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Alice Celebrates 200 Years Of Song

Alice Cooper pulled out all the plugs recently in a Bicentennial tribute to the 200-year history of the American music industry. Although Francis Scott Key might have felt out of place at the extranaganza Alice co-hosted with the Los Angeles Bicentennial Committee at the Hollywood Palladium, the celebration was everything the 2,000 invited guests could have asked for.

To feed the masses, 'Uncle Alice' produced 600 chickens and more than 2000 beefy ribs. To quench their thirst, he produced an open bar. And to reciprocate the bibulous lot downed a record-breaking nine-and-a-half drink per lush - more than twice the previous house record.

The entire 110-piece Royal Cavalier Marching Band, which included some very leggy baton twirlers, spotlighted a dazzling array of acts ranging from Jake Porter's spunky seven-piece Dixieland band to Bob Wilber's Sounds of the Forties. The gregarious Pepe Hernandez, star of the hit satire 'El Grande De Coca Cola,' emceed with a show-stopping imitation of Alice. Johnny "Strong" Junior from the Ringling Borthers Circus was on hand to juggle your fantasies away and Maureen and her miniature animals danced away the evening. "Mister Stills" - a 20-foot-high Uncle Sam - was the traditional door greeter, but he was almost upstaged by the monkey grinder, the Laurel-and-Hardey look-alikes, the Charley Chaplin impersonator, and the numerous rather odd-looking "gorillas." Not to mention "Barbara Streisand," "Carol Channing" and "Mae West," all of whom showed up in drag. Cigarette girls of both sexes gave out cigarettes, suppositories and vaseline, and for a climax Alice popped out of the center of an enormous five-foot cake, only to be chased by mobs of newsmen.

The luminaries ranged from a demure Robert Stacks to an even more reticent Chuck Berry. In between were Steve Tyler, Flo and Eddie, Suzi Quatro, Davey Jones, Rick Springfield, Ron Russel Mael, Buddy Miles, both Alice Cooper bands (past and present), Nigel Olsson, Bill Graham, Ava Cherry, June Bolan and actress Sarah Miles.

It was well worth the $50,000 expense.