Alice Cooper Honored at Rock Academy

Alice Cooper made a return trip to Sioux Falls Friday (July 12) to be at the dedication of the recording studio at the Brennan Rock & Roll Academy in his honor.

The 'Welcome to My Nightmare' studio features top of the line recording equipment for Boys & Girls Club kids to learn that aspect of the business on while recording the young musicians who will put on their first show in September.

The closed ceremony did include several kids who are currently taking music lessons from area musicians greeting Cooper as he arrived at the Academy for the first time since performing at the Grand Opening week.

Cooper is a long time friend of Academy founder Chuck Brennan and has been an inspiration for the facility as he started the Solid Rock Foundation in Phoenix about a year ago and says they've seen a marked decline in kids in crisis in that area thanks in part to the kids having rock music as an outlet.

It was my first time back at the facility as well since the grand opening week and the walls are now decorated with a lots of great photos from that memorable week that included performances from Cooper, Night Ranger, Robby Krieger of the Doors, Sebastian Bach of Skid Row, Vince Neil of Motley Crue and many more.

Cooper was on an off night before playing Council Bluffs, Iowa tonight (July 13) and the Twin Cities tomorrow (July 14) so when Brennan asked if he would come back for the dedication, he was more than happy to be here.

The cost to be a Boys & Girls Club member is just $25 per year. Included in that is free music lessons from volunteer area musicians. I know several of the instructors and parents of some of the kids and they all are absolutely thrilled with this facility being available here in Sioux Falls.

Here's a short interview with Cooper that I got to be a part of. Look for more very cool things coming soon from the Brennan Rock & Roll Academy for Boys & Girls Club kids here in Sioux Falls.