Using Elvis Presley, Alice Cooper and Nirvana in the same sentence is likely incongruous to most serious pop/rock music fans. Each artist occupies a vastly different space in the rock music world…… Elvis, the quintessential rock ‘n’ roll and pop star, Alice Cooper the master of shock rock-heavy metal, and Kurt Cobain (and Nirvana), icons of grunge-punk rock.
During tyheir careers all three were perceived by the mainstream to be anti-establishment - and there is also one other thing that brings all three icons together in place and time…..
EIN Spotlight by Nigel Patterson
- April 2022
|
 |
Using Elvis Presley, Alice Cooper and Nirvana in the same sentence is likely incongruous to most serious pop/rock music fans. Each artist occupies a vastly different space in the rock music world……Elvis, the quintessential rock ‘n’ roll and pop star, Alice Cooper the master of shock rock-heavy metal, and Kurt Cobain (and Nirvana), icons of grunge-punk rock.
Primordially, they share the trait of being “controversial”. All three were perceived by the mainstream to be anti-establishment - admittedly, on his post-Army return to America, Elvis quickly transformed from societal rebel to the boy next door. But beyond this, they share other surprising connections which are testament to their roles as leaders in their respective fields of popular music, and how that leadership and their disparate genres of music, intertwine.
And there is one thing that brings all three icons together in place and time…..
But, first things first…..
About the players…
Elvis Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977)
EIN assumes readers know the back story to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and no overview is necessary (if this is a problem for any readers, we recommend counselling).
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – c. April 5, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, artist and musician. He was the front man of the rock band Nirvana, serving as the band's guitarist, lead vocalist, and primary songwriter. Through his angst-fuelled song writing and anti-establishment persona, Cobain's compositions widened the thematic conventions of mainstream rock music. He was often heralded as a spokesman of Generation X and is considered to be one of the “most influential” musicians in the history of alternative rock.
During his years growing up, Cobain often drew during school classes. His love of literature would later shine in the lyrics to his songs. At school, Kurt would also draw objects, including those associated with the human anatomy. When given a caricature assignment for an art course, Cobain drew Michael Jackson, but was told by the teacher that the image was inappropriate for a school hallway. He then drew an image of then-President Ronald Reagan that was seen as "unflattering".
In his songs, Cobain focused on melodies. As front man for his band, Nirvana, he found global success with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from the group’s critically acclaimed second album, Nevermind (1991).
During the last years of his life, Cobain struggled with heroin addiction and chronic health problems including depression. He also struggled with the personal and professional pressures of fame, and he had a tumultuous relationship with his wife, fellow musician Courtney Love. In March 1994, Cobain overdosed on a combination of champagne and Rohypnol, and after an intervention underwent a detox program.
On April 8, 1994, Cobain was found dead at his home in Seattle at the age of 27; police concluding he had died on April 5 from a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. He is a member of the cultural phenomenon known as the 27 Club.
Like Elvis, Kurt Cobain has inspired a vast library of books about his life and music. While the number of books about Elvis is in the thousands, there is an impressively more than 100 (and growing) books about Kurt Cobain.
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (real name: Vince Furnier) was born on February 4, 1948 in Detroit, Michigan. He fronts the world-famous band, Alice Cooper. The Alice Cooper Band took life in 1968. Its previous name was Nazz, and was changed as the legendary Todd Rundgren (I Saw the Light) also had a band by that name. They chose the name "Alice Cooper" largely because it sounded innocuous and wholesome, in humorous contrast to the band's image and music.
As recorded on Wikipedia, Alice Cooper's "shock rock" reputation apparently developed almost by accident at first. An unrehearsed stage routine involving Cooper, a feather pillow, and a live chicken garnered attention from the press; the band decided to capitalize on the tabloid sensationalism, creating in the process a new subgenre, shock rock.
Cooper claims that the infamous "Chicken Incident" at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival concert in September 1969 was an accident. A chicken somehow made its way onto the stage during Cooper's performance, and not having any experience with farm animals, Cooper presumed that, because the chicken had wings, it would be able to fly. He picked it up and threw it out over the crowd, expecting it to fly away. The chicken instead plummeted into the first few rows occupied by wheelchair users, who reportedly proceeded to tear the bird to pieces.
The next day the incident made the front page of national newspapers, and record producer, Frank Zappa phoned Cooper and asked if the story, which reported that he had bitten off the chicken's head and drunk its blood on stage, was true. Cooper denied the rumor, whereupon Zappa told him, "Well, whatever you do, don't tell anyone you didn't do it”.
The group's 1971 tour featured a stage show involving mock fights and gothic torture modes being imposed on Cooper, climaxing in a staged execution by electric chair, with the band sporting tight, sequined, color-contrasting glam rock-style costumes made by prominent rock-fashion designer Cindy Dunaway (sister of band member Neal Smith, and wife of band member Dennis Dunaway).
By the time of Cooper’s 1971 album, Killer, the Alice Cooper shock rock persona was in full flight… Thematically, Killer expanded on the villainous side of Cooper's androgynous stage role, with its music becoming the soundtrack to the group's morality-based stage show, which by then featured a boa constrictor hugging Cooper on-stage, the murderous axe chopping of bloodied baby dolls, and execution by hanging at the gallows.
Elvis, Kurt, Alice…….the connections….
The connections between the three seminal artists are diverse, as these random examples of factual reports and humorous media commercials show:
Kurt Cobain, Elvis Presley, and more 'Chill on Remote Island' in Beer Ad
Did Elvis, Cobain, Lennon or Tupac really die?
Apparently not; they just holed up on a deserted island with two goals in mind: drink a lot of beer and don’t get caught doing so. (EIN comment: And exactly what is wrong with this?)
At least, that’s the narrative in a new commercial for Bavaria Brewery’s Bavaria Radler beer. In the minute-long clip, Kurt Cobain, Elvis Presley and more musicians who died young party and relax on a remote island, drinking the lemon-esque beverage.
Suddenly, a ship appears on the horizon, leading the island’s denizens to close up shop to avoid detection. Still, the ship’s captain believes he’s able to spot Elvis, whose potbelly is sticking out from behind a tree.
Marilyn Monroe, Tupac Shakur, John Lennon and Bruce Lee — or, actors portraying them — also make appearances in the ad. (Kevin Rutherford, Delta College, 2014). Watch the TV Ad below..
Kurt Cobain is the "new Elvis" - tops Elvis in earnings
The news reports in October 2006 said it all: 'Rock ‘n’ roll legend Elvis Presley ceded his crown as the top-earning dead celebrity to Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain."
Forbes.com said Cobain earned $50 million between October 2005 and October 2006. Presley wound up in the No. 2 slot with $42 million. Forbes bases its dollar amounts on licensing deals for using the deceased celebrities’ work or image in advertising or elsewhere.
This was Cobain’s first time on the list. Presley has topped the list since its inception six years previously.
Cobain’s status was a result of his widow, singer Courtney Love, selling a 25% stake in Nirvana’s song catalog to New York music publishing company PrimeWave.
EIN Note: Kurt Cobain completely exited the Forbes list the following year when Elvis regained the #1 spot.
Rare memorabilia from The Beatles, Elvis, Kurt Cobain rake in millions
(Yahoo Finance Alexis Christoforous-Anchor, May 24, 2017)
The historic Santana drum set that Michael Shrieve played at the 1969 Woodstock festival was one of the priciest items sold on May 20 at the “Music Icons 2017” auction at New York City’s Hard Rock Café. The drum set sold for $187,500 and was one of more than 380 lots in the sale hosted
by Julien’s Auctions.
An original painting by late Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain of four raccoons in a black tree commanded $64,000:
But the most expensive item at the auction was a horseshoe-shaped diamond ring that Elvis Presley wore during his famous 1973 “Aloha from Hawaii” television special. The ring fetched $204,800.
Analysing Elvis Presley and Kurt Cobain
A more studious analysis of Elvis Presley and Kurt Cobain can be found in a fascinating, thoughtful, but ultimately biased, article by Ally Sabedra, The King Dead on the Throne: An Analytical Comparison of Elvis Presley's and Kurt Cobain's Legacies after Death.
Pertinent extracts from the article are:
When remembering Elvis Presley, most people view him not with respectful admiration for his significant contributions to rock and roll; it is with humor and ridicule that the king of rock and roll is remembered. Since his tragically premature death on August 16, 1977, at the age of forty-two years old, Elvis' image has become a shell of what it was only twenty years earlier. When Elvis died, his successful career as a defining musician of the rock and roll movement dissolved, and a new legacy began: that of the overweight has-been who spent the last minutes of his life on the toilet. Unlike Elvis, other musicians who have faced a similar fate are raised to idyllic standards that, in most cases, exceed the accomplishments of their careers.
One of these musicians is Kurt Cobain, who tragically died at twenty-seven after a short but extremely successful career with the legendary grunge band Nirvana. Cobain's unfortunate death catapulted him into eternal stardom with other famous musicians like John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, and Buddy Holly. In contrasting several significant differences between the lives and deaths of the two extraordinary musicians, one understands why in general Elvis' death has caused him to be viewed as comical while Kurt Cobain's death has elevated him to an untouchable status in rock and roll history.
When Elvis died on August 16, 1977, the official cause was cardiac arrhythmia. However, a suicidal combination of prescription pills was found to be in his system. Some attribute his death to the depression caused by his dissolving image.
Kurt Cobain, on the other hand, was in the prime of his blossoming career when he died in his Washington home on April 5, 1994.
Not only were the careers of Elvis Presley and Kurt Cobain in different places when they died, but the circumstances of their deaths had tremendous effects on the way they would be viewed after they were gone. Elvis died after years of illnesses, including but not limited to hypertension, an enlarged colon, and a weak heart. Not only was he in and out of hospitals during his last years, but also he was suffering from an "isolated," deep depression that forced him to "create his own world" and "retreat into himself". Although his bathroom death was a shock to the public, that later became the punch line for most Elvis jokes. By this time, Elvis had withered away to the point of reclusion and depression, unfortunate circumstances that made Elvis' tragic death somewhat predictable, and although there were some conspiracy theories about Elvis faking his death, these rumors proved to be purely fictitious. The slow decline of one of America's icons followed by the predictability of his death made the events of Elvis' last days less drastic, which in turn gave people the opportunity to find humor, which eventually evolved to the ridicule associated with Elvis today.
Although Cobain's spiraling drug abuse and suicide attempt only five days prior to his actual death made the predictability somewhat similar to Elvis' death, Cobain's death in 1994 was under entirely different circumstances. Despite being at the peak of his career, Cobain was found dead in his home due to a shotgun wound to the head. He had three times the lethal dose of heroin in his system, and a suicide note lay next to him. Not only was Cobain's death much more shocking and dramatic than Elvis', but after closer examination of the evidence at the site of Cobain's death, homicide was not completely ruled out. The controversial debate of how Cobain actually died created a craze of people making movies, writing books, and investigating what really happened in his Seattle home. The shock of his premature death combined with the drama of a possible homicide captivated the public and focused their attention on more serious, tragic aspects of his death. These early perspectives immediately following Elvis' and Cobain's deaths are what shape the views people will share of them in the future. In Elvis' case, the lasting perspective was humorous, pathetic, and ridiculous. With Cobain, as with numerous other musicians who died early, his death was tragically saddening and dramatic.
Elvis has made somewhat of a comeback, even more successful than that of his 1970s attempt. In 1991, when Graceland became a National Park and was open to the public, people came from far and wide to see where Elvis spent his last years. Even today Graceland continues to be a popular tourist location. In addition to this newfound success, Elvis' early hits have been remixed into anthems for today's youth. In 2004, Elvis' "A Little Less Conversation" became the theme song for the World Cup. Since then the public has seen even more Elvis' originals used in today's pop culture. The manipulation of Elvis' early success to fit the mold of the new generation's culture will help in redefining the star, and possibly erase some of the humorous connotation that has followed Elvis' name for the last few decades.
 |
Ms Sabedra’s bias is most evident in this narratively exaggerated passage:
After Cobain's shocking death, on top of the continued production of his music, there was an explosion of fans writing books and making movies defending their beliefs on Cobain's cause of death. Starting in 1994, the same year of his death, the books began to be published. Biographies, like Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana and Heavier than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain, conspiracy theorizing books, such as Who Killed Kurt Cobain? and Love and Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain, and even a publication of Cobain's personal journals flooded the market. Only a few years after his death, filmmakers created documentaries, like Kurt & Courtney. These films are still being made today with the 2006 release of Kurt Cobain: About a Son. Although no new music has been released under Cobain's name since his death, it has been suggested that Cobain's wife, Courtney Love, has used his compositions and lyrics for her own band, Hole. After Cobain died, Cobain's fans especially were, and still are, captivated by the fascination and intrigue surrounding his death. All the continually released media fuels that fascination. As long as Cobain and his tragic death continue to be a marketable amenity for the music industry, his legacy will continue to rise to unthinkable heights.
Elvis Presley is widely accepted as a pioneer in the creation of the rock and roll movement. Simultaneously, he is remembered by many as the washed-up has-been who died on the toilet. In examining the lives and deaths of Elvis Presley and Kurt Cobain, one can understand why the king of rock and roll is remembered with ridicule and Kurt Cobain has been raised to idyllic standards. The status of the musicians' careers at the times of their deaths, the differing circumstances of their deaths, and the new media and publicity surrounding their deaths are all significant contributing factors in understanding the public's differing reception of these stars and the forming of their legacies. To quote Cobain's famous departing line on his suicide note, words he borrowed from a Neil Young song, "It's better to burn out than fade away." Elvis' slow fade out of the rock and roll industry in comparison to Cobain's cliff-hanger ending is an excellent example of the truth in Cobain's final words.
EIN Note: The investigation of, and interest in, Kurt Cobain’s death, pales in comparison with that around Elvis. The conspiracy theory around Elvis’ death continues to have resonance 45 years after it was first suggested! It has resulted in the sale of millions of books (there have been more than 70 different books) and there are still a number of social media groups actively discussing its themes today. While we appreciate Kurt Cobain’s musical legacy, EIN seriously doubts, as Ms Sebadra suggests, that the Nirvana leader’s “legacy will continue to rise to unthinkable heights”.
Alice Cooper pulls a gun on Elvis
The Elvis-Alice Cooper connection is well known. Alice Cooper recounted the story as reported by ultimaterock.com...
Alice Cooper’s career is full of bizarre and colorful moments, yet few rival the night he met - and pointed a gun at - Elvis Presley.
The incident took place in 1970, when the shock rocker received an invitation seemingly out of nowhere.
“I got a thing that said, ‘Elvis wants to meet you,’”
Cooper was one of four people summoned to the King’s hotel room at the Las Vegas Hilton that night. As he recalled, the others were Liza Minnelli, Chubby Checker and porn star Linda Lovelace.
The group rode up in an elevator together and was searched for guns when they arrived on Presley's floor, “which was kind of silly, because there were guns everywhere once you got in,” Cooper noted.
Shortly afterward, the rocker was face to face with the King. “He goes, ‘Hey, man. You’re that cat with the snake, ain’t ya?’" Cooper recalled him asking. "I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘That’s cool, man. I wish I woulda thoughta that.’”
Moments later, Presley beckoned at Cooper to follow him into the kitchen. “He opens the drawer, takes out a loaded .38, snub nose .38, puts it in my hand and he says, ‘I’m gonna show you how to take this gun outta somebody’s hand.”
The surreal experience of holding a loaded gun, pointed at one of the biggest stars in the world, wasn’t lost on Cooper. “The little devil here on my shoulder says, ‘Shoot him,’” the rocker joked. “The little angel over here says, ‘Don’t kill him. Just wound him.’”
Cooper’s inner dialogue didn’t last long: “Before I could decide what to do, I was on the floor. And he had his boot on my throat. And I’m going, ‘Argh! That’s good, Elvis.’”
Despite their strange interaction, Cooper held nothing but admiration for the King. “He was an amazing character - Very funny guy. But he was Elvis.”
You can watch Alice Cooper tell his (very funny) Elvis story on 'Never Mind the Buzzcocks' here.
“ELVIS COOPER” – the confluence of Kurt Cobain, Alice Cooper, and Elvis Presley!
This brings us to the zenith of the interrelationship between Elvis, Kurt Cobain and Alice Cooper, the thing that cements them together…….. the little known (except in Nirvana circles), cross genre bending, punk rock blasting, and Kurt Cobain created and drawn……..ELVIS COOPER!
Appearing at Nirvana concerts circa 1988-89, the Elvis Cooper artwork, measuring 35” x 52”, hung prominently as a “backdrop” behind Nirvana at many of their concerts (see photos).
So, what is the background to Elvis Cooper?
In an article, A Kurt Cobain Drawn “Elvis Cooper” Character Became A 1989 Nirvana Concert Poster, in 2016 for feelnumb.com, poster Raul, provided part of the background story to the artwork. Raul stated:
‘I recently came upon this early Nirvana photo taken on June 24, 1989, at Al’s Bar, Los Angeles, CA. The photo shows Kurt Cobain & Krist Novoselic on-stage along with rhythm guitarist Jason Everman and drummer Chad Channing.
The first thing I noticed was the awesome 'Elvis Presley – Alice Cooper' Nirvana Poster behind the band!!!
I immediately remembered another “Elvis Cooper” drawing Cobain had made in one of his notebooks included in his book, Journals:
Explaining Elvis Cooper - did Nirvana like Elvis?
In a 1989 interview in with Flipside’s Al Kowalesski and Krk Dominguez (reprinted on livenirvana.com ), members of Nirvana had this to say about Elvis Cooper:
Al Kowalewski (Fipside): What’s the deal with “Elvis Cooper” poster you put up when you played?
Chris Novoselic (Nirvana): Nothing, we just got this Elvis tapestry and turned it into “Elvis Cooper”.
Krk Dominguez (Flipside): That’s not a musical influence?
Chris: I fuckin’ hate Elvis! Alice Cooper is cool.
Kurt Cobain: It’s not like we don’t like old time rock and roll, but Elvis and the Dead just don’t cut it for us.
Based on this brief interview excerpt, it appears while Nirvana weren’t overly taken with Elvis, Kurt Cobain did, at least, appreciate his significance in popular music (and culture).
“Elvis Cooper” post 1994
The location of Kurt Cobain’s original Elvis Cooper appears to be a mystery.
Since Kurt Cobain’s unfortunate death in 1994, a number of Nirvana fans have made their own replicas of Elvis Cooper. Most have been poorly constructed attempts.
Only super-fan, knightknight1977, managed to make a precise mirror/clone copy to the same dimensions and using the same source cotton material, as used by Kurt Cobain.
As for knightknight1977’s “clone” copy, it was sold at auction earlier this year and is now in the possession of a private collector.
This was the auction listing:
'ELVIS COOPER' BACKDROP : This listing is for an artist's representation of the ULTRA, MEGA RARE 'ELVIS COOPER' NIRVANA backdrop used at early NIRVANA live shows (circa 1988 - 1989, see photos).
Measures (roughly) 35" × 52".
Originally designed and crafted by KURT COBAIN. *ULTRA RARE* - YOU NEVER SEE THIS!
This is a cotton tapestry wall hanging not a poster.
The same source material used by Cobain to paint the band's custom backdrop.
Please see photos as they are part of the description.
Along with the pictures of the actual item, I've included some live photos of the (original) backdrop on stage for reference and context.
The value of “Elvis Cooper”
Placing a value on the original Elvis Cooper is problematic. For one thing, its whereabouts is unknown, and as a unique item, its value cannot easily be assessed relative to other like items.
However, “Pop Art” Sells!.....
In 2014, Andy Warhol’s Triple Elvis (Ferus Type), broke sales records, when it sold for US$81.9 million. And in 2021, Warhol’s 1963 grey and black silkscreen painting, Elvis 2 Times, sold for a hammer price of US$32 million ($37 million including buyer’s premium).
Kurt Cobain’s artworks are also popular items at auction. For example, as noted above, at the Julien’s Music Icon Auction in 2017:
“An original painting by late Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain of four raccoons in a black tree commanded $64,000.”
In context, while not in the same league as Andy Warhol, Elvis Cooper is a unique and unusual artefact from rock history by one of its most iconic stars. It’s value (should it be found) is likely to grow significantly in coming years.
Comment on this Article
Comment on this Article
Acknowledged Sources:
deltacollege.edu
Elvis Cooper Backdrop auction listing (ebay)
feelnumb.com
knightknight1977
livenirvana.com
ultimateclassicrock.com
Wikipedia
Spotlight by Nigel Patterson.
-Copyright EIN April 2022
EIN Website content © Copyright the Elvis Information Network.
|
 |
Andy Warhol - The Elvis Works: In this narrative and pictorial article we look at some of the iconic images by pop artist, Andy Warhol. In 1963 Warhol established a studio in an abandoned fire station in New York's East 87th Street. It was there that he began work on a head of film star Elizabeth Taylor and a full-length portrait of Elvis Presley.
Warhol’s 1963 'Elvis 2 Times' represented a watershed moment in twentieth-century Art History. The painting combines an investigation of the uniquely American fascination with celebrity and mass media that emerged in the 1960s.
And read about Bob Dylan, Warhol and Elvis - - Dylan acknowledged, "I once traded an Andy Warhol “Elvis Presley” painting for a sofa, which was a stupid thing to do."
The visuals range from variations of "Elvis in Flaming Star" to "Red Elvis". - Go here to discover more about Elvis and Warhol.
(Spotlight, Source:ElvisInfoNet, June 2008/ 2021) |
 |
EIN Spotlight: Changing Times, Heavy books, and the two-class Elvis world: While a lot of fans believe Col Parker was bad for Elvis the one thing the Colonel usually got right was to look after the fans. From reasonable ticket prices, cheap licensed merchandise and assisting fan clubs, he worked with fans to engender good will and build interest in the latest Elvis releases. In 2020, the situation is very different. EPE is owned by commercial interests meaning entry costs to Graceland, and buying licensed Elvis merchandise is no longer cheap - and importantly, no longer affordable for many who have been fans since the 1950s.
Another change is Follow That Dream, RCA-SONY, Eric Lorentzen, Venus, etc all now publish expensive "Deluxe" collections. Some costing US$350. Out of reach for most fans, so why is this?
The answer, of course, is money. There is obviously a neat profit in targeting the higher end of the Elvis fan market. In this respect, the proliferation of coffee table Elvis books is similar to the (admittedly) less regular annual Elvis box set extravaganzas from RCA/BMG/Sony. And, of course, plenty of the material in all these publications has usually been previously released but now include a few new additions or "upgrades" to attract customers.
Go HERE to read comments in full,- and Have Your Say.
(Spotlight; Source;NP/ElvisInfoNet) |
 |
(Interview) Carlos Ares talks to EIN: With his latest book, elvis@argentina 1963-1969 just published, Argentine Elvis world legend, Carlos Ares, took time out to talk to EIN’s Nigel Patterson about the book and other things Elvis.
In a wide ranging and fascinating interview, Carlos discusses how he first became an Elvis fan, his famed Elvis collection, how he moved from managing rock bands in South America to becoming an Elvis dealer (Elvis Shop Argentina) full-time, Argentinian Elvis records and film posters, how the assassination of JFK affected popular music, the release of 'Elvis La Pelvis' and to make most of us jealous seeing Elvis live on stage, plus a lot more.
Read Nigel Patterson's interview with Carlos R Ares.
(Interview, Source:ElvisInfoNetwork) |
 |
Jean-Marie Pouzenc Interview: Jean-Marie Pouzenc is one of Europe's most well-known identities in the Elvis fan world. He is the founder and long-time president of the celebrated Elvis My Happiness fan club and publishes one of the best Elvis magazines in the world.
Jean-Marie has also written a number of acclaimed Elvis books including his latest coffee table release, Elvis Technicolor in Black & White.
In this fascinating interview Jean-Marie Pouzenc, now 77 years old, discusses...
- How and when he became an Elvis fan
- What changes he has noticed in the Elvis world since 1956
- Elvis' popularity in France
- His new publication 'Elvis Technicolor in Black & White'
- Elvis in Paris
. . . . and much, much more
Go here - EIN's Nigel Patterson ask the questions
(Interviews, Source;ElvisInformationNetwork) |
 |
