How rock star Alice Cooper found freedom in Christ

Published: August 26, 2024

How this rock star found freedom in Christ

By Movieguide® Contributor

Shock rocker Alice Cooper explained how God changed his life and kept him in the music industry to impact millions of fans in unexpected ways.

Although he grew up in a Christian home, Vincent Damon Furnier – whose stage name is Alice Cooper – lost his faith when he began chasing fame. Despite achieving his wildest dreams – a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, multiple rock music awards, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – Furnier's life remained empty.

He sought fulfillment through drugs and alcohol, but he still felt empty. It was only when Furnier returned to his Christian roots that he was able to fill that emptiness in his chest and find peace in the Lord.

“[Jesus] is the core of everything,” Furnier told Greg Laurie, according to Church Leaders. “He is life itself. He is the light. If we are not all centered around Christ, we are somewhere way out in space.”

“It's not something you can explain with words. It happens to your heart where you suddenly realize who that is and you realize, 'Oh my God, I'm not worthy of that,'” he continued. “And yet I'm still hanging on the cross. He knew your name, he knew my name, and that made me think, 'How can I not believe?' It changes your heart.”

“If the Lord is not in your life, you're always going to try to fill that hole with something,” Furnier added. “Either it's drugs, or Ferraris, or houses, or wives, or this, or that, or fame.”

As Furnier himself discovered, those things are never enough. However, God can use those things – especially fame – for His glory. Rather than retreating from the music scene after rediscovering his faith, Furnier felt the Lord calling him to continue making music and now infuses the gospel with his iconic rock style.

“When I started preaching Christ, everyone thought it was the end of Alice Cooper. [But] “We've never done better. I mean, on every level since I proclaimed Christ. It should have been different. It should have absolutely ruined my career,” he said.

“I believe God took advantage of my alcoholism and drug addiction,” Furnier added. “I sit here and think, I have no idea why you let me live, other than the fact that now I can talk about it and give Him all the glory.”

Speaking about how he has dedicated his life to Christ in the past, Furnier explained why he believes it takes so long for people to turn to Christ to fill their inner emptiness, even if they were raised in the church and already have a basic knowledge of the gospel.

“I think it's because they don't want to give up their divinity,” he told Laurie in 2021. “They believe in the Hollywood version of, 'Oh, I do more good than bad,' things like that. And I say, 'Boy, Satan has you right where he wants you: Believing that.'”

“Because 'I am the way, the truth and the life, and no man comes to the Father but through me,' those are the truest words ever spoken,” Furnier added, quoting John 14:6. “How can you deny that? As far as I'm concerned, my life is based on that now. It's not based on my rock and roll.”

Movieguide® previously reported:

Although rock star Alice Cooper is eccentric on stage, he attributes his efforts to stay sober to his faith in God and the power of prayer.

Cooper, who married Sheryl Goddard in 1976, is also devoted to his family. The couple has two daughters, Sonora and Calico, and a son, Dashiell.

“My grandparents were married for 76 years, my parents for over 50 years, my wife's parents for over 50 years,” Cooper told Page Six. “For me, that was when you got married. I always tell people, don't marry the person you love, marry the person you're in love with. That means you would never hurt that person.”

However, Cooper struggled with alcoholism and threatened to destroy their marriage. In November 1983, Goddard filed for divorce, but the couple reconciled about a year later.

Although Cooper's alcoholism didn't manifest itself in anger or inability to finish his shows, it was killing him inside.