The sounds of the ‘70s and ‘80s will come alive again at Will Rogers Auditorium on Oct. 20 when Alice Cooper along with KISS co-founder Ace Frehley will take the stage.
Cooper will make his long-awaited return to the road on a headline tour this September and October. The tour kicks off September 17 in Atlantic City and runs through October 23 in Atlanta. Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley will appear, as special guest on all shows September 18 through October 22.
Cooper was a pioneer of “shock” rock and, in collaboration with producer Bob Ezrin, had hits with songs such as “I’m Eighteen” and “School’s Out.”
Cooper was born in Detroit Michigan, and moved to Phoenix with his family. The Alice Cooper band formed while they were all in high school in Phoenix, and was discovered in 1969 by Frank Zappa in Los Angeles, where he signed them to his record label. Their collaboration with young record producer Bob Ezrin led to the break-through third album “Love It to Death” which hit the charts in 1971, followed by “Killer,” “School’s Out,” ”Billion Dollar Babies,” and “Muscle of Love.” Each new album release was accompanied by a bigger and more elaborate touring stage show. 1974 saw the release of a “Greatest Hits” album, and then Cooper, in 1975, released his first solo album, “Welcome to My Nightmare” in 1975, accompanied by the legendary groundbreaking theatrical Welcome to My Nightmare concert tour.
Cooper’s new album Detroit Stories is out now via earMUSIC. The record is a celebration of the sound and spirit of the Golden Era of Detroit rock, and debuted on the Billboard Album sales chart at #1 upon release in February.
Cooper’s show at Will Rogers Memorial Center is a return after several decades.
“We’re glad to welcome Alice Cooper and hard rock back to Will Rogers Auditorium,” said David Reeves, director of sales for Will Rogers Memorial Center. “He played our auditorium in July of 1980, so we’re eager to see fans of all ages rediscover our historic venue.”
Reeves notes that Foreigner was the last rock band to play the auditorium in February 2020, just before the pandemic closed many music and event locations. Since then, the spacious 2,856-seat auditorium has been home to the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra as a concert venue operating under reduced capacity protocols, as well as hosting many dance competitions and recitals.
See the full Will Rogers Memorial Center event calendar here.