Book Review: Alice Cooper, Golf Monster by Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper, the godfather of shock rock, has been on the music scene for nearly forty years. During that time, he has sold multi-platinum albums, toured the world, battled alcoholism and the rock star lifestyle in general, and become one of America's most respected celebrity golfers. And now, Alice has released Alice Cooper, Golf Monster, his autobiography, which is a most enjoyable read.

Cooper wrote Golf Monster collaborating with Keith and Kent Zimmerman, who also co-authored Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten's memoir. Alice Cooper, Golf Monster is a tell-all memoir that alternates between Cooper's life story and his own "twelve step program" for becoming a golf addict. Alice's sense of humor has been his trademark as a songwriter, and that humor is present throughout this book.

Golf Monster follows Cooper's life (born Vincent Damon Furnier in 1948) from his childhood in Detroit to his teenage years in Phoenix when he formed his first band, the Earwigs, through his forty-plus year musical career and his battle with the alcohol addiction that nearly destroyed his marriage and ended his life. Alice's close friendship with longtime manager Shep Gordon is also covered in this book.

Pop culture buffs will love this book, which is filled with anecdotes of Cooper's exploits with his many celebrity friends and acquaintances, from Frank Sinatra to Groucho Marx, Fred Astaire to Jack Benny, Salvador Dali to Peter Sellers. Many of Alice's colleagues from the rock music industry are here, including Paul McCartney, John Lennon, The Who, Elvis, Frank Zappa, Jim Morrison and Pink Floyd. Alice Cooper, Golf Monster is filled with lots of fascinating tales for readers to enjoy.

Alice writes about his relationship with his father, Ether Moroni Furnier, and the impact his dad has had upon his life. Although the elder Furnier was a minister, he always came out to the VIP Club on Friday nights to watch his son and his band play during their early days in Phoenix. Alice adds that while his father didn't condone his rocker lifestyle, he never had a problem with the music.

Cooper also writes about his conversion to Christianity, and he manages to do so in a manner that is quite interesting without being preachy. While he has talked openly about his faith over the years, he has also managed to avoid the trappings of "celebrity Christianity." Alice describes his walk with Christ as "an on-going, every-single-day kind of existence." Cooper recounts a conversation with his pastor during a time when Alice was struggling to reconcile his old image with his new faith. The minister told Cooper that while he lives in the world of "sex, drugs and rock n' roll," he was also a man who doesn't cheat on his wife, do drugs, or go to strip bars with the boys. The members of Alice's band, and his road crew see him reading his Bible and praying every night on his tour bus, and that quiet example speaks louder than any amount of preaching he could have done from the stage.

The book's title makes reference to Alice's new addiction, and the fact that he has replaced an unhealthy addiction (alcohol) with a healthy one (golf). Between the chapters of Cooper's life story are additional chapters laying out Alice's twelve steps to becoming a golf addict, for those who seriously want to dedicate themselves to the game. Cooper freely admits to having an addictive personality, and in addition to alcohol and golf, some of his other addictions have included horror movies, televisions (at one point, he had twenty-seven sets in his home), TV trivia, watches, shopping, and bad kung fu movies (he watches one before each show as part of his pre-concert ritual). The book's appendix is titled "Alice's Golf Clinic," in which Cooper offers golf tips for improving one's game.

Alice Cooper, Golf Monster is a thoroughly enjoyable read. This is the story of a man who has been to the pinnacle of his profession, conquered addiction and found redemption. I've been an Alice Cooper fan for many years, and I gladly recommend this book not only to other Alice fans, but also for golf enthusiasts. I've heard that bassist Dennis Dunaway and drummer Neal Smith of the original Alice Cooper group are writing their own memoirs, and I look forward to their books as well. In the meantime, read (and enjoy) Alice Cooper, Golf Monster.