Alice Cooper Elected To Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Michigan’s own Alice Cooper (Vincent Furnier) has been elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was the band’s first time on the ballot, even though they had been eligible for 16 years.

Alice Cooper’s Michigan connection was explained in the Detroit News:

Cooper said when the band arrived in Detroit from Los Angeles, it marked a turning point for the group.

“When we got to Detroit, that was hometown for us,” he said. After living in a motel on 14 Mile Road for a month, the band moved to a farm in Pontiac where it lived for four years and quickly ingratiated itself into the Detroit rock scene alongside bands like the Stooges, MC5 and Ted Nugent’s Amboy Dukes.

“As soon as we got to Detroit, we realized that we fit in there like it was heaven,” said Cooper, 62. “Everything in Los Angeles was all peace, love and isn’t everything groovy, and we were all about blondes, switchblades and Ferraris. That, to us, was the glamour of rock and roll. So when we got to Detroit, and everybody there was screaming ‘Turn it up!’ instead of turning away from us, I said we are finally at home. This is us, right here.”

Cooper was raised in Allen Park (outside Detroit) but moved to Arizona before high school. It was there he formed the group with a handful of friends. Although he had ties to Detroit, he said it was never part of his plans to return to the city.

“I think it was a coincidence,” he said. “Detroit happened to be the best rock town in the world, and we didn’t know about it.” It wasn’t until the band staked its claim on Detroit that Cooper announced he grew up in the area. From there, Detroit adopted Alice Cooper as its own.

Alice Cooper also is a golf addict who claims that the sport saved his life. His book, Golf Monster is a great read. You can see a review here.