Suzi Quatro Recalls Near-Miss with Alice Cooper on Welcome to My Nightmare Tour Suzi Quatro, the pioneering Detroit-born bass guitarist, recounts a memorable moment from her time as Alice Cooper’s opening act during the Welcome to My Nightmare tour. The incident, which nearly sent Cooper to the hospital, highlights the chaotic yet entertaining nature of the tour. Quatro, who had already made a name for herself as a trailblazer for women in rock, shared the story with Classic Rock, detailing the rubber dart-gun battles, grueling flights, and the night Cooper wore her tour shirt as a gesture of respect. Quatro’s career began in the mid-1960s with her sisters in the band the Pleasure Seekers before she relocated to England under the management of Mickie Most. Her 1973 self-titled debut, featuring the hit “Can the Can,” solidified her reputation as a formidable artist across Europe and Australia. By the time she joined Alice Cooper’s tour in 1975, she had yet to achieve widespread recognition in the U.S., but her reputation as a bold, unapologetic performer was well established. The collaboration with Cooper was rooted in shared history. Both artists hailed from Detroit, and Cooper’s touring crew included musicians from the Motor City scene, many of whom were longtime acquaintances of Quatro. The band even gave Cooper a nickname, “Vinnie the Boss,” a nod to his birth name, Vincent Furnier. Despite the camaraderie, the tour was physically demanding. Quatro described the relentless schedule, including daily turboprop flights, as a challenge she endured with “white-knuckle” determination. The tour’s energy often spilled into playful moments. One such incident occurred during a hotel stay, where the group engaged in a rubber dart-gun fight before a show.#suzi_quatro #alice_cooper #welcome_to_my_nightmare_tour #motor_city #pleasure_seekers
