30 | Steel Notes Magazine steelnotesmagazine . com | July 2014
Let me start off by saying — Alice Cooper WAS A GROUP !
In 1971 , at the age of 14 , I fell in love with the Alice Cooper Group — every parent ’ s nightmare — which led my parents to question my sanity enough to take me to see a psychiatrist !
Music can have a very profound effect on a person , as evidenced by the factors that caused Vincent Damon Furnier , the man who would later become known as Alice Cooper , to develop the eventual Dr . Jekyll & Mister Hyde personality .
Being a musician myself , having grown up in the music industry from a young age in the Philadelphia area , I became friends with Tom , the backstage — door — manager , and began hanging out at the now defunct Spectrum .
I was enthralled by The Alice Cooper group , with their theatrics I so loved , and their hit song , the teen anthem “ I ’ m Eighteen ”, and I followed them like the mice being led by the Pied Piper . I attended all their concerts in PA & NJ , dressed in full garb with the eye makeup , black cape , top hat & cane ! On several occasions I also interacted with Alice while he was onstage , using a flashlight on Black Juju , and I would make him gifts such as black velvet panties adorned with “ Alice ” in Silver sequins .
In January 1972 , while hanging out backstage at the Spectrum , I met Alice and the drummer , Neal Smith , for the first time , as shown in these photographs , where Alice is actually wearing the same brown leather jacket as he is in this movie !
Neal was hanging out in the limo at the time . Alice told me he had the Asian flu and was not feeling well , but was still very pleasant . This first face — to — face encounter would lead to others where I would be in their company , and was the only time that I had ever seen him without an alcoholic beverage in his hand !
In 1973 , at the height of their career , they released my all — time favorite Alice Cooper album and the song “ Billion Dollar Babies ”. That signature drum — intro by the Platinum God , Neal Smith , tops my favorite and is one that got you charged and on your feet . In March of that year , after the concert at the Spectrum , I took the elevator with Michael Bruce , Dennis Dunaway & Neal Smith up to their hotel room and was invited to attend the Billion Dollar Babies after — party on the Showboat in Penns Landing , Philadelphia . I had the pleasure of hanging out with Lead guitarist Glen Buxton , R . I . P , shown in this picture with myself , Glen and Pat Lucci from A & M Records .
30 | Steel Notes Magazine steelnotesmagazine . com | July 2014