'I nearly shot Elvis Presley', says Alice Cooper as he recalls meeting the King of Rock and Roll

By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated:


Alice Cooper has revealed he nearly shot Elvis Presley after meeting the King of rock and roll in Las Vegas in 1971.

The Poison singer recalled the unusual meeting, which took place in Elvis' hotel room, when Presley took out a gun and asked Cooper to shoot him in the head.

Cooper said: 'He had the penthouse -- this was when he was at the top of his game. I had always been a fan as a kid, so I jumped at the chance to go upstairs and meet him.

Near-death experience: Alice Cooper has revealed he nearly shot Elvis Presley when they met in the singer's hotel room back in 1971
Near-death experience: Alice Cooper has revealed he nearly shot Elvis Presley when they met in the singer's hotel room back in 1971

Near-death experience: Alice Cooper has revealed he nearly shot Elvis Presley when they met in the singer's hotel room back in 1971

'Elvis took me into the kitchen, opened a drawer and pulled out a loaded pistol, telling me to put it to his head. I recognised it straight away, a snub .32.

'I didn't know what to do. I had this gun in my hand and was expecting one of his security to come in any second, see me holding a weapon and shoot me dead.'

But while Cooper admitted he felt slightly torn about whether or not to shoot Presley, he said he eventually decided to do the right thing.

Stage star: Cooper is renowned for his outrageous performances on stage

Stage star: Cooper is renowned for his outrageous performances on stage

He told the Daily Mirror: 'A little voice in my left ear was telling me, "Go on, this is history, kill him, you'll always be the guy who killed Elvis." In my other ear was another voice saying, "You can't kill him, it's Elvis Presley - wound him instead, you'll only get a few years!" '

However, it seems Presley was just messing around with Cooper as he quickly disarmed the singer.

Cooper said: 'A fraction of a second later Elvis did a flying kick on the gun, and sent it flying, before tripping me and pinning me to the ground by my neck, announcing, "That's how you stop a man with a gun." '

 

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