HOT GALLERY: These Musicians Found Religion—Some of Them Will Surprise You!
You probably know about some of the more famous musicians who have made their faith public—Cat Stevens’ conversion to Islam, Bob Dylan’s to Christianity—but there are many more whose stories may surprise you. Sometimes it’s actually a rediscovery (many of them grew up in religious households, turned away from faith, and then rediscovered it later). So who are these stars who found God? By Nina Hämmerling SmithShock rocker as born-again Christian? Alice Cooper is living proof. The guy who brought us Alice Cooper Goes to Hell, the anthemic “School’s Out,” and lyrics like “I love the dead before they’re cold/ Their bluing flesh for me to hold” is, in fact, a devoted Christian. Born Vincent Furnier, Cooper grew up in the church; both his father and his grandfather were evangelists. But when he formed a band, he realized that there was a dearth of villains in the music scene. So he consciously constructed the ultimate bad-guy image, even while his early music had a very Christian message—turning away from Satan (whom Cooper describes as “the slickest car salesman you ever saw”). After years of alcoholism and rehab, Cooper straightened out his life with the help of his faith. “I’m the perfect example of the prodigal son,” Cooper said on a Christian TV show. Cooper founded the faith-based Solid Rock organization, which gives kids a productive, creative alternative to drugs and violence. Still, the violent imagery in his stage show (guillotines and all) may seem, you know, kind of at odds with his Christianity. But he doesn’t see it that way. “Alice is a character,” he told the Houston Press. “And between me and the Lord, the Lord knows that.”
August 22, 2012 at 10:24 am, Brenda said:
Alice makes no bones about his faith. He won’t beat you over the head with it, but he will definitely talk about it if you bring up the subject. He tries to be a good witness through his lifestyle. He’s always been faithful to his wife, even before he was a Christian. His shows are “dark humor”, yes, but they aren’t dirty, and the songs definitely convey a message of “pick good over evil”. I always tell people to not judge him if they don’t know what he’s about, because all they see is the black eye makeup, the long hair, and the loud rock music. If they knew who he was and what his message is, they would stop and listen and see the light.
November 06, 2012 at 5:32 am, Emmy said:
…. said the small brained lemming, who believes in the great Zampano … sitting in the darlegst hole of the univers pissing in his holy pants while laughing about the idiots on earth. ——— If “god” exsists, he is a scary and brutal monster.
January 31, 2013 at 11:18 am, Bespectacled English Dylan Fan said:
Emmy…
Why are you being so nasty and unpleasant? Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs (or lack of), but you have no reason to pick on others because their beliefs conflict with yours.
What’s even worse is that Brenda wasn’t even talking about atheism or agnosticism in a negative light – she was simply saying that Alice Cooper is a great musician!
That’s all.