When looking back at his 'drinking and drugging days,' the 'School's Out' hitmaker explains why he can speak about Alice in the third person after he got sober.
- March 6, 2021
AceShowbiz - Alice Cooper had to learn how to "co-exist" with his stage persona, as he became confused over whether if he should leave the house with his signature make-up on at the height of his drink and drug addiction.
The rock legend, whose real name is Vincent Damon Furnier, got sober almost four decades ago. And in an interview with British newspaper The Sun he recalled how he was unable to separate himself from his stage persona, who is famous for wearing signature black eye make-up and parading on stage with snakes around his neck, during his "drinking and drugging days," and compared his mental state to a "very organized schizophrenia."
"There was a long time when I couldn't separate the two," he told the publication. "When I was drinking and drugging, I didn't know if I was supposed to leave the house with make-up on. I felt I was going to disappoint people if I walked out without a snake around my neck."
"When I got sober, I went, 'OK, I have to co-exist with this guy'. I mean, Alice is my favorite rock star but he stays on stage and I go back up to my normal life."
"That's why I can speak about Alice in the third person. Somebody will bring in a costume and I'll go, 'No, Alice would never wear that!' It's actually a very organized schizophrenia."
The "School's Out" hitmaker - who released his 28th album, "Detroit Stories", last month - credits giving up booze and drugs for being able to still tour in his 70s.
He added, "I don't know what age Alice is. He could be 18, he could be 23, he could be 30. I'm in really good shape because I've never smoked and I quit drinking 38 years ago. I can do five shows a week whereas guys my age can generally do just two."
And Alice cited Rolling Stone Sir Mick Jagger, 77, who he quipped is "the prototype, the Energizer bunny who just goes on forever", for never losing his passion for and desire to make and perform rock 'n' roll.
He concluded, "We all look up to Mick and we've all taken a little bit from him. And I've never lost my love for rock and roll. I do it with real enthusiasm. I never mail it in."
