Rocker Alice Cooper rediscovered that he owned a very valuable painting that he had placed in storage and forgotten about, according to MSN reports.
Andy Warhol painting bought in the 70s for $2500 worth millions
The artwork is by Andy Warhol and is worth an estimated $10 Million. It looks as though Alice placed the silk screen of an electric chair in his storage locker close to 40 years ago. Cooper's mom reportedly found the Warhol painting "rolled up in a tube" and inside a storage locker four years ago. The painting has never been stretched for framing and was purchased back in the early 70s.
Alice Cooper stage act the inspiration behind Warhol's Electric Chair
Edward Helmore, a British reporter for the Guardian, reports that Alice Cooper's then-girlfriend Cindy Lang organized the purchase of the painting of a red Little Electric Chair silkscreen, from Warhol’s Death and Disaster series, paying a mere $2500 for the art. Alice claims that during his busy career, and after being admitted to a psychiatric hospital on the road he completely put the purchase out of his mind.
Cooper's manager Shep Gordon spoke with The Guardian, revealing that in 1972 Alice and Cindy had just moved to New York, and Andy Warhol (like Alice) loved hanging with celebrities, so they began a friendship. Cooper's concerts included a stage show that involved Alice sitting in an electric chair acting as if he was being electrocuted while performing, which is said to have inspired Warhol's painting.
He later learned that Andy had painted images of the electric chair and Alice mentioned to Cindy that he wanted one. He sent her to Gordon for the money to purchase the painting.
It was during that time that Alice was touring non-stop and recording two albums a year. He was also drinking very heavily and was said to have been at his worst, consuming up to two cases of beer and a bottle of whiskey a day and in obvious need of help with his alcoholism. It all came to a head for Alice, resulting in a stint in an insane asylum to regain control of his life.
Following his release, he left New York and headed for Los Angeles. So it was a blurry time for Cooper, who thought he might have had a conversation with Andy about the painting but was not 100 percent sure. Gordon claims that it was during a meeting with LA art dealer Ruth Bloom that he was reminded of the Warhol artwork, which Cooper's mom found in the storage locker.
In 2015, Alice found out that a Little Electric Chair painting sold at Christie's for more than $11 million for a 1964 green version. He then decided he did not want such a valuable piece of art in his home and placed the painting back in storage.
Cooper (69) released his first album in 1969, but, it wasn't until 1971 that the Alice Cooper Band released their first rock hit "I'm Eighteen." The song saw instant success worldwide and was followed by the even bigger single "Schools Out" in 1972. For more than five decades Alice Cooper has maintained an impressive career as a singer, songwriter, and actor.
