Alice Cooper

The creator of shock rock and a major innovator of theatrical rock shows, Alice Cooper blazed into the public consciousness with his trademark black snake eye makeup, Goth appearance and anti-establishment, disaffected youth anthems, including 1971's "I'm Eighteen" and 1972's "School's Out." The band's horror-soaked, violent concerts that climaxed with Cooper's faux execution by guillotine, electric chair or other implement of death proved a sensation, electrifying fans and scandalizing many parents and public figures who denounced the singer as a Satanist. Cooper went solo with the hit 1975 album Welcome To My Nightmare and enjoyed a 1980s reign over the glam metal musical world he had helped create, culminating in the massive 1989 single "Poison." Cooper retreated from the public eye to seek treatment for alcoholism. He rebuilt his career on healthier footing, hosting a successful radio show, making film appearances, including a notable cameo as himself in "Wayne's World" (1992), and continuing to make music. Belying his prince of darkness persona, Cooper impressed critics with his intelligence and thoughtful analysis of his self-created horror persona, and won over fans with a warmth and sense of humor few expected. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and feted as one of the all-time influential figures in modern music, Alice Cooper enjoyed enviable career longevity as well as an acclaimed reputation for revolutionizing rock's stagecraft and showmanship.