Before the Fame: How Jimi Hendrix Introduced Alice Cooper to Rock’s Dark Side!

Alice Cooper Opens Up: How Jimi Hendrix Handed Him His First Joint, Golf Saved His Life, and Why Fame Alone Wasn’t Enough”

Rock legend Alice Cooper has lived a life packed with wild stories, near-tragedies, and surprising revelations. In part three of an exclusive interview, the iconic performer reflects on his battle with addiction, his surprising passion for golf, finding faith, and the honor of being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In earlier parts of the interview series, Cooper had already spilled the tea on his infamous “chicken incident,” his relationships with Kiss, David Bowie, and Elton John, his first radio hit, and his unrelenting passion for touring—even at age 77. Now, he opens up even more personally.

A Golfer at Heart

When asked about his unlikely obsession with golf—a sport worlds away from his theatrical rock shows—Cooper explained:
“Golf is my escape from rock ‘n’ roll,” he said. Touring life is intense, but to stay grounded, he and his bandmates, who also happen to be avid golfers, organize rounds of golf every day on the road.
“We wake up, play nine holes, then get ready for the night’s show,” Cooper shared.
He even jokes that golf is his “good” addiction, replacing the destructive habits of his past.

Faith Over Fame

One of those destructive habits was alcohol. Cooper candidly discussed how finding Jesus Christ changed everything.
“I had everything—the best wife, a successful career, fame, but not the most important thing: Jesus,” he admitted.
When Cooper hit rock bottom, he checked into a hospital and, remarkably, never touched alcohol again.
“It’s been 42 years without even the desire to drink,” he said, crediting divine intervention for his recovery.

The Hidden Signs of Addiction

Reflecting on his alcoholism, Cooper revealed he wasn’t the stereotypical drunk:
“I never missed a show. I knew all my lines. I was always functional. But inside, my body was screaming,” he recalled.
One terrifying morning when he vomited blood served as a brutal wake-up call.
A psychiatrist helped him realize a hard truth:
“Alice wasn’t the problem. It was me, the guy behind the character, who was broken.”

First Joint? Courtesy of Jimi Hendrix

In a lighter moment, Cooper recounted his early days dabbling in marijuana—revealing that none other than Jimi Hendrix passed him his very first joint.
“Back then, every band smoked grass. Hendrix handed me my first joint,” he laughed.
While drugs never became a major issue for Cooper, alcohol—a legal drug—almost destroyed him.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: A Dream Come True

Despite the typical rockstar bravado about not caring for awards, Cooper admitted that getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011 was a career highlight.
“Everyone says they don’t care—until they get in,” he laughed.
Sitting among legends like Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger was humbling, he said.
“We were just a Detroit garage band lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.”
However, Cooper voiced a little skepticism about the Hall’s direction today, questioning whether some newer inductees truly fit the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll.
“Back then, you got in because you changed the game, not just because you sold a lot of records,” he added.

In the end, for Alice Cooper, it wasn’t fame, records, or even golf that saved him—it was faith, family, and learning to live without the self-destructive crutches he once thought he needed.