Glen Buxton: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Revert to revision 67961413 dated 2006-08-06 06:28:49 by Serpent-A using popups
 
(256 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|American guitarist (1947–1997)}}
'''Glen Buxton''' ([[10 November]] [[1947]] – [[19 October]] [[1997]]) was a US musician, and [[guitarist]] for the original [[Alice Cooper]] group. He was born in [[Akron, Ohio|Akron]], [[Ohio]]. He was known throughout his career as the "Blonde Bomber".
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Glen Buxton
| image = Glen Buxton.jpg
| caption =
| image_size =
| birth_name = Glen Edward Buxton
| birth_date = {{birth date|1947|11|10}}
| birth_place = [[Akron, Ohio]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1997|10|19|1947|11|10}}
| death_place = [[Mason City, Iowa]], U.S.
| genre = {{flatlist|
* [[Shock rock]]
* [[Rock music|rock]]
* [[hard rock]]
* [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]]
}}
| occupation = Musician
| instruments = Guitar
| years_active =
| label =
| associated_acts = {{flatlist|
* [[Alice Cooper (band)|Alice Cooper]]
* Virgin
* [[Ant-Bee]]
}}
| website =
}}


'''Glen Edward Buxton''' (November 10, 1947 – October 19, 1997) was an American guitarist who played lead guitar for the [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Alice Cooper (band)|Alice Cooper]]. In 2003, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine ranked him number 90 on its list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/5937559/page/43 |title=The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=May 2, 2009 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708223838/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/5937559/page/43 |archive-date=July 8, 2008 }}, ''Rolling Stone''.</ref> In 2011, Buxton was posthumously inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] as a member of the original Alice Cooper band.<ref>[http://rockhall.com/inductees/alice-cooper/ Alice Cooper], The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=SickthingsUK: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame |url=https://www.sickthingsuk.co.uk/10-trivia/t-halloffame.php |access-date=March 23, 2022 |website=Sickthingsuk.co.uk}}</ref>
He made his debut in a Cortez High School rock band called The Earwigs. They were very popular, and they changed their name to The Spiders. The band later changed their name to The Nazz. In order not to compete with another popular band of the same name, Buxton and his band mates changed their name for the last time to Alice Cooper.


== Early life ==
Buxton was the co-writer of such rock n' roll classics as "School's Out," "I'm Eighteen," and "Elected," and is credited as lead guitarist on seven albums by the Alice Cooper group including the chart-topping "Billion Dollar Babies."
Born in [[Akron, Ohio]], 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.<ref>Steve Demorest - Alice Cooper (1974). A Circus Magazine Book. ISBN 978-0445030466 p12 - 13.</ref> In 1964, at [[Cortez High School]], he made his debut in a rock band called The Earwigs.<ref name="Arizona Republic" /> It was composed of fellow high school students [[Dennis Dunaway]], [[Alice Cooper|Vincent Furnier]], John Tatum and John Speer. At the onset, Buxton was the only member who could play an instrument, and thus taught some of the other members to play after the group decided to take a shot at becoming a real band. They became popular locally, and changed their name to [[The Spiders (American rock band)|The Spiders]] in 1965 and later to The Nazz in 1967.<ref name="Arizona Republic" /> In 1966–67, guitarist John Tatum and drummer John Speer left the group, and rhythm guitarist/keyboardist [[Michael Bruce (musician)|Michael Bruce]] and drummer [[Neal Smith (drummer)|Neal Smith]] joined. In 1968, to avoid legal entanglements with the [[Nazz|Todd Rundgren-led Nazz]] the group changed their name to Alice Cooper, premiering their new name at their performance at the Santa Barbara County Fairgrounds on March 20, 1968.


== Alice Cooper ==
He lived for a time on a farm near [[Clarion, Iowa|Clarion]], [[Iowa]] performing with local artists.
Buxton was the co-writer of hit songs like "[[School's Out (song)|School's Out]]", "[[I'm Eighteen]]", "[[Elected (song)|Elected]]," and "[[Pretties for You|10 Minutes Before the Worm]]". He is credited as lead guitarist on seven albums by Alice Cooper, including the chart-topping ''[[Billion Dollar Babies]]''. However, he was "not invited" to play on 1973's ''[[Muscle of Love]]'' and does not appear, although he is credited due to management's concerns about band image with the fans. Buxton had co-written four songs for ''Muscle of Love'' but does not play on any of them. According to drummer [[Neal Smith (drummer)|Neal Smith]], the absence was due to "problems that Glen was having with the demons of rock and roll at that particular time..." The band sought out other guitar players to fill in, including [[Dick Wagner]] and fellow Cortez High School alum [[Mick Mashbir]].
Buxton died of complications from [[pneumonia]] on Sunday, [[October 19]], [[1997]] at a hospital in Mason City, Iowa. Before his death, the guitarist was able to spend time with his old band mates, consisting of [[Alice Cooper]], [[Dennis Dunaway]], [[Michael Owen Bruce|Michael Bruce]], and [[Neal Smith]]


In an interview with [[Marc Maron]], according to [[Alice Cooper]], "Glen ended up being one of the great rock guitar players of all time. He created '[[School's Out (song)|School's Out]]'. He created all that stuff."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-840-alice-cooper|title=Episode 840 - Alice Cooper|date=August 24, 2017|website=Wtffpod.com|access-date=October 5, 2023}}</ref> In a separate interview, Cooper stated, "Glen was not a songwriter. He would write riffs, though. They would show up on the album, and even great guitar players would say, 'What is that line? It's so weird, but it's catchy.' Mike (Bruce) was much more into chord structure. So, Glen was always sort of our icing on the cake."<ref name="Arizona Republic" />
In 2003, [[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]] magazine named Buxton as one of the "100 greatest guitarists of all time". [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937559/the_100_greatest_guitarists_of_all_time]
{{Guitarist-stub}}


== Post Alice Cooper years ==
⚫
[[Category:Guitarists|Buxton, Glen]]
Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, Buxton maintained a low profile, playing only occasional club gigs with bands like Shrapnel and Virgin.<ref name="Arizona Republic">{{cite web | url=http://archive.azcentral.com/thingstodo/music/articles/2011/03/08/20110308alice-cooper-glen-buxton.html | title=Rock lifestyle caught up with Cooper guitarist Glen Buxton | work=[[The Arizona Republic]] | date=March 8, 2011 |orig-year=October 1999 | access-date=April 13, 2016 | author=Rodgers, Larry}}</ref>
⚫
[[Category:1947 births|Buxton, Glen]]
In the 1990s, Buxton lived in [[Clarion, Iowa|Clarion]], Iowa, performing with local artists. In 1994 Buxton founded the band Buxton-Flynn with his long time friend, [[Michael William Flynn|Michael Flynn]]. The band played shows throughout southern Minnesota and north Iowa.
⚫
[[Category:1997 deaths|Buxton, Glen]]

⚫
[[Category:People from Akron, Ohio|Buxton, Glen]]
== Death ==
⚫
[[Category:Alice Cooper members|Buxton, Glen]]
Buxton died of complications from [[pneumonia]] at a hospital in [[Mason City, Iowa]], on October 19, 1997, aged 49.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.theoriginalglenbuxton.com/stories-about-glen-or-the-band/glens-passing/ | title=Glen Buxton, lead guitar for Alice Cooper dies here | newspaper=Wright County Examiner | date=October 23, 1997 | access-date=April 13, 2016}}</ref> He had recently spent time visiting and playing music with two of his Alice Cooper bandmates and longtime friends, [[Michael Owen Bruce|Michael Bruce]] and [[Neal Smith (drummer)|Neal Smith]].<ref name="Arizona Republic" /> With bassist Richie Scarlet ([[Frehley's Comet]]) filling in for Buxton's longtime friend and Alice Cooper bandmate [[Dennis Dunaway]] (who was unable to attend due to illness), and John Glenn on keyboards, Buxton, Smith, and Bruce performed on a morning radio show in Houston on October 10, 1997, and performed a concert at nightclub Area 51 in Houston on October 12, 1997.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.theoriginalglenbuxton.com/timelines/glen-post-alice-cooper-band/ | title=The Original Glen Buxton: Area 51|website=Theoriginalglenbuxton.com | access-date=October 19, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bThlzNkIpXA |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/bThlzNkIpXA |archive-date=December 22, 2021 |url-status=live| title="I'm Eighteen" – Alice Cooper band "Rock Legends" live at Area 51 | access-date=October 19, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Buxton mentioned having some pain at the nightclub and his friends urged him to see a doctor, but Buxton replied he would wait until he got home. On October 19, his fiancée drove him to the hospital near his home in Clarion, Iowa, where he died of [[viral pneumonia]]. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Clarion, Iowa.
[[no:Glen Buxton]]

== Discography ==
=== with Alice Cooper ===
* ''[[Pretties for You]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Easy Action]]'' (1970)
* ''[[Love It to Death]]'' (1971)
* ''[[Killer (Alice Cooper album)|Killer]]'' (1971)
* ''[[School's Out (album)|School's Out]]'' (1972)
* ''[[Billion Dollar Babies]]'' (1973)
* ''[[Muscle of Love]]'' (1973) (Song writing only; does not play on the album.)

=== With Ant-Bee ===
* ''[[Lunar Muzik]]'' (1997)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.theoriginalglenbuxton.com/ Official website]
* {{discogs artist|Glen Buxton}}
* {{imdb name|0125520}}
* {{find a Grave|2229}}

{{Alice Cooper}}
{{Ant-Bee}}
{{2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buxton, Glen}}
⚫
[[Category:1947 births]]
⚫
[[Category:1997 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American musicians]]
⚫
[[Category:Alice Cooper (band) members]]
[[Category:American heavy metal guitarists]]
[[Category:American male guitarists]]
[[Category:American rock guitarists]]
[[Category:Deaths from pneumonia in Iowa]]
⚫
[[Category:Guitarists from Ohio]]
[[Category:American lead guitarists]]
⚫
[[Category:Musicians from Akron, Ohio]]
[[Category:People from Clarion, Iowa]]
[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]

Latest revision as of 04:06, 6 April 2024

Glen Buxton
Background information
Birth nameGlen Edward Buxton
Born(1947-11-10)November 10, 1947
Akron, Ohio, U.S.
DiedOctober 19, 1997(1997-10-19) (aged 49)
Mason City, Iowa, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsGuitar

Glen Edward Buxton (November 10, 1947 – October 19, 1997) was an American guitarist who played lead guitar for the rock band Alice Cooper. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 90 on its list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".[1] In 2011, Buxton was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the original Alice Cooper band.[2][3]

Early life[edit]

Born in Akron, Ohio, 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.[4] In 1964, at Cortez High School, he made his debut in a rock band called The Earwigs.[5] It was composed of fellow high school students Dennis Dunaway, Vincent Furnier, John Tatum and John Speer. At the onset, Buxton was the only member who could play an instrument, and thus taught some of the other members to play after the group decided to take a shot at becoming a real band. They became popular locally, and changed their name to The Spiders in 1965 and later to The Nazz in 1967.[5] In 1966–67, guitarist John Tatum and drummer John Speer left the group, and rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Michael Bruce and drummer Neal Smith joined. In 1968, to avoid legal entanglements with the Todd Rundgren-led Nazz the group changed their name to Alice Cooper, premiering their new name at their performance at the Santa Barbara County Fairgrounds on March 20, 1968.

Alice Cooper[edit]

Buxton was the co-writer of hit songs like "School's Out", "I'm Eighteen", "Elected," and "10 Minutes Before the Worm". He is credited as lead guitarist on seven albums by Alice Cooper, including the chart-topping Billion Dollar Babies. However, he was "not invited" to play on 1973's Muscle of Love and does not appear, although he is credited due to management's concerns about band image with the fans. Buxton had co-written four songs for Muscle of Love but does not play on any of them. According to drummer Neal Smith, the absence was due to "problems that Glen was having with the demons of rock and roll at that particular time..." The band sought out other guitar players to fill in, including Dick Wagner and fellow Cortez High School alum Mick Mashbir.

In an interview with Marc Maron, according to Alice Cooper, "Glen ended up being one of the great rock guitar players of all time. He created 'School's Out'. He created all that stuff."[6] In a separate interview, Cooper stated, "Glen was not a songwriter. He would write riffs, though. They would show up on the album, and even great guitar players would say, 'What is that line? It's so weird, but it's catchy.' Mike (Bruce) was much more into chord structure. So, Glen was always sort of our icing on the cake."[5]

Post Alice Cooper years[edit]

Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, Buxton maintained a low profile, playing only occasional club gigs with bands like Shrapnel and Virgin.[5] In the 1990s, Buxton lived in Clarion, Iowa, performing with local artists. In 1994 Buxton founded the band Buxton-Flynn with his long time friend, Michael Flynn. The band played shows throughout southern Minnesota and north Iowa.

Death[edit]

Buxton died of complications from pneumonia at a hospital in Mason City, Iowa, on October 19, 1997, aged 49.[7] He had recently spent time visiting and playing music with two of his Alice Cooper bandmates and longtime friends, Michael Bruce and Neal Smith.[5] With bassist Richie Scarlet (Frehley's Comet) filling in for Buxton's longtime friend and Alice Cooper bandmate Dennis Dunaway (who was unable to attend due to illness), and John Glenn on keyboards, Buxton, Smith, and Bruce performed on a morning radio show in Houston on October 10, 1997, and performed a concert at nightclub Area 51 in Houston on October 12, 1997.[8][9] Buxton mentioned having some pain at the nightclub and his friends urged him to see a doctor, but Buxton replied he would wait until he got home. On October 19, his fiancée drove him to the hospital near his home in Clarion, Iowa, where he died of viral pneumonia. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Clarion, Iowa.

Discography[edit]

with Alice Cooper[edit]

With Ant-Bee[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 8, 2008. Retrieved May 2, 2009.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link), Rolling Stone.
  2. ^ Alice Cooper, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
  3. ^ "SickthingsUK: The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame". Sickthingsuk.co.uk. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  4. ^ Steve Demorest - Alice Cooper (1974). A Circus Magazine Book. ISBN 978-0445030466 p12 - 13.
  5. ^ a b c d e Rodgers, Larry (March 8, 2011) [October 1999]. "Rock lifestyle caught up with Cooper guitarist Glen Buxton". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  6. ^ "Episode 840 - Alice Cooper". Wtffpod.com. August 24, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  7. ^ "Glen Buxton, lead guitar for Alice Cooper dies here". Wright County Examiner. October 23, 1997. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  8. ^ "The Original Glen Buxton: Area 51". Theoriginalglenbuxton.com. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  9. ^ ""I'm Eighteen" – Alice Cooper band "Rock Legends" live at Area 51". Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2018.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Glen_Buxton&oldid=1217494915"