Alice Cooper was a Band: Michael Bruce, Neal Smith, Vince Furnier, Dennis Dunaway and Glen Buxton
Yeah, I know the nominations were announced yesterday, but when I heard that Alice Cooper had been nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame after being snubbed for the past seventeen years, I wanted to make sure I had the story straight as to whether this was a nomination for the band, or just the individual. Because if Alice Cooper the solo artist was nominated before the band that made it possible for him to even have a solo career, I would seriously never, ever stop throwing up. I talked to my friend Neal Smith first thing this morning and he assured me that the nomination is for the band, to which I can only say, it’s about fucking time. The original band called Alice Cooper includes Neal (drums), Dennis Dunaway (bass), Michael Bruce (guitar) and late guitarist Glen Buxton, as well as vocalist Vince Furnier, who changed his name legally to Alice Cooper when the band broke up in 1974.
Here’s the official blurb from Rock Hall Dot Com:
“Before there was Ozzy Osbourne, Marilyn Manson or KISS, there was Alice Cooper, the original self-proclaimed “rock villain.” Born Vincent Furnier, Cooper and his mighty band of the same name – lead guitarist Glen Buxton, rhythm guitarist Michael Bruce, bass player Dennis Dunaway and drummer Neal Smith – pioneered the dark spectacle of heavy metal with their huge blues-rock sound and extravagant stage show. Drawing from horror movies and vaudeville, Cooper brought a new level of visual theatrics to arenas with guillotines, electric chairs, boa constrictors and fake blood; their 1973 tour broke box-office records previously held by the Rolling Stones, and raised the bar for major rock tours. What made it stick were some of the catchiest, most reckless hard-rock songs of all time: “Eighteen,” “School’s Out,” “No More Mr. Nice Guy.” Along with the New York Dolls and David Bowie, Alice Cooper was a starting point for the glam rock of the Seventies; it’s impossible to imagine the hair metal of the Eighties without them; you can hear and see the band’s influence in bands from the Sex Pistols to Guns n’ Roses. The original lineup split in the mid-Seventies, and singer Cooper would continue on with an evolving lineup; in the meantime, the pure shock value of America’s first shock rockers has faded — but their legacy is safe.”
My only problem with this statement is how the first sentence still makes it sound like Alice Cooper was one guy with a backing band, but I guess making an effort to get the story straight is too much to ask. Congratulations guys and good luck!
Gail you are simply the best !!
“…vocalist Vince Furnier, who changed his name legally to Alice Cooper when the band broke up in 1974.”
Indeed this is true But!!….In my opinion the major problem is that
the vocalist (Vincent) was credited as Alice Cooper right from the very first recorded album…So Alice Cooper the singer started more or less at the beginning of the band’s career..IE: Alice Cooper is a band..with a vocalist called Alice Cooper..so you can see how the general public took it as Alice was a solo guy….Anyway I for one am well chuffed that it is the original line-up that is nominated..And rightly so.
Best of luck to the guyz.
Cheerz!
MD
— M- Agreed. Calling Vince by the name Alice Cooper was a bad idea…for everyone but Alice! — G
Finally! The shock value of the band was great, but that is not what influenced everyone. These guys were TOP musicians: Michael Bruce has been listed among the 100 best guitarists in rock and roll, but all of them could play, and WELL. And they did. Their heavy sound changed the way rock sounded. They also influenced enough by Frank Zappa to understand the idea of concept albums and bands and to provide real musicianship, and not just thrash/speed rock. A lot of people don’t remember that the later producer of Pink Floyd, Bob Ezrin, got his start with the ACB. The best part of this is is that not just V. Furnier, a/k/a AC, but THE WHOLE BAND has been nominated. They should make it easy and get the most votes.
Y-E-S!!! This IS the best possible News I could ever hear in my lifetime!!! I am so Very Happy for these guys right now! For the ENTIRE Group to be nominated…is how it Should be. They ALL deserve it… infact it’s long overdue!!!… Congratulations to all the members of the Origional Alice Cooper Band!!! 🙂
YES, this is the best news for ages! The original ALICE COOPER BAND nominated and destined to actually be inducted into the ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME. It’s just a pity that Glen is not alive to recieve the honour. I have seen Alice (Vince) on every tour since the Welcome to My Nightmare tour but never met him. But I met Neal, Mike and Dennis at the unofficial Cooper convention in 2002 and all I can now wish for is that the remainder of the band actually perform at the ceremony or, better still ,tour with one of the original albums (Killer). All the best guys you really really deserve this award!!!!!
This… I have been waiting for with baited breath for QUITE a while now! I have been a fan for, well, basically as long as I can remember. I stole my older brother’s copy of Love It To Death when I was just pushing the ripe old age of four, and wore it out on my Snoopy record player (with the needle weighted down with pennies, as it was only designed to play 45’s). I am very pleased, to say the least, that all five original members have been nominated, as well it should be. In fact, despite all of the “controversy”, it has always been my understanding (and I DO pay attention), that Alice has always made it quite clear that he would only accept the nomination if it included Neal Smith, Dennis Dunaway, Michael Bruce and Glen Buxton. Although he has worked with more than a fair few of the absolute BEST musicians out there since, it is only right this way. Congratulations to all of you (and you can bet GB is grinning ear to ear somewhere, too), and I just KNOW we’re gonna win this one!!!
All I have to say is It’s about time!