Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Remembering the original Alice Cooper co-founder and guitarist Glen Buxton

Known for his raw, intense guitar riffs, Buxton played a vital role in shaping the band’s distinctive sound, especially on classics like “I’m Eighteen” and “School’s Out”

Remembering the original Alice Cooper co-founder and guitarist Glen Buxton



The influential rock guitarist Glen Buxton, best known for his work with the original Alice Cooper band, was born Glen Edward Buxton on November 10, 1947, in Akron, Ohio. Raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Buxton was passionate about music from a young age, drawing early inspiration from rock and roll’s electric energy and rebellious spirit. He eventually co-founded what would become one of the most groundbreaking rock bands of the 1970s.
Buxton’s career took off in the 1960s when he joined The Spiders, a band that would evolve into Alice Cooper after the addition of bandmate Vincent Furnier, who took on the stage name Alice Cooper. Known for his raw, intense guitar riffs, Buxton played a vital role in shaping the band’s distinctive sound, especially on classics like “I’m Eighteen” and “School’s Out.” His powerful guitar work became a defining element of the band’s identity, blending rock with theatrical, horror-inspired visuals that pushed the boundaries of the music scene at the time.
The band’s 1971 breakthrough album, Love It to Death, established them as rock icons. Buxton’s guitar work on School’s Out (1972) propelled Alice Cooper to the top of the charts and solidified their influence in the hard rock and glam rock movements. Buxton’s style and creativity greatly influenced the genre, and he was known for his innovative, gritty approach to guitar that inspired countless musicians.
Buxton was known for his rebellious, rock-and-roll lifestyle, which at times included struggles with alcohol. His hard-living persona became part of his mystique but also impacted his health and relationships within the band. Due to health issues, he gradually stepped back from the band after the release of Billion Dollar Babies in 1973.
Buxton led a private and somewhat isolated life after leaving the band. He continued to make music and occasionally reunited with his former bandmates for special performances and projects.
Glen Buxton passed away from complications of pneumonia on October 19, 1997, in Clarion, Iowa, at the age of 49. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Alice Cooper in 2011.



Watch Alice Cooper performing their classic “School’s Out” in 1972

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