Alice Cooper, the shock-rock icon, has surged to the top of the bookselling charts this week as his memoir Devil On My Shoulder claimed the No. 1 spot on the UK’s Sunday Times non-fiction bestseller list. Published by Ebury/Penguin/Random House, the book ascended to the summit after entering the list last week at No. 7.
The memoir, released in North America by Da Capo/Grand Central/Hachette, has also secured high positions across international bestseller lists. It opened at No. 4 on the New York Times non-fiction list, No. 3 on Publishers Weekly, and No. 9 on Canada’s Toronto Globe & Mail non-fiction chart.
Devil On My Shoulder offers an in-depth portrait of Cooper’s six-decade career, examining the contrast between the musician born Vincent Furnier and his dark stage persona. Kirkus Reviews lauded the book, noting that the tension between the ordinary Vince and his sinister, egotistical alter ego, Alice, provides the memoir with its driving force.
The review highlighted Cooper’s emphasis on lyrics and stagecraft over the usual celebrity score-settling, calling it a hard-wrought victory lap in a well-told narrative.
Publishers Weekly echoed these sentiments, describing the book as an extraordinarily detailed account from the 78-year-old rock veteran. The publication highlighted Cooper’s humor and humble tone as he reflects on his early influences—from comic books and horror films to The Beatles—and sets the record straight on rock lore, including the Toronto chicken incident. The narrative chronicles his journey from forming the Earwigs at age 16 through to the creation of the theatrical, horror-inspired aesthetics that defined the Alice Cooper band.
Devil On My Shoulder is available now worldwide in hardcover, e-book, and audiobook formats via bookstores and major online retailers.
