Your lifestyle is now your testimony. Encouraged by the positive response, they decided to form a real band and renamed themselves the 'Spiders', with Cooper as the lead vocalist. God gives gifts in order that we may love Him and love others. People will listen to a guy like you," said Laurie, the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California. Your lifestyle is now your testimony," he recounted his pastor telling him. Even the doctor said, This is an absolute miracle. I said, Why? They said, Well, you should be hiding bottles all over the house and you should be sneaking drugs. I said, I have absolutely no desire for that at all., So what did Coopers pastor and evangelist father think of his theatricalrock lifestylethat includes songs Feed My Frankenstein, Halo of Flies, Black Juju, Go to Hell, and Dead Babies? QUICK FACTS. It reached peak position in the US and UK charts and was certified platinum in the US. On the Sunday that Alice Cooper came to church, quietly and without notoriety, he heard an A+ sermon from our Student Pastor and he joined his voice with others in singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Having grown up with a father who was a preacher, Cooper has always had religion in his life. Cooper and his wife, the daughter of a Baptist minister, launched a Christian youthcenter in Scottsdale, Ariz. Howard said he was so moved by Coopers story that he decided wrote a column about the rockers visit for Baptist News Global. (Photo/Gage Skidmore/Creative Commons), They were just itching to get out their cameras and say hey, can I get an autograph, but something deep down said we just need to let him worship, he said. Vincent Furnier, who had already changed his name legally to 'Alice Cooper' to avoid legal complications over ownership of the band name, released the album 'Welcome to My Nightmare as a solo artist in 1975. And I totally believe it.[2]. Geez, thats a good reason right there to vote for Bush. "Theres nothing in Christianity that says I can't be a rock star," he said. The 66-year-old "Poison" singer made his mark in music during the rock 'n' roll era as "The Godfather of Shock Rock" mainly due to his gory stage shows which featured ghastly props including guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood and boa constrictors. Thirty-seven years ago, Alice Cooper awoke throwing up blood. In one interview, Cooper said, I grew up in a Christian house. Three big numbers that tell the story of secularization in America, West Virginians clash over religious freedom bill at hearing, White supremacists behind over 80% of extremism-related U.S. murders in 2022, Jimmy Carter Was Americas Evangelical-in-Chief. Sproul laughingly said the folktale was true that the two ran into each other in the clubhouse of a golf course and ended up playing a round together. He says, 'Look where he put you. Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here. You're a rock star but you don't live the rock life. McCartney is vaguely liberal, maybe? On any given Sunday in our congregation you may spot local and national media personalities, prominent businesspersons, esteemed congressmen, respected judges, and renowned athletes, well-known individuals in the community who join the rest of us as we gather to worship God and embrace our primary identity, which is child of God.. The Lord really convicted me, saying, look, its time to make a decision here.. The Coopers had been greeted, on arrival and as they left, in the same way any other guests would be, Howard said. But despite his profession of faith, the Detroit native stressed in a past interview that he's not a theologian or any kind of expert on Christianity, so he doesn't want people to looking to him for answers. Alice Cooper had a major wake-up call nearly 40 years ago, when he found himself throwing up blood. On any given day, the Cooper home can be a busy place as Alice heads out to play golf (nearly every day when he is in town); and Sheryl fires up her candy-apple-red Dodge Durango and drives off. Finally, I looked in the mirror and it looked like my makeup, but it was blood coming down [from my eyes]. Joe is a devout Evangelical Christian. After discovering that the Coopers had joined us for worship, I revisited a few of those stories and even watched a video of his testimony on YouTube. "It was rather inspiring to learn that Alice Cooper prioritizes a time for worship during his busy travel schedule," Howard wrote in the March 9, 2015 column. What a fascinating conversation that must have been. Alice Cooper, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, was Elated When He Got The News . I thought it was a deep sign of maturity.. So, I was like, we were PKs preachers kids so we married each other., After some prodigal years early in his career, Cooper said he stopped drinking and started going back to church with his wife. According to Cooper, it was a very significant moment. "Alice and Sheryl are so committed to each other and to their kids," Lisa Savale, one of Sheryl's closest friends, once said. He says his father summed up the theatrics by telling Cooper, I know the character youre playing. Mark Driscoll once interviewedlate theologianR.C. But now the star is taking on the role of King Herod in NBC's live performance of Jesus Christ Superstar, and in a new. Shock Rocker Alice Cooper Prays Every Day and Gives God Credit for Steven Curtis Chapman First Contemporary Christian Artist To Earn 50th No. And how should a church react when such a well-known celebrity comes to church? The band's eventual 'shock rock' reputation was also the result of an accident involving a chicken at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival concert in September 1969, which had became a sensation on tabloids. Want to help your child build lasting, meaningful friendships? In some circles, Alice Cooper is best known for writing "School's Out" (which he did) and for biting the head off a live chicken and drinking its blood onstage (which he did not). He also discovered that Coopers Christian faith is a mature one that includes regular church attendance and teaching Sunday school. If you are searching for a home church or just beginning to consider the claims of Christ, we hope youll join us this Sunday to sing, pray, and study the Bible. Joe is non-political, at least publicly, but has encouraged his fans to vote. "But the cocaine was speaking a lot louder than her. They have now been married for almost 45 years. 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Their fifth studio album, 'School's Out', reached No.2 on the US charts, while the title single became recognized as a classic rock track. Its ingrained in First Baptist culture that rock-star status ends at the door on Sunday mornings, he said. If Alice Cooper is really a Christian, why does he still perform as Alice Cooper? In this video, he gives the answer. ", Although he struggled with alcoholism before embracing religion, Alice said that he doesn't have trouble reconciling his shock-heavy musical persona with his religious beliefs. And as a pastor, I am actually glad that very few people in our congregation noticed that Cooper and his wife were present in our worship service, and those who did, allowed them to be worshippers on that particular Sunday, and not celebrities. But it wasn't until he quit drinking and drugging in the '80s that he dedicated his life to Christ, partly at the urging of his wife, Sheryl. So don't look for answers from me.". I grew up in the church, went as far away as I could from it almost died and then came back to the church. Why so much outrage over the burning of an LGBT Pride flag? But he's the spawn of the Devil!'" Alice Cooper was born Vincent Damon Furnier, in Detroit, Michigan, the son of a minister. Once through rehab for drug and alcohol addiction, Cooper called his estranged wife and told her, Its done! He proved to Sheryl that he was sober, and Cooper and his wife reconciled a year later. They dressed up as the Beatles with wigs and costumes, and performed parodies of their songs, which earned overwhelming response from the audience and won them the show title. But it was also inspiring, Howard said in the blog and in an interview on Friday, that his church responded with calm and respect to the presence of a global celebrity in their midst. But now the star is taking on the role of King Herod in NBC's live performance of Jesus Christ Superstar, and in a new interview with the New York Daily News he opens up about how Christianity saved him from addiction. He says: The church was suddenly everything to us, a religion, a social life, a new family. I woke up and I called her and I said, 'It's done.' Cooper and his wife, Sheryl Goddard, attend Camelback Bible Church in Paradise Valley, Arizona. It was rather inspiring to learn that Alice Cooper prioritizes a time for worship during his busy travel schedule. Let's not forget that, Why revival must be tethered to Scripture, Revelation 9: The pit, the smoke and hideous demon creatures, Alice Cooper Urges Fans Not to Adhere to 'Celebrity Christianity,' But Still Pens Songs With 'Better Message', Rock 'N' Roll Icon Alice Cooper: 'I Teach Bible Study' (Video), Alice Cooper Says 2 Near-Death Experiences Almost Sent Him to 'Paradise' Before 70th Birthday. We studied the Bible and the Book of Mormon backward and forward. He plays six days a week, and every morning on the day of a show. Want to help your child build lasting, meaningful friendships? He moved to Phoenix, Arizona, at a young age and still lives in the state today. I grew up in the church, went as far away as I could from it almost died and then came back to the church." When Cooper was younger, he did missionarywork with his father. All rights reserved. Join the New Times community and help support Our groups and ministries are places where we study Gods word, grow in relationships with others, and apply what we learn to real life. Birth Year: 1948. '", When asked if he was ashamed to say he believed in Jesus Christ, the rock star replied with a confident "no. Birth City: Detroit. Cooper would even go so far as to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing just to make a point. BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. I finally realized, I had to go one side or the other, said Cooper. My grandfather was a pastor for 75 years. Before the pandemic, Cooper was playing 200 shows a year and stays active playing many rounds of golf throughout the week. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. Cooper, who has 26 albums under his belt, isn't alone in his dabbling into ministry. Legendary rocker Alice Cooper, who has been a devout Christian for many years, opened up about his faith during a recent interview with pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie. Return to homepage. The atmosphere in the service was charged with energy and encouragement. "'Look where He (God) put you. Archuleta is non-political. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson thinks he redeemed himself. Hes a villain, but at the same time, hell slip on a banana peel.. And that's what really motivated me. Cooper was born Vincent Damon Furnier and later changed his name to Alice Cooper in 1975. As far as I know there were no autographs, no photos, and certainly no selfies with Cooper in the background. Singer Alice Cooper performs after being inducted during the 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York March 14, 2011. Linda Ronstadt? The band's most successful album was 'Billion Dollar Babies', released in 1973, which reached the top of both the US and UK charts. But despite his profession of faith, the Detroit native stressed in a past interview that he's not a theologian or any kind of expert on Christianity, so he doesn't want people to looking to him for answers. Alice Cooper is widely known for his shocking concert performances. It earned platinum certifications in US and Canada. Yet many would be surprised to learn of his Christian roots and his homecoming to the faith after sowing his oats as the ultimate prodigal.. And one of the most popular rock musicians in history was in the crowd, somewhat anonymously. Stars! Pin. TheSchools Outsinger toldPage Six, My dad knew my sense of humor. The 67-year-old rock-n-roll star has been Grandpa to twin boys, Riot and Falcon, for a few months already, according to a new report on Thursday. 'Billion Dollar Babies' is the most commercially successful album from his band. Archuleta is a devout Mormon. Both Cooper and his wife were raised in Christian families. Here's how. Gather16 | Alice Cooper from Evangelical Covenant Church on Vimeo. He has been called the godfather of shock-rock, mixing elements of horror movies into acts that have included an unpalatable array of guillotines, fake blood, baby dolls and boa constrictors, Mark Ellis wrote in a God Reports blog for The Christian Post. Alice Cooper is as unsaved as the Devil himself. No One Knows. He was nicknamed "the godfather of shock rock" for his style of heavy metal music performance. My father was a pastor, my grandfather was an evangelist. Watch Greg Lauries full interview with Alice Cooperbelow: Jesse is the Content Editor for ChurchLeaders and Site Manager for ChristianNewsNow. In a shortvideoclip of Pastor Greg Laurie's interview with Cooper, the rocker explains why he's still a member of Hollywood Vampires alongside Johnny Depp and Aerosmith's Joe Perry and has maintained his trademark lookwhile performing songs such as his latest, "The Boogeyman Surprise.". Birth Country: United States. My fathers devotion was inspiring From then on I was in church with my father seven days a week! "My dad was a pastor and he was an evangelist for 25 years. The band faced increasing pressures from political groups and also fell apart internally following the release of their final album, 'Muscle of Love', released later that year. I think I might have been hallucinating; I don't know. "One of my albums, The Last Temptation, was being sold in Christian bookstores and my record company couldn't figure out why. Alistair Begg Interviews Alice Cooper. 1 Song. Cooper and his wife, Sheryl, attended service at the invitation of his . Gender: Male. local news and culture. His commercial failure continued to the next decade with the albums 'Flush the Fashion', 'Special Forces', 'Zipper Catches Skin' and 'DaDa', which he reportedly doesn't even remember recording because of drug addiction. Hes comical. 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In fact, there was a pretty big crowd that day and I didnt even notice that they were in the congregation. The band continued on as Billion Dollar Babies, but they only released one rather shitty album before disbanding. Of course, stardom set in and Cooper reveled in it. In fear, I came back to the Lord. In that interview, he also shared how his pastor encouraged him to continue performing as Alice Cooper even though he thought he needed to quit. We invite you to join us online each Sunday at 9:00am for a live service and message. Alice Cooper (pictured) performs with 3 original band members Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway and Neal Smith during Music Biz 2017. Cooper admitted that he once contemplated changing his name after he came to faith in Christ but his pastor advised him not to. After that, he says, he'll go back to his hotel for lunch, and then he'll go shopping.