News Archive January 2011

Alice Cooper Makes Hall Of Fame: Could KISS Be Next?
From: MyDesert.com
Posted: January 22, 2011

It took several years, and some outrage from high-profile people, but Alice Cooper will take his place among music royalty when he gets inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March.

"We call it the bottom of the barrel year because they got me in," Cooper joked.

The full band, Alice Cooper, will be joined by Neil Diamond, Dr. John, Darleen Love and Tom Waits in March.

For years, high-profile people like Craig Ferguson of the "Late, Late Show" and radio talk show host Dennis Miller voiced their outrage that Alice Cooper, considered one of the forefathers of shock rock and theatricality in live shows, was not in the Hall of Fame.

Over the years, Cooper was regularly asked about the Hall of Fame. While the questions could get tedious, Cooper kept his sense of humor.

"I was the Susan Lucci there for a while, and then I thought I was Pete Rose," Cooper said. "You get passed over in the nominations, you think 'OK.' But you just have to wait your turn. Everyone will get their turn."

Cooper also had support from within the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"I voted for Alice every year," said legendary guitarist Don Felder, who was inducted in 1998 as a member of the Eagles. "I'm so happy to see him finally inducted. He definitely deserved it and I'm very happy for him.

"We just did a show together for his charity in December, and it was a great thrill to be able to announce there that he was being inducted and to be there to celebrate it with him."

Not only was Felder in Phoenix for the announcement, but most of the members of the original Alice Cooper band were as well.

The band had come together to record a new studio album, "Welcome to my Nightmare, Part 2."

As part of the induction ceremony in March, Alice Cooper will perform their first hit, "I'm Eighteen" and their biggest hit "School's Out."

Once in the Hall of Fame, Cooper said he can name a handful of acts he will push for induction, including: The Moody Blues, Deep Purple, Peter Frampton, Steve Miller and Donovan.

Another band on the outside looking in is KISS.

"It's still bewilders me that there's so many great bands that are not in the Hall of Fame like KISS or Deep Purple or Chicago. No one is bigger than that," said KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer. "Eventually it will happen, but it doesn't make a big of a difference with us. We're happy with what we're doing. As long as our fans still love us and we're still packing big shows, that's all that matters with us."