Glen Buxton: Lead Guitarist of the Original Alice Cooper Band October 19, (1997)

Born in Akron, Ohio, November 10, 1947, Buxton moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and attended Cortez High School. Cortez High School had a paper called the Tip Sheet which detailed events going on at the school. Alongside Dennis Dunaway and Vince Furnier, Glen Buxton contributed to the school paper. His contribution was as photographer. Dunaway was sports writer for the paper and Furnier was writer of a witty editorial column

Was born Buxton passed away on October 19, 1997, from complications of viral pneumonia at a hospital in Clarion, Iowa. He was 49 years old, and his death occurred just weeks before what would have been his 50th birthday .

Buxton was a founding member of the band, which formed in Phoenix, Arizona, in the late 1960s under the name Alice Cooper.

The band rose to fame in the early 1970s with shock-rock theatrics, horror-themed lyrics, and hard-rock anthems that blended garage rock, psychedelia, and proto-metal. Buxton's wild, dissonant guitar riffs were a signature element, often described as "psychotic" or "eerie," adding a chaotic edge to hits like "School's Out" (his iconic opening riff is one of rock's most recognizable) and "I'm Eighteen."

Quick Bio and Career Highlights

- Early Days: Born November 10, 1947, in Akron, Ohio, Buxton moved to Phoenix as a teen. He attended Cortez High School, where he met future bandmates Dennis Dunaway (bass) and Furnier. They started jamming in 1964–65, forming The Earwigs, a Beatles parody act. Buxton joined during the transition to The Spiders (1965–1967), becoming lead guitarist alongside Furnier, Dunaway, and drummer John Speer, with Michael Bruce later joining on rhythm guitar. As The Spiders, they played local gigs, covering bands like The Yardbirds, and released a single, "Why Don't You Love Me" (1965). The band then became The Nazz (1967–1968), with Neal Smith replacing Speer on drums, before renaming to Alice Cooper in 1968 to avoid confusion with Todd Rundgren’s Nazz. Buxton played a white Gibson SG with triple pickups, using spoons for slide effects to create his spooky tones.

- Alice Cooper Era (1968–1974): As lead guitarist, Buxton contributed riffs and co-wrote tracks on seven albums, including breakthroughs like Love It to Death (1971), Killer (1971), School's Out (1972), and Billion Dollar Babies (1973). He skipped recording Muscle of Love (1973) due to health issues from heavy drinking and substance abuse, though he's credited on it. The band's chaotic live shows—complete with guillotines and fake executions—helped define glam and hard rock. Rolling Stone ranked him #90 on its 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time."

- Post-Band Life: The original group disbanded in 1974 amid internal tensions and Furnier's solo pivot. Buxton struggled with alcoholism, pancreas issues, and isolation, as chronicled in Bob Greene's 1974 book Billion Dollar Baby. He played sporadically in the 1970s–80s with bands like Shrapnel and Virgin, but stayed out of the spotlight. Alice Cooper later called him "one of my best friends" and an "underrated and influential guitarist—a genuine rock 'n' roll rebel."

His Final Days and Reunion Vibes

In a poignant twist, Buxton's last performances were a mini-reunion with old bandmates. Just nine days before his death, on October 10, 1997, he joined drummer Neal Smith and guitarist Michael Bruce (plus bassist Richie Scarlet and keyboardist John Glenn) for a Houston radio show. Two days later, on October 12, they played a full gig at the Area 51 nightclub in Houston—their first together since 1974. It was a heartfelt return for Buxton, who had been recording with Antbee's Lunar Music project earlier that year.

He passed peacefully at home after telling his wife, Janice, "I love you," before napping—he never woke up. His gravestone in Clarion's Evergreen Cemetery features artwork from School's Out and a notation of that famous riff.

Legacy

Buxton was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2011 with the original Alice Cooper lineup (Furnier, Bruce, Dunaway, Smith, and Buxton), recognizing his contributions from The Spiders and The Nazz through the band’s 1970s peak. His influence lingers: A rediscovered 15-second guitar snippet from him appears on the band's 2025 reunion album The Revenge of Alice Cooper (their first in 52 years), evoking his "out there" style. Tributes like the annual Glen Buxton Memorial Weekend (started in 2001) keep his rebel spirit alive among fans.