Rocker Alice Cooper Says Faith in Jesus Saved Him From Alcoholism

‘My Grandfather was an Evangelist’: Rocker Alice Cooper Says Faith in Jesus Saved Him From Alcoholism

By Will Maule

Author

March 28, 2018

Almost four decades ago, Alice Cooper woke up in a terrible state. Vomiting blood and generally emaciated, he knew that something was seriously wrong.

“Everything that could go wrong was shutting down inside of me,” the musician explained to New York Daily News. “I was drinking with Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix and trying to keep up with Keith Moon and they all died at 27.”

Cooper quickly realized that if he failed to stop drinking, he would die. It was happening to other world-famous rock stars that surrounded him; Keith Moon and Jimi Hendrix to name just two. On the edge of despair and having been diagnosed as a “classic alcoholic,” Cooper turned to a steadfast and faithful helper: the Lord God.

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“My wife and I are both Christian,” the 70-year-old performer explained. “My father was a pastor, my grandfather was an evangelist. I grew up in the church, went as far away as I could from it — almost died — and then came back to the church.”

Cooper realized that his faith in Jesus did not have to come into conflict with his talents as a musician.

“There’s nothing in Christianity that says I can’t be a rock star,” he continued. “People have a very warped view of Christianity. They think it’s all very precise and we never do wrong and we’re praying all day and we’re right-wing. It has nothing to do with that. It has to do with a one-on-one relationship with Jesus Christ.”

Cooper has certainly distinguished himself from many in his industry. He said he studies the Bible every day, has never been unfaithful and attends Church every Sunday without fail. Now, he is embarking on a slightly different career path: theatre. Cooper will star as King Herod in a live broadcast of Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s classic production “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

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“Wouldn’t you know that they would give me the part of the villain?” he told Rolling Stone of his new role. “When this opportunity came across, they said, ‘Hey, why don’t you be in Jesus Christ Superstar?’ And I said, ‘I’m either Judas or Herod, right?’ And they said, ‘Herod.’ I said, ‘OK, I knew that was coming.'”

But as a Christian himself, will it not be odd to play such a character?

“No, no, no,” he said. “In the back of my brain, there are times when I get really mad when I read the Passion Play on how Jesus was treated, and it really angers you. Then at the same time, you go, “Oh, wait a minute, I’m playing the part of one of the guys that does this.” I look at it purely as a piece of art, and it’s directly out of the Bible. I might have a harder time playing Judas than I would playing Herod. It would be hard to play the guy that stabs him in the back.”