Claire Thompson
In the world of rock, shocking behaviour is rarely frowned upon. In fact, it's often the key to success. One of the most infamous moments in rock history involves a chicken, a rock star, and a frenzied crowd. The story goes that in 1969, at the Toronto Rock 'n' Roll Revival Festival, Alice Cooper bit the head off a live chicken onstage and drank its blood. The truth, however, is a little different. It was not Alice Cooper, but rather Ozzy Osbourne who bit the head off a live animal—a bat—during a gig in 1982. As for the chicken incident, it was a member of the audience who threw a chicken on stage, and Alice Cooper, thinking it could fly, tossed it back, resulting in the chicken being torn apart by the crowd.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the rock star | Alice Cooper |
| Year of the incident | 1969 |
| Place of the incident | Toronto's Rock & Roll Revival Festival |
| What actually happened | A fan threw a chicken on stage, which Cooper threw back into the audience, thinking it would fly. The audience tore the chicken to pieces. |
| What the headlines read | "Alice bites head off a chicken and drinks the blood" |
| What Cooper's bandmates said | The story of someone throwing the chicken on stage was fabricated to get them off the hook with animal protection organizations. |
| What Cooper's mentor said | Frank Zappa told him not to deny the story saying, "You can't buy this type of publicity!" |
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What You'll Learn
Alice Cooper's chicken-throwing incident
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer with a career spanning six decades. He is considered the "Godfather of Shock Rock" due to his macabre and theatrical brand of rock designed to shock audiences.
Cooper's "shock rock" reputation was cemented by an incident involving a chicken at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Festival in September 1969. During his performance, Cooper threw a live chicken into the audience, believing it could fly. The chicken was torn to pieces by the crowd. The incident made headlines, with exaggerated claims that Cooper had bitten the head off a chicken and drunk its blood.
The truth behind the "'chicken incident'" is disputed. Some sources claim that a fan threw the chicken onto the stage, and Cooper threw it back into the crowd. However, others suggest that the band had been travelling with two pet chickens, named Larry and Pecker, and the chicken was part of an unrehearsed stage routine.
Bassist Dennis Dunaway, in his memoir, supports the latter claim, stating that the story of a fan throwing the chicken onstage was fabricated to avoid trouble with animal protection organisations. Cooper himself initially denied biting the head off the chicken but later embraced the sensationalism of the incident, using it to enhance his "shock rock" persona.
The "chicken incident" remains one of the most infamous moments in rock history and helped establish Cooper's reputation as a pioneer of horror imagery in rock music.
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The chicken's fate
The chicken's violent death was used to further Cooper's shock rocker reputation. The day after the incident, headlines falsely claimed that Cooper had bitten the head off a chicken and drunk its blood. Cooper's mentor, Frank Zappa, advised him not to deny the story, saying, "You can't buy this type of publicity!"
The chicken incident is considered one of the most infamous moments in rock history. It is unclear whether the chicken's death was planned or accidental. Some sources claim that the band kept two chickens, named Larry and Pecker, as pets while on tour. Bassist Dennis Dunaway revealed in his memoir that the story of someone throwing the chicken onstage was fabricated to avoid trouble with animal protection organisations.
The chicken's death sparked outrage and controversy, with some people finding the incident offensive and disturbing. Animal protection organisations began attending every Alice Cooper show after the incident. The band's live performances were known for their chaotic and unruly nature, often involving on-stage fights, wild debauchery, and the use of hammers as instruments.
The fate of the chicken at the Alice Cooper concert remains a notable moment in music history, showcasing the boundaries pushed by performers in the unruly world of rock.
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Fan reactions
Some fans expressed their disgust at the treatment of the chicken, with one commenting, "It's just disgusting, who the fk are the animals here?" Another fan agreed, calling the incident "cruel" and suggesting that it indicated a likelihood of violence towards humans. One fan noted the irony of the chicken's presence at an Alice Cooper show, saying, "Bad for the chicken—who probably wondered, as we all do, what it was doing at an Alice Cooper show."
Others found humour in the story, with one fan joking, "I assumed the chicken was tender." Another fan shared a funny anecdote about their experience with chickens, saying, "Now I slaughter them in video games for fun!"
Some fans also questioned the veracity of the rumours, with one commenting, "There are a number of different narratives around this." Another fan shared a quote from bassist Dennis Dunaway, who suggested that the story of someone throwing the chicken on stage was fabricated to avoid trouble with animal protection organisations.
Overall, the fan reactions to Alice Cooper's chicken incident range from outrage and disgust to humour and scepticism, reflecting the conflicting accounts and interpretations of this infamous moment in rock history.
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Publicity stunt
In 1969, Alice Cooper performed at the Toronto Rock 'n' Roll Revival Festival. During the performance, a chicken was thrown on stage, which Cooper then threw back into the audience, thinking it would fly. The hyped-up crowd tore the chicken apart. The next day, newspapers ran the headline: "Alice bites head off a chicken and drinks the blood".
Bassist Dennis Dunaway, in his memoir, claims that the band travelled with two chickens, Larry and Pecker, which were treated as pets. He also mentions that the story of someone from the audience throwing the chicken on stage was fabricated to avoid trouble with animal protection organisations.
Cooper's mentor, Frank Zappa, who ran the band's label, told him not to deny the story, saying, "You can't buy this type of publicity!". Cooper himself also propagated the story, which helped cement his reputation as a shock rocker.
Another rock star, Ozzy Osbourne, also gained notoriety for biting the head off a live bat during a gig in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1982. Osbourne mentions in his autobiography that he initially thought it was a rubber bat, but upon biting into it, he realised it was real. This incident undoubtedly contributed to his outrageous image and helped his solo career.
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Other rock stars biting off animal heads
While performing at Toronto's Rock & Roll Revival Festival in 1969, Alice Cooper threw a live chicken into the audience, who tore it apart. The next day, newspapers reported that Cooper had bitten the head off the chicken and drunk its blood. However, this was not true. Bassist Dennis Dunaway claimed that the story was fabricated to get the band "off the hook with animal protection organisations".
Another rock star who has bitten off an animal's head is Ozzy Osbourne. In January 1982, during a performance in Des Moines, Iowa, Osbourne bit the head off a bat. He claimed that he thought it was a rubber toy, but soon realised that it was real. Osbourne also bit the head off a dove in 1981.
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Frequently asked questions
Alice Cooper is famously known for biting the head off a chicken during a live performance.
During a performance in 1969, Alice Cooper threw a live chicken into the audience, thinking it could fly. The chicken was then torn apart by the audience.
The incident was reported in the press with headlines such as "Alice bites off head of chicken and drinks blood". Cooper's mentor, Frank Zappa, advised him not to deny the story, stating "You can't buy this type of publicity!".
