From mock executions to 12-foot long snakes, the rock star has no shortage of crazy performances. In honor of his birthday, here are 3 of Alice Cooper’s most famous stage stunts!
Rock legend Alice Cooper turns 74-years-old today! The singer’s notorious onstage antics shot him into stardom and even earned him the title Godfather of Shock Rock. In honor of his birthday, we are looking back on 3 of the rock star’s wildest stage stunts.
The infamous chicken incident
In 1969, Cooper and his band were playing at the Toronto Rock and Roll Festival when a chicken walked onto the stage. The singer threw the animal into the audience, assuming it would just fly away. To his surprise, the chicken fell into the crowd where fans killed it. This incident catapulted the group into the spotlight and is often credited for starting Cooper’s career. The band’s manager Shep Gordon wrote in his book, “The press we got for that was phenomenal…One day Alice Cooper [the band] was unknown. The next they were sitting for press conferences, fielding questions about why they killed the chicken.”
There were many rumors going around about the event, and some even believed that Cooper had bitten off the head of the chicken and drank its blood on stage. The singer was quick to deny the story and apologize for his mistake, noting that he thought chickens could fly. No matter the reason, it is still a moment that will always be remembered in rock history.
His brush with death
One of Cooper’s most famous stunts was his mock executions – whether that be by guillotine, electric chair, or gallow. However, at his 1988 performance in Wembley Stadium, the trick almost turned deadly when a protective wire broke and the noose almost caught his neck. Lucky for Cooper, his quick instincts saved his life. The rock star revealed to Entertainment Weekly, “In an instant, I flipped my head back. That must’ve been a fraction of a second because if it caught my chin it would have been a different result.”
As expected, this did not stop Cooper from performing the stunt again.
His slithery friend
Unsurprisingly, Cooper has an unusual stage prop – a boa constrictor. He has performed while wrapped in the snake since his early days and continues to do so today. In 2015, the rock star revealed to The Telegraph that he even used to fly his snakes first class, storing them in a dog carrier. However, the one downside of traveling with live animals is that they escape. Cooper explained that he once lost a 12 foot-long boa named Yvonne in a hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee. Luckily, the snake emerged two weeks later in another room and the two were reunited.
Cooper’s latest boa is a three-year-old named Christopher who he brought on tour. He shared in the interview, “We both love being in front of an audience. My heavy metal doesn’t bother Christopher at all because snakes are pretty much deaf and blind. We’re also both great on the road – we love traveling long distances.”
As long as he and Christopher are happy, we are happy.
Alice Cooper has proven that he is a rock star for life, performing up until the coronavirus pandemic. He is a music icon and legend in his own right and we thank him for giving us some of the most unforgettable moments in rock-and-roll history. Happy birthday, Alice!
