It’s Only Rock and Roll, But I Like It

By Annette Badwey Gurney, granddaughter*

*Relation to Andy and/or Flora Lehr

Like many teenage girls, I had a crush on a rock star.  Unlike many teenage girls, I never got over mine.

I attended my first Alice Cooper concert in 1973 when I was fourteen years old.  I went with Corky Cook and Kevin Caldwell, and Corky’s folks had to drive us to Wichita because none of us had full driver’s licenses.  I fell hard for the hard-driving music, the show’s theatrics, and the clever lyrics.  But it was Alice himself who was truly mesmerizing, if not a little frightening.  This girl from El Dorado, Kansas had never seen anything like it.  As a pre-teen, I loved the Beatles.  My tenth birthday cake was even decorated with small Beatles figures with mop tops.  I remember how Dad thought the Beatles’ “long” hair was outrageous.  I was lucky he had no idea who Alice Cooper was, or I would never have been allowed to go.

Alice Cooper, originally Vincent Furnier, was born on February 4, 1948.  He played in a band in high school, and the band did not take off until it caught the attention of Frank Zappa.  He was dubbed the “Godfather of Shock Rock” with his shows containing mock executions, boa constrictors, and fake blood.  In a television interview with Dan Rather, Alice described his addiction to alcohol and cocaine and shared that he has been sober since 1983, although now he is addicted to golf.  Alice, who is proudly Christian, married his wife, Cheryl, in 1976 and they have three children.  His biggest hit songs are I’m Eighteen, School’s Out, Poison, No More Mr. Nice Guy, Elected, andOnly Women Bleed.  He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.s

Alice Cooper interview Tonight with Johnny Carson June 14th, 1977

Interview with Alice Cooper, 2025

Alice performs with a second band, The Hollywood Vampires, which also includes Johnny Depp and Aerosmith’s Joe Perry.  The original Hollywood Vampires were a celebrity drinking club in the 1970s, of which Alice was the elected honorary president.  Because the artists slept all day, and emerged at night to party, a waitress at the LA Rainbow Bar and Grill called them a bunch of vampires.  Other members included John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon (of the Who), Harry Nilsson, Micky Dolenz (of The Monkees), Bernie Taupin, and John Belushi.  The Hollywood Vampires band honors their friends who have passed by playing covers of classic rock songs as well as their original material. 

I have always loved live music.  Going to college and law school in Topeka put me closer to Kansas City, which increased my concert opportunities.  Larry (long before I married him) and I took my sisters, Emily and Meg, to see KISS when the girls were in grade school.  Larry does not enjoy crowded venues, so he has only attended a few major shows such as The Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Fleetwood Mac.  He has never seen Alice and is a good sport about my “infatuation”.  My sisters and I still attend concerts together, and Emily and I have tickets to see Pitbull this September.  My nieces, Ashley Badwey Corkill and Becky Badwey Schaeffner, have also attended Alice concerts with me. 

In 1984, I became an Assistant District Attorney in Wichita, Kansas.  During my first couple of years in the office, the county commissioners were receiving complaints from their constituents about the obscene lyrics that rock bands were singing during concerts at the Kansas Coliseum, a venue in Sedgwick County just north of Wichita.  My colleague, Debra Barnett, and I volunteered to attend all the concerts and listen intently for these obscenities.  It was a great gig!  We were able to go backstage and all throughout the venue, as we watched the shows. 

During the Motley Crue concert, our boss, District Attorney Clark Owens, along with County Commissioner David Bayouth, showed up.  During the concert, as we four moved through the space between the stage and the security barricade, women were flashing their breasts at the band, which because of our location, meant they also flashed Clark and David.  At least it wasn’t obscene lyrics!  Eventually, Deb and I both moved over to the United States Attorney’s Office, and we have continued to attend concerts together for the last forty years, often with one or more of our kids, who we indoctrinated at a young age. 

Off the top of my head (and in no particular order), I am fortunate to have seen the Carpenters, Cher, Robert Palmer, Journey, Britney Spears, Jimmy Buffet, Black Sabbath, Heart, Maroon 5, Cindy Lauper, Taylor Swift, James Taylor, Bruno Mars, Pink, Black Oak Arkansas, ZZ Top, Frank Zappa, New Kids on The Block, Three Dog Night, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Diamond, Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Jethro Tull, Billy Joel, Def Leopard, Van Halen, Rob Zombie, Steely Dan, Bob Seeger, Air Supply, Blue Oyster Cult, Electric Light Orchestra, Edgar Winter, Deep Purple, Todd Rundgren, Gary Wright, Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Eagles, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, Jefferson Starship and George Thorogood. 

In addition to seeing Alice numerous times, I have seen these artists multiple times: KISS (because they are Deb’s favorite band), the Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Rod Stewart.  Though I am not much of a country fan, I have also seen George Strait, Waylon Jennings, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Kelly Clarkson, Reba McIntyre, Alabama, and Willie Nelson.  According to the internet, The Grateful Dead appeared with Willie Nelson at his July 4, 1978 picnic/concert, which I attended at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.  Unfortunately, due to being overserved, I do not remember the Dead’s set, so they are not included on my list of bands.  One artist I missed was Donny Osmond because in eighth grade, my mom gave me the choice of seeing Donny Osmond or getting my ears pierced, and I chose my ears!

A few of my concert road trips have included Milwaukee to see the Hollywood Vampires (along with Deb, my son Sam, and daughter, Julia), Denver and Dallas to see the Stones, and multiple trips to Dallas, Fort Worth, Topeka, and Kansas City, to see Alice with the most recent trips being Las Vegas in March 2026 with Julia (where he performed with Criss Angel) and Topeka in April 2026 with Deb.  At the Las Vegas show, Alice played my favorite song, You and Me, which he had not performed live since 1978.

Alice Cooper – You And Me (Official Music Video)

After attending thirty-plus Alice concerts, I have lost count.  Although that may sound like a lot, remember, it is spread out over fifty-three years.  Two extremely memorable shows are the times I got to meet him.  The first time was in 2009 after a small show at a casino in Kansas City, Missouri.  I was so nervous and excited!  There were six or seven other people who had purchased the after-show package and we got to hang out in Alice’s dressing room while he regaled us with stories of Hollywood Hills parties, conversations with other rock stars such as Mick Jagger, and an incident with Elvis that involved a gun.  Because he has been performing since the 1960s, he knew everyone and had lots of stories.  When it was time to get our photos taken, Alice suddenly pretended to choke me.  You can tell by the photograph how startled I was.  Julia and I also had a meet-and-greet photo opportunity in Dallas in 2024.

Julia Gurney, Alie Cooper, Annette Gurney, Dallas, Texas, 2024.  From the collection of Annette Gurney.

These concerts have brought me so much joy and I do not intend to stop anytime soon, budget and leisure time permitting.  Deb and I will be in Cincinnati in September for work and, afterwards, we are taking the train to Cleveland to tour the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, something that has been on my bucket list for a while.  Julia, Deb and I are also contemplating a future European trip to catch the Vampires.  If anyone wants to attend their first Alice concert, I am happy to accompany you.