Hollywood Vampires

During the 1970s, a circle of rock & roll revelers adopted the name Hollywood Vampires while frequenting Los Angeles nightspots after dark. Alice Cooper spearheaded the crew, which also counted Harry Nilsson, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, and Micky Dolenz among its members—a set of drinkers whose exploits grew legendary even as the precise accounts of their nights often slipped away. Four decades on, Alice Cooper resurrected the Hollywood Vampires designation by launching a classic-rock supergroup alongside Joe Perry and Johnny Depp. Honoring the earlier incarnation, an array of guest musicians appeared on the trio’s self-titled 2015 album, among them Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Slash, Joe Walsh, Perry Farrell, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, the Doors’ Robby Krieger, and Winger’s Kip Winger. The Hollywood Vampires entered the Top 50 of the Billboard 200 and received touring support. Onstage for those dates, Cooper, Perry, and Depp augmented their lineup with Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt Sorum, plus a third guitarist in the person of Cooper’s bandmember Tommy Henriksen.

Cooper, Depp, and Perry reconvened the project in 2019 for a follow-up album. Rise showcases cameos from Jeff Beck and John Waters on the track “Welcome to Bushwackers” and leans primarily on newly composed material. With no further studio recordings yet available, the band issued its first live album, Live in Rio, in 2023. Produced by Bob Ezrin, the set documents their 2015 appearance at Rock in Rio before a crowd of 100,000.