Alice Cooper made a name for himself on the American music scene as the father of “shock rock” performers. He is now one of the most visible and philanthropic Valley residents and is the featured guest at NAIOP Arizona’s Signature Speaker Series. The event is scheduled for Thursday, October 24 at the Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe. Registration begins at 3 p.m. The event, Alice Cooper “Unplugged,” a conversation moderated by Valley celebrity Mark Cordes, begins at 4:30 p.m. A networking reception begins at 5:30 p.m.
Born Vince Furnier, Alice is a native of Michigan. The family moved to Phoenix in the 1960s and he attended Cortez High School. He and his wife Cheryl are well known in Valley charity circles for their philanthropy. Events include an annual musical competition, his annual “Christmas Pudding” concert, his Rock & Roll Fundraising Bash and his annual Rock & Roll Golf Classic. The 2020 tourney will be the 23rd annual event.
He also sponsors the Rock Teen Center, which inspires teens (ages 12 to 20) to grow through music, dance and art. The center provides vocational training in sound and recording, lighting and staging, video production, as well as a computer lab and a supervised facility for the teens to engage with their peers.
Alice Cooper was originally a band consisting of Furnier on vocals and harmonica, Glen Buxton on lead guitar, Michael Bruce on rhythm guitar, Dennis Dunaway on bass guitar and Neal Smith on drums. The original Alice Cooper band released its first album in 1969. It broke into the international music mainstream with the 1971 hit song “I’m Eighteen” from its third studio album Love It to Death.
The band reached its commercial peak in 1973 with its sixth studio album Billion Dollar Babies. In 2011, the original Alice Cooper band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His current band, the Hollywood Vampires, features Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry and actor/rocker Johnny Depp. They have been together since 2015.
Registration fees: $65, Developing Leaders; $75, members; $275, four member tickets; and $125, non-members. For tickets or further information, email NAIOP Arizona at rsvp@naiopaz.org.
