// BBC ENTERTAINMENT & ARTS — MODA & SOCIETÀ
'Alice Cooper is a character, like Jekyll and Hyde'
Alice Cooper opens up about his stage persona in his new book
Rock legend Alice Cooper has opened up about his redemption arc from the stage to the church ahead of a book tour pit stop in Wolverhampton.
"It's such a strange life that I had because I was the prodigal son. I grew up in a Christian church, went as far away as you can, then came back," he told BBC Radio WM.
It comes after the singer-songwriter published his autobiography, Devil on My Shoulder, earlier this month, detailing the highs and lows of his nearly six-decade career that earned him the title of the Godfather of Shock Rock.
He is set to appear at the University of Wolverhampton at The Halls on Tuesday.
Known for hits such as School's Out, Poison and I'm Eighteen, Cooper, whose real name is Vincent Damon Furnier, spoke about the stark difference between himself and his on-stage alter ego.
"Alice, the character I play on stage, couldn't be more opposite to me.
"All through the book, I'll say something and the character will come in and go, 'Wait a minute, that didn't happen like that', so I'm arguing with my character - the Jekyll and Hyde thing all the way through the book, which is kind of unique," the 78-year-old said.
He added: "I love playing him because that's who he is and he should be that on stage, but off stage we don't think alike at all.
"I'm in church on Sunday. I even teach Bible study sometimes and you would look at the character on stage and go 'how can that be?'"