing.
My younger brother and I were really lucky to see the original Alice Cooper group when they opened for a band called Bloodrock in the early seventies. Love It To Death had just been released.
Never met Glen, but did attend the last two Memorial Weekends, in Hollywood and Cleveland. I had the great pleasure in meeting Glen’s parents, and established a great friendship with sister Janice.
I would love another get together in memory of the great man.
There would be No Alice Cooper without Glen Buxton. His riffs and screaming guitar lines made the Cooper band unique. I watched an interview with him where he pointed to a picture of Jesus Christ and said “My Main Man” So glad he was a Christian, I will see him in Heaven
Glen Buxton was like having a big brother! Hell, I had only sisters but they turned me onto The Alice Cooper Band, I looked at the entire band as family (Big Brothers) and I figured we had to be related! I’m a $mith just like Neal!!! Love it & them to death! forever glen!
Dec. 07 1970 I saw the AC group at Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale, Virginia. The Show took place in the campus cafeteria. This just before “18” broke in the DC area. I was 16 and it was my first and best concert. After the show, as I left, Glen was at a vending machine in the cafeteria getting a soda and some guy was talking to him about Miles Davis. Amazing experience.