Not The Earwigs, Not His Solo Career: Alice Cooper's Supergroup That's Still Rocking

Vincent Furnier, aka Alice Cooper, is one of the most influential figures in American rock, whose theatrical performances and shock-heavy records of the early 1970s set the template for a wide range of artists, from goth provocateurs to the hair metal bands of the '80s and '90s. But in recent years, Cooper has toured the world as part of a hard rock supergroup: the Hollywood Vampires, alongside legendary Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry and movie icon Johnny Depp, who plays guitar in the band.

Cooper rose to prominence as the front man of a band of the same name, but officially took the name Alice Cooper to become a solo act in 1975. Prior to that, he got his start fronting the Beatles-parody group the Earwigs in the 1960s while still in high school. Fast forward to the 21st century, and despite being an unexpected lineup, the Hollywood Vampires have enjoyed international success since forming in 2012, with two warmly received studio albums and a reputation for electric live shows.

The origins of the Hollywood Vampires supergroup came in 2011, when Alice Cooper was working alongside Johnny Depp on the set of the Tim Burton movie "Dark Shadows." The two bonded over their shared love of classic hard rock and British Invasion bands, and set about creating a musical project together, inviting Aerosmith's Joe Perry to form a trio.

The name Hollywood Vampires was originally that of a drinking club Cooper founded in the 1970s, which attracted the cream of the entertainment industry for late-night debauchery when Hollywood hedonism was at its height. Among the members were John Lennon — especially active during his notorious "lost weekend" period — The Who drummer Keith Moon, crooner Harry Nilsson, and others, who would meet at the Rainbow on Hollywood's Sunset Strip. "I told Johnny, 'They're all dead now. Let's do an homage to them,'" Cooper told Rolling Stone in 2015.

The Hollywood Vampires soon established a working relationship that allowed them to indulge their love of classic rock and macabre imagery. The trio's first album came in 2015, featuring two originals, a plethora of hard rock covers, and a battalion of A-list guest stars including Paul McCartney, Slash, and horror actor Christopher Lee, who opens the album with a reading from "Dracula."

The band quickly earned a reputation for their energetic live shows, pulling in a large number of acclaimed musicians to fill out their touring band. Their debut show was at the Roxy in Los Angeles in 2015, where they were joined by stars including Guns N' Roses' Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, as well as The Who's touring drummer, Zak Starkey.

In the years that followed, Hollywood Vampires shows have become a big draw for rock fans looking to experience an all-star lineup revisit classic rock numbers alongside Vampires originals. Early setlists included big crowd-pleasers such as Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love," while later shows have included the Who's "Baba O'Riley" and David Bowie's "Heroes." Alice Cooper classics "I'm Eighteen" and "School's Out" have, of course, been staples of Hollywood Vampires shows throughout the band's existence, as has Aerosmith's "Walk This Way." Another studio album, "Rise," came in 2019, followed by two live albums in the 2020s, and they continue to tour widely.