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Alice Cooper taught Gaga to 'coexist' with herself

Oct 16, 2012, 19:01 GMT

Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper taught Lady Gaga to 'co-exist' with her onstage alter ego.

The 'Marry the Night' singer was pleased to meet shock-rock king Alice because he influenced her stage shows, but he warned her against letting her outrageous stunts and on stage persona become part of her everyday life.

Alice told Reader's Digest magazine: 'She said, 'Alice, thank you for letting me steal your show.'

'I said, 'Gaga, I created a character called Alice. But it's important to keep Alice on stage. I never let Alice take over my real life.'

'I guess what I was trying to say was, be outrageous for the cameras. Wear a chicken on your head. But don't get suckered into thinking that stuff is real. When you're at home, just be yourself. If you can learn to co-exist with both Gagas, you'll be OK.'

'Hey Stoopid' singer Alice's wild behaviour nearly got too much and he struggled with alcohol problems earlier in his career, but managed to replace his addiction with a much milder pursuit, and is now a keen golfer.

He added: 'If you take alcohol away from an alcoholic, that addict will try and get hooked on something else. For me, it was golf - and when I say hooked, I really mean that. The first time I hit a ball, I knew I'd found my new drug.

'Of course, the great thing about golf is that it actually makes you healthier -I turned 64 this year and I've never felt better. I guess it's all about peace. For so many years, my life has been filled with the chaos of rock 'n' roll, but when I walk onto the course, it's just me and the ball: a moment of stillness.'

The full article on Alice appears in November's issue of Reader's Digest, out 17th October.