PHOENIX — Rock legend and longtime Valley resident Alice Cooper was forced to cancel shows and stop touring because of the pandemic.
But while his performing slowed down – Cooper himself has not.
Cooper has spent the last few months at home, socially distancing like everyone else. He’s been enjoying time with his new granddaughter, writing new music and -- “tap dancing.”
That’s right, the man whose music and on-stage performances featuring fake blood and snakes earned him the title of "Godfather of Shock Rock" is tap dancing.
“So we had a friend that did a Wednesday night virtual tap dance class. So here’s seven people in the backyard…tap dancing. I always thought, 'what a great thing to be able to tap dance,' you know it’s just a cool thing to do,” said Cooper.
He said he’s actually pretty good, but don’t expect to see his moves anytime soon.
“You’ll never see it on stage -- let’s put it that way. Alice Cooper will never tap dance," he said.
Aside from tap dancing, the longtime Valley resident has spent the past few months in his home studio writing music.
“We had a song called “Hanging by a Thread” that was about suicide and when this whole thing happened, I told my producer, 'Why don’t we just change the verse and it’ll be about the pandemic,'” said Cooper.
The song “Don’t Give Up” is all about overcoming the pandemic.
“Let’s take the offense where Alice is talking to the virus and threatening it and saying we're the human race, you’re going to be gone very soon, we’re still going to be here,” Cooper said.
The song resonated with his fans prompting them to create their own "Don’t Give Up" signs to share with Cooper.
“It kind of gave the audience an idea that we don’t have to be victims anymore let’s take the offensive you know and it was a huge hit,” said Cooper.
Cooper has been performing with his wife for more than 45 years and being at home for the past few months has been a nice break, but he can’t wait to get back on the road.
“We really do miss the touring. The process of touring becomes very addictive," he added. "Touring for us is second nature and the fact that were not touring kinda makes you really hungry to get back out there.”
Until the rocker can tour again, he leaves us this advice.
“Starve this thing to death, if you wear your mask if you wash your hands-the reason we are going down right now because every time I go to Safeway everybody’s wearing a mask and everybody is doing what their supposed to do," Cooper proclaimed. "So if you starve this thing, it’ll go away. That’s the only way to kill it.”
Cooper plans to still have his Annual Christmas Pudding Show fundraiser live in Phoenix if the pandemic eases up In December, but if not, they will go virtual.