Founded as "The Earwigs" in the spring of 1964, the group featured Vincent Furnier [later known as Alice Cooper on vocals, Dennis Dunaway on bass, and Glen Buxton on guitar. They were shortly after joined by John Tatum on rhythm guitar and John Speer on drums and became Spiders in the fall of 1965. Michael Bruce replaced Tatum on guitar in 1966. The band relocated to Los Angeles in March 1967, changed their name to The Nazz in April. Fellow Phoenix musician and friend Neal Smith moved in with the band in September 1967 and replaced Speer as drummer later that fall. By March of 1968 the band changed their name again, becoming Alice Cooper to prevent confusion with Todd Rundgren's group Nazz.
Lead singer Furnier took on the identity of Alice Cooper onstage and the band went on to become one of the most popular rock bands of the early seventies. Their overblown stage presence basically created shock rock and was hugely influential on the rock scene that followed.
The band split in 1974, initially taking a hiatus with several members working on solo projects. Furnier legally changed his name to Alice Cooper in 1975, and launched a successful solo career. Bruce, Dunaway and Smith went on to form Billion Dollar Babies, named after the most popular Alice Cooper album.
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