The Story Behind Alice Cooper’s Wheelchair Surprise on His 30th Birthday

The Story Behind Alice Cooper’s Wheelchair Surprise on His 30th Birthday | Society Of Rock Videos

Alice Cooper reflected on his early years of addiction issues and how he became infamous for it.

In an interview with Page Six, the rocker talked about his drug and alcohol intake in the early ’80s and how he realized he was putting himself in danger. He explained:

“I woke up one morning and I threw up blood, and that’s how I kind of knew it was over. My wife grabbed my ear and said, ‘Hey, the party’s over.’”

While in a recent interview with Classic Rock, Cooper said he and his band were living the rock star life since the beginning. He shared the story of his 30th birthday gift and confessed:

“There wasn’t one human being on the planet that thought we’d get past 30 years old.
“In fact, when I turned 30 all my friends clubbed together and got me a wheelchair.”

He admitted that he wasn’t expecting to reach his current age of 75. He added:

“But I quit drinking and taking drugs very successfully.
“I’ve been happily married for 47 years, so all the stress is out of my life. Stress kills people faster than anything else – worrying about money, career. I’ve nothing to prove anymore.”

When asked about his involvement with Aerosmith’s idea to get clean in the ‘80s, Cooper said his first piece of advice in those situations is to adopt a “whatever it takes” attitude. He noted:

“I never went to AA.
“When I came out of the hospital I had absolutely no desire to drink. And I was the classic alcoholic. When I came out it was like a Biblical miracle and, being a religious person, I look at it like God took it away from me. But the guys in Aerosmith were in AA every day, and I really admired that.”

He also mentioned that he was often referred to as the “Dean Martin of rock, the guy on a permanent golden buzz,” which meant his victory over addiction is particularly remarkable. He continued:

“So everyone thought, ‘If Alice Cooper can stop drinking, so can I.’ So I’d get calls from movie stars and rock stars looking to get sober. I don’t mind that role, because maybe that’s why it was taken away from me – so I can help other people.”

Meanwhile, Cooper is currently working on two new albums and he’s back on the road with the Hollywood Vampires for a tour. The all-star band releases their Live in Rio album on June 2.

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