2019 Alice Cooper’s Christmas Pudding
The Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona, USA, December 14, 2019
by Mary Andrews
The 18th Alice Cooper’s Christmas Pudding was a resounding success one again. The fund-raising event was headlined by Alice Cooper reunited with the original band members Dennis Dunaway, Neal Smith, and Michael Bruce.
Cooper’s Christmas Pudding has evolved into a cavalcade of top-notch entertainers performing for a great cause. Cooper has a huge Rolodex of his musical friends that he has collected during his 40-year career and he is not shy about reaching out to those friends. The entertainers change every year and the ‘Pudding’ is very much like a variety show.
The additional acts this year were Joe Bonamassa, Mark Slaughter, Judas Priest’s Ron Halford, Nita Strauss, Gary Cherone and Nunu Bettencourt of Extreme, Sister Sledge, Gary Mule Deer, Jim Breuer, the Solid Rock Dancers, the Teen Center’s Bucket Bridge, the Cesar Chavez High School Drumline, the Horizon High School Choir, and the Rocky Mountain Ball Theatre ballet. All of the entertainers donate their services for the event.
Another way that the ‘Pudding’ raises money is by auctioning rare memorabilia during set changes. Everything from photography, paintings, top hats, guitar stands, and tap handles were auctioned from $2000 to $43,000 were raised this year.
The entertainment was stellar with a lot of guitar shredding and good old rock and roll. Here’s the rundown. After a prayer invocation was given by Sheryl Cooper’s father, Sister Sledge started the festivities with their mega-hit song “We Are Family.” It was a very appropriate opening song because the feeling throughout the night was being in a big family. Sister Sledge also performed an a cappella version of “Silent Night” that was amazing.
Cooper conducts a music competition every year called the Proof is in the Pudding that awards winners in solo performance and in group performance. The winners get to open the show at the Christmas Pudding. This year’s solo winner is Japhar Pullen. Pullen had showmanship galore as he sang and played keyboards on Stevie Wonder’s “Faith” and Whitney Houston’s “I’m Your Baby Tonight.” He ditched the keyboards and danced his way through Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now.” Pullen has a bright future ahead.
The Joeys were the winners of the group band with a rockabilly flair. Dean Cheney lead singer started the set with “Please Come Home Christmas.” The rest of their set was some of their original songs. There was a lot of stage presence from this group as well.
Next up was Nita Strauss, Cooper’s guitarist in his touring band. Strauss is a distant relative of composer Johann Strauss. Strauss lived up to the family tradition and is one of the most incredible guitarists today. Her brief performance exemplified her exceptional talent.
Gary Mule Deer brought the first round of comedy for the evening. Deer is a regular performer each year for the ‘Pudding.’ His music leans toward the Johann Cash songbook and he does it very well. His jokes in between songs certainly have the crowd laughing. There is always a joke about his hair that stands at attention all the time.
Mark Slaughter followed with his grand guitar shredding and vocal prowess. Slaughter is one of the founders of the rock band Slaughter. His offerings of the night were “Shapes of Things,” “Fly to the Angels,” and “Up All Night.”
Jim Breuer gave the sold-out crowd their second round of comedy. Breuer was a member of the Saturday Night Live cast from 1995-1998. The standup comic did a 15-minute set filled with his stories and jokes.
Gary Cherone and Nunu Bettencourt of Extreme added more charm and charisma with “Get the Funk Out,” “Hole in My Heart,” and their mega-hit “More Than You Know.”
Judas Priest’s Rob Halford returned this year to give another command performance of five songs that included “Heading Out to the Highway,” “Diamonds and Rust,” “Breaking the Law,” “Living After Midnight,” and “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming.” Halford was loving every minute of the performance and so were the screaming and singing fans.
Joe Bonamassa brought the swagger of the blues to the evening’s festivities with “Don’t Lie to Me (I Get Evil)” “Sloe Gin,” and “The Ballad of John Henry.” The set was much too short, but super-shredder did join the headliners of the night, the original Alice Cooper Band.
The Alice Cooper band was joined by Johnny Depp on guitar as well as Bonamassa. Cooper is THE quintessential entertainer of our times and he is in total command of the stage. That said, everyone had a chance to shine.
Cooper’s former bandmates were with Cooper when “I’m Eighteen,” School’s Out,” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy” was conceived. All of their hits were dusted off for tonight’s show. Even though Cooper has performed these songs thousands of times, there was still that same electricity floating through the room as though it was the 1970s again for the band and the fans. The set was magic.
For the finale, Sister Sledge returned to the stage with everyone to lead an all-star jam of “We Are Family.” After five hours of a stunning show, it was time for the ‘family’ to go home.
To learn more about the Solid Rock Foundation’s activities and to contribute, go to
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