Formed in 1964 out of Phoenix, Alice Cooper brought shock rock to the masses and became one of the most successful and influential acts of the '70s with a gritty but anthemic hard rock sound and a live show that delivered a rock & roll chamber of horrors, thrilling fans and cultivating outrage from authority figures (which made the fans love them all the more). Some of his theatrical acts included "murdering" infant dolls and using fake guillotines and electric chairs during performances. For his part, Cooper relished the shock that accompanied these performances. 

In the summer of 1972, Alice Cooper released "School's Out", their breakthrough record, peaking at number two and selling over a million copies. The title song became a Top-Ten hit in the U.S. and a number one single in the U.K. "Billion Dollar Babies", released the following year, was the group's biggest hit, reaching number one in both America and Britain; the album's first single, "No More Mr. Nice Guy," became a Top Ten hit in Britain, peaking at number 25 in the U.S. 

In 1974, Alice Cooper, the musician, split off from his bandmates and took the name with him. The following year he released his first solo album, Welcome to My Nightmare, which earned him continued critical praise and commercial success, as did 1976's Alice Cooper Goes to Hell.

In recent years Cooper has reunited with the living members of his old band, and in 2011 the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Cooper continues to tour and record new music. In 2017 he released Paranormal, which includes contributions from old bandmates and other noted artists, like ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and Deep Purple's Roger Glover.