2023 Baptist News Global. He returned to the music sphere with the albums 'Constrictor' (1986) and 'Raise Your Fist and Yell' (1987), but his 1989 'Grammy'-nominated album 'Trash' became his most successful album of the decade. ", Related: Alice Cooper on reuniting with his old band and starting a supergroup with Johnny Depp, That said, he doesn't have trouble reconciling his shock-heavy musical persona with his religious beliefs. Cooper admitted that he contemplated changing his name after he came to faith in Christ, but his pastor advised him not to. Regarding the Bible, Cooper once said that he believes in the Old Testament as well as evolution and he believes that God created the world in seven days. We hope you will! However, after living the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, Cooper felt empty. Cooper is very outspoken about his political viewsthose being that he has none. 'Alice Cooper teaching Bible class? And I know that this is right when the Lord opens your eyes and you suddenly realize who you are and who He is.". The theologian shared that they had a great time, saying, He was an absolute delight to play with [and] was very committed to his Christian faith.. Cooper would even go so far as to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing just to make a point. "I think part of that is their faith.". 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.. I grew up in the church, went as far away as I could from it almost died and then came back to the church. He was there as a fellow worshipper alongside spiritual family members who share a common confession, yet who travel a lot of different roads through life. The Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) received a video invitation from Phoenix native and legendary shock rocker Alice Cooper. Alice Cooper was born with the name Vincent Damon Furnier in Detroit, Michigan. His next four albums in the new century 'Brutal Planet' (2000), 'Dragontown' (2001), 'The Eyes of Alice Cooper' (2003) and 'Dirty Diamonds' (2005) barely managed to stay in the US 'Billboard 200' albums chart. Joe is non-political, at least publicly, but has encouraged his fans to vote. I grew up in the church, went as far away as I could from it almost died and then came back to the church." "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. Birth Year: 1948. They contain multitudes. Mr. Furnier (aka, Alice Cooper) is known as the "Godfather of Shock Rock!" Cooper (who has a net worth of $40,000,000 [ 1]) actually says it offends him when people call him "Satanic." Well, he is 100% Satanic! A Christian news site published a blog last month about rock star Alice Cooper, the performer known for his outlandish costumes, demonic makeup and huge snakes during performances. He did more digging and learned Cooper had grown up a pastors kid and had done mission work on Native American reservations in Arizona. Alice Cooper is widely known for his shocking concert performances. Hope youll give us another try and check out some other articles. Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here. "It's really easy to focus on Alice Cooper and not on Christ," he said in a 2014 interview with Hard Music magazine. 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. Photo by Biha via Wikimedia Commons.Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.. Alice Cooper might be the last person you'd ever expect to have gotten sober. When we come to worship, we stand on level ground before the Cross of Jesus Christ, Howard said. And she goes, 'Right. The atmosphere in the service was charged with energy and encouragement. I remember my sister told me that's where the song was referring to although I later read that's not the case. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. Want to share a story? His father was a preacher by the name of Ether Moroni Furnier for The Church of Jesus Christ, based in Monongahela, Pennsylvania. Alice Cooper was born as Vincent Damon Furnier on February 4, 1948 in Detroit, Michigan to pastor, Ether Moroni Furnier, and his wife, Ella Mae. In a 2016 interview with Newsweek, he spoke about his gory stage show and why he loves performing with Hollywood Vampires: "It's like a modern-day vaudeville, a sort of hard-rock horror cabaret. You have to prove it.' 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. Want to help your child build lasting, meaningful friendships? If you are searching for a home church or just beginning to consider the claims of Christ, we hope you'll join us this Sunday to sing, pray, and study the Bible. The singer is the son of a lay preacher and was raised in the church as a child. In 2012, Cooper opened the Brennan Rock & Roll Academy in Phoenix, which is a music center for teens that is designed to keep them off the streets. According to Cooper, it was a very significant moment. 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. Alice Cooper, born Vincent Damon Furnier, was born in Detroit, Michigan and grew up there and in Phoenix, Arizona. 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. I call it treason against rock-and-roll, because rock is the antithesis of politics. Homes - Celebrity - Entertainment - Musicians. Awards', and has received two 'Grammy' nominations in 1984 and 1997. Cooper admitted that he once contemplated changing his name after he came to faith in Christ but his pastor advised him not to. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. 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.". It was during the height of Cooper's rock stardom as he toured the worked shocking fans with gruesome stunts. Follow him on twitter here (https://twitter.com/jessetjackson). Accredited member of the Evangelical Press Association. Birth City: Detroit. However, I became a little more curious when one of our ministers reported, Alice Cooper and his wife came out my door and shook my hand. And on Monday I confirmed that Alice Cooper was indeed in Pensacola, had dined at one of our excellent seafood restaurants, had played golf at our top notch Country Club, and had joined our church family for worship. Video. Cooper is completely non-political and admits he couldn't care less about politics. Today, though, the 70-year-old shock-rock legend is a devout Christian. He subsequently lived with Cindy Lang for several year before separating in 1975, following which she sued him for palimony. "You wanna talk about a rebel he was the ultimate. But many others know him for his Christian faith. OPINION: Views expressed in Baptist News Global columns and commentaries are solely those of the authors. He was not there as a notorious entertainer. The Lord really convicted me, saying, look, its time to make a decision here.. 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? Hope youll give us another try and check out some other articles. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. Here's how. Tweet. He muses about sitting between such political rocker icons as John Lennon and Harry Nilsson while they argued politics and thinking, I dont care.[5]. It earned platinum certifications in US and Canada. Alice Cooper's first solo album, 'Welcome to My Nightmare', is considered his best work so far. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Mark Driscoll once interviewedlate theologianR.C. Finally, I looked in the mirror and it looked like my makeup, but it was blood coming down [from my eyes]. Alistair Begg Interviews Alice Cooper. As it is on most Sundays, it was an encouraging day of worship for our church family. Of course, stardom set in and Cooper reveled in it. Allison road was already a real road here, although it's tiny and down by the 10 & 202. The congregation has had practice with other celebrities, mostly politicians from Pensacola or stumping in the city during election seasons, Howard said. On Saturday, Cooper joined Hollywood actor Johnny Depp to perform at Duesenberg Guitar company's NAMM party at Servite Catholic High School in Anaheim, California. So he checked himself into rehab. Their next album, 'Easy Action', failed despite the media attention, following which they relocated to Pontiac, Michigan, where their violent stage theatrics were better received and helped their third album 'Love It to Death' succeed. Thats really a shame. "You should see the look on people's faces. 4. We invite you to join us online each Sunday at 9:00am for a live service and message. Archuleta is non-political. 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. "Everything that could go wrong was shutting down inside of me," Cooper, who is preparing. 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. local news and culture. "My wife and I are both Christian," the 70-year-old said. Pin. An undeserving husband to a beautiful wife, and a father to 4 beautiful children. Why do you believe this? I just say nothing else speaks to my heart. In 2017, desperately searching for truth and hoping to have peace in her life, Peer stumbled across a video of famous heavy metal musician Alice Cooper. "Surely people get it by now Alice is just a character. Revival at Kentucky college faces hurdles from school leadership, moves worship off-campus, Elon Musk taking on 'danger' posed by woke AI including tool created by company he co-founded, Police rescue 40 children kidnapped by Ugandan man posing as Christian charity leader, Christian college asks Supreme Court to stop Biden's trans dorm directive. All rights reserved. "Sheryl had gone she had gone to Chicago and said, 'I can't watch this,'" Alice recalled about the moment when he accepted Jesus into his life. It was saying, 'Hey, if you want what the world has to offer you, that's all you're going to get'," Cooper stressed. They think it's all very precise and we never do wrong and we're praying all day and we're right-wing. Cooper and his wife, Sheryl Goddard, attend Camelback Bible Church in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Alice Cooper was in a relationship with the GTOs member Miss Christine, who died of an overdose on November 5, 1972. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer became a Christian late in life and had been publicly sharing his testimony. Why was Alice Cooper in our worship service? Having. You have this platform to reach people. God, you wouldnt believe it. Veteran rock musician Alice Cooper shared recently that he volunteers as a substitute Sunday school teacher at his local church. Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone by making a one-time donation today. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion, Alice Cooper and His 'Dead Drunk Friends', The Unlikely Acts Behind Rejected Bond Theme Songs, The Life and Times of the Parental Advisory Label, Marilyn Manson, Injured But Not Defeated: An Interview. What Happens Now? Alice Cooper, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, was Elated When He Got The News . Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. Cooper's grandfather Thurman Sylvester Furnier served as an apostle for the church. I finally realized, I had to go one side or the other, said Cooper. 2023 ChurchLeaders.com, All rights reserved. My dad was a pastor, he was an evangelist for 25 years, and I used to go up and do missionary work with him with the Apaches in Arizona. Hes a villain, but at the same time, hell slip on a banana peel.. I'm nothing more than that. By the end of the '80s, Alice Cooper was back on the charts and back on the road for a comeback that continues to this day. In fact, there was a pretty big crowd that day and I didnt even notice that they were in the congregation. Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert!which also stars John Legend as Jesus Christ and Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdaleneis scheduled to premiere on April 1, which is Easter Sunday. 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. Cooper isn't bringing ECC leadership to one of his shows or to. Cooper, who has 26 albums under his belt, isn't alone in his dabbling into ministry. That may come as a revelation to many, but not to the folks at First Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla. On a Sunday morning in February 2015, Senior Minister Barry Howard, who was in the building but not preaching that day, began to receive text messages and in-person alerts that Cooper and his wife, Sheryl, were seated in the sanctuary (center section, toward the back). On-stage, he's known for his over . "Everything that could go wrong was shutting down inside of me," the legendary . '", When asked if he was ashamed to say he believed in Jesus Christ, the rock star replied with a confident "no. Everyone said, Oh you have such great willpower. I said, No, God has great willpower. The rocker says that he struggled with alcoholism before embracing religion. And one of the most popular rock musicians in history was in the crowd, somewhat anonymously. 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. During the 2004 election season, he said: When I read the list of people who are supporting Kerry, if I wasnt already a Bush supporter, I would have immediately switched. We invite you and ask you to help us update this wiki by editing it. Parkside . July 16, 2019. independent local journalism in Phoenix. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Alice Cooper became a Christian late in life but decided not to leave the world of hard rock because, he says, it's part of his testimony. An extraordinarily large number of middle school and high school students were seated together, front and center, in colored Wise Up! tee shirts as our worship time served as a grand conclusion to Disciple Now Weekend, a huge event devoted to equipping and instructing teens to make wise life choices. This wiki was last updated on 3 Sep 2012 by: Today we're opening contributions to all readers. Join the New Times community and help support In a 2018 interview with New York Daily News, he said: "My wife and I are both Christian. 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. Cooper and his wife, Sheryl, attended service at the invitation of his . Parkside Locations. And you're a rock star, but you don't live the rock-star life. He plays six days a week, and every morning on the day of a show. The shock rock god lives in the affluent area of Paradise Valley. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson thinks he redeemed himself. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. At our church we preach that everyone stands on level ground at the foot of the cross. Every individual is fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). Alice Cooper was a band first, then the band split when the person behind the Alice Cooper persona wanted to go in a more theatrical direction as opposed to only going for the music. Geez, thats a good reason right there to vote for Bush. Let's not forget that, Why revival must be tethered to Scripture, Revelation 9: The pit, the smoke and hideous demon creatures, Thousand Foot Krutch Joins Alice Cooper's Christmas Event Benefiting Teens, Alice Cooper Urges Fans Not to Adhere to 'Celebrity Christianity,' But Still Pens Songs With 'Better Message'. 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. "A motivating factor," says Cooper, who grew up in a trailer park, and says they had "one present" at Christmas, "doesn't mean rich people go to Hell. His popularity waned again in the next decade, which only saw two releases from him, 'Hey Stoopid' (1991) and 'The Last Temptation' (1994).