Alice Cooper would rather shock fans than go fishing

• By JOHN WIRT
• Music writer
• Published: Oct 9, 2009

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There’s Alice Cooper, the mascara-stained, snarling godfather of shock-rock. And there’s the orchestrator of Alice Cooper’s madness, a thoroughly professional singer-songwriter and entertainer who, when he’s not stalking stages throughout the world in the guise of Alice Cooper, loves to play golf. 

Cooper has even written a book that mixes golf and autobiography, 2007’s Alice Cooper, Golf Monster: A Rock ’n’ Roller’s 12 Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict. A few weeks ago in Atlantic City, the touring singer was watching a televised golf game, marveling at the pros’ skills.

“These guys play golf like guys really should be playing,” Cooper said.

Even on the road, Cooper plays every day.

“It’s sort of like some people do yoga or work out,” he said. “Me and three of the guys in the band play golf. But once we get on stage, we’re in Alice Land. Golf doesn’t enter the picture. So I’ve turned everybody in my band into total schizos.

“The funny thing is Alice hates golf. If you put golf clubs on his stage, Alice would think they were weapons. He pretty much hates anything that I like. He’s only up there to entertain the audience and that’s it.”

The line between stage monster Alice Cooper and the golf-loving Christian guy who portrays him wasn’t always so distinct.

“A long time ago, there was that gray area when I used to drink, where I didn’t know where Alice began and I ended,” Cooper said. “As soon as I quit drinking, I made that a very black and white thing.”

Unlike peers and friends Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and, especially, Keith Moon, Cooper rejected rock-star excess before it was too late.

“It’s so unnatural to be in our position because, when you’re on stage, you become this other-than-human character,” he said. “You’re bigger than life. But if you try to live bigger than life offstage, you’re going to have to take a lot of drugs and drink and do all this stuff that’s gonna finally just kill you. So you must know who you are and who your character is.”

For Cooper, the choice between living or dying became simple.

“The doctor says to me, ‘I understand where you’re at. If you don’t stop drinking you’re going to die.’ He says, ‘If that’s your choice, go out in a blaze of glory like all of your buddies. Or you could stick around and make more albums, do it that way.’ ”

Cooper opted for the latter. Other than playing golf, he gets his kicks entertaining an audience.