OK, these days it's a blatantly abused cliche to be called a legend in one's own lifetime -- but how else, then, to describe someone who has imposed such a vivid imagination and unusual persona upon an unsuspecting public with as much controversy and success as Alice Cooper? Do you call him The Master of Shock Rock? The Black Humorist Supreme? Or do you simply just acknowledge that he is one of our era's greatest showmen? Because, regardless of whatever title you feel comfortable with bestowing upon him, one fact that is definitely beyond debate is that Alice Cooper's impact on rock & roll is undeniable and everlasting.

From the very beginning, Alice Cooper has been a disturbing proposition that the world has had to learn to deal with. Debuting in 1969, it didn't take long before he turned the music world upside down by wearing outrageous clothing and make-up, and performing loud, hard music that framing witty, sharp-edged lyrics. "We were into fun, sex, death and money when everybody was into peace and love," Alice explains. "We wanted to see what was next. It turned out that we were next -- and we drove a stake right through the heart of the Love Generation." Alice Cooper dug deep to touch a fresh nerve in the formative minds of teenagers everywhere -- an insidious insurrection that brought him countless gold and platinum albums from all around the world, including "Love It To Death," "Killer," "School's Out," "Billion Dollar Babies," "Welcome To My Nightmare," and "Trash." Eternal teen anthems sprung from these records like berserk killer weeds immune to any known pesticide: "School's Out," "I'm Eighteen," "Elected," "No More Mr. Nice Guy," and "Lost In America," as well as the classics "Only Women Bleed" and "Poison."

His recording successes notwithstanding, it is on stage, both musically and visually, that Alice has had his greatest impact. Colossal concert tours utilizing multi-level stage sets and elaborate scenery in ways unprecedented for a rock band have long been the hallmark of an Alice Cooper encounter. Audiences gasp in shock and cheer with delight at such trademarks as the guillotine or the magic screen; the gallows or the electric chair -- with Alice, ever the villain, invariably strapped in to receive the 50,000-watt hand of Justice. Tours continually topped each preceding one, each one setting a new standard for sheer technical wizardry and audacious theatrical imagination.

Long before there was ever an MTV, Alice's "Elected" video was one of the very first non-performance clips ever produced that contained an actual story line. Even more ground-breaking was his ABC network television special, "Welcome To My Nightmare," which co-starred both Alice and Vincent Price and was, essentially, the very first long-form video album containing musical performances for each song on he album, intertwined with narrative sequences.

One of the first rock stars to have his own Marvel comic in the '70's, Alice's 1994 album, "The Last Temptation," was a multi-media event released in conjunction with a trilogy of Marvel comics, all based on the concept of the album, and all done in collaboration with noted comics author Neil Gaiman, best-known for his award-winning Sandman series.

The Coop has also made many a movie and television appearance -- alongside such stars as Helen Hayes, Mae West, and Gene Wilder, among others -- including, most notably, "Wayne's World," "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare," "Roadie," "John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness," and "Something Wilder."

Alice's latest album is the new Guardian Records release "A Fistful Of Alice," a paint-blistering live album recorded in Mexico that features special guests Slash, Rob Zombie, and Sammy Hagar, and is 100% guaranteed to break leases and shatter noise by-laws every time it's cranked up to full volume.

Also in release is "Prime Cuts: The Alice Cooper Story," a 90 minute home video shockumentary of Alice's career. This is to be followed in 1999 by the long-awaited release of the definitive multi-CD box set, "The Life & Crimes of Alice Cooper," an authoritative and comprehensive chronicle of Alice's entire musical history.

Face it: Alice Cooper brought show business and rock & roll together in ways never seen before, and rarely seen since -- and the shock waves he created are still shaking the foundations of both.

Which is why the legend of Alice Cooper is still living and continues to thrive strong and unabated, well into the 1990's...and beyond.