Alice Cooper's Rock Teen Center opens

[JRNYMAN]

Just one more example of the kind of guy Alice is. His presence here in Arizona is felt by so many. The number of charities/causes he's either associated with or is the founder of is huge. And the best part of his celebrity is how normal of a guy he is. He has always remained accessible, never being one of those "arm's length" types. And it's not just the fans who like him. Everyone in the music biz seems to have the utmost respect for him and I've personally never read a single negative word said by anyone.

http://www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/mus ... kfest.html

For 11 years, Alice Cooper has hosted an annual Christmas Pudding variety show to raise funds for a Rock Teen Center that, according to his Solid Rock Foundation website, would "allow teens to build confidence and discover their passion through music, dance, self-expression and creativity."

A "creative sanctuary for troubled teens," the Rock Teen Center is open for business and hosting a free Summer Rockfest for teens on Friday, June 29, with live performances by Run 2 Cover, Ricochet Reloaded and Prone to Wander, as well as pizza and age-appropriate beverages.

There is an age restriction for the concert of 13-20.

The Rock Teen Center is also looking for guitar and drum instructors to volunteer for music classes and help with teens during the week.

Those classes are free for teens.

In a recent interview with The Republic, Cooper talked about the inspiration for the Rock Teen Center.

"We look at it this way," he said. "If a 13-year-old kid right now is living in an area where the majority of the people are in gangs or into drugs or things like that, this kid doesn't have much of a chance because he's born into it. A lot of guys in gangs that I know don't want their younger brothers or sisters involved in that world. They would rather have them doing something else because, you know, it ends up either dead or in jail.

"That's basically what that life is going to be. So if you can learn bass or guitar or piano, whatever it is, at least it's an option. And that's what we believe in, giving them an option."

Link to the Solid Rock site:
http://www.alicecoopersolidrock.com/