Tag Archives: alice cooper original band

Happy Birthday, Rick Derringer!

Rick Derringer

Guitarist Rick Derringer, who wrote and recorded “Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo” – one of my top five favorite songs of all time – turns 62 today, having been born on August 5th in  1947! Derringer (who also played with The McCoys, The Edgar Winter Group, and on a couple of album tracks by the original Alice Cooper band) was such a pretty boy way back in the day (like, seriously: pretty enough to be a girl).  Sadly, he’s succumbed to at least one botched face lift in the recent past, giving him that Joan Rivers/Saran Wrap Face look that just does not rock in any way. Why can’t people just age gracefully?

Happy Birthday, Alice Cooper Guitarist Michael Bruce!

Alice Cooper (The Band) Circa Love It To Death. Michael is on the Far Left.

Today Alice Cooper rhythm guitarist, Michael Bruce turns 61! The four surviving members of the band – Neal Smith, Dennis Dunaway, Michael and Alice – actually gathered this past weekend for a three-day autograph signing at the MonsterMania Con in New Jersey. I never go to those things but Neal did take my hardcover copy of Bob Greene’s book, Billion Dollar Baby, to get Michael and Alice to add their signatures to the inside, because Neal is awesome like that. Happy Birthday, Michael!

Happy 61st Birthday, Alice Cooper

Dennis, Gail, Alice and Neal in 2003

Alice Cooper was originally a band consisting of Vincent Furnier on vocals and harmonica, lead guitarist Glen Buxton, Michael Bruce on rhythm guitar, Dennis Dunaway on bass guitar, and drummer Neal Smith. The original Alice Cooper band broke into the international music mainstream with 1971’s monster hit “I’m Eighteen” from the album Love it to Death, which was followed by the even bigger single “School’s Out” in 1972. The band reached their commercial peak with the 1973 album Billion Dollar Babies.

Furnier’s solo career as Alice Cooper, adopting the band’s name as his own name, began with the 1975 concept album Welcome to My Nightmare. The man formerly known as Vincent Furnier turns 61 years old today!

Happy Birthday Dennis Dunaway, Original Bassist of the Band Alice Cooper


Dennis is on the Far Left

Dennis remembers: “I spent my 26th birthday (December 9th, 1972) at the opening of The Who’s Tommy at the Rainbow Theater in London. Neal (Smith, drummer) drove us there in the Rolls Royce he had just bought that day.”

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Happy 61st Birthday, Neal Smith!

Dennis, Glen, Michael, Alice and Neal = Alice Cooper

My close friend Neal Smith, drummer of the original band called Alice Cooper, turns 61 today (9/23). Happy Birthday, Neal!!