Being a rock star is a dangerous job.
Besides the cliches that we all think of – including excessive partying and adrenaline rush risk taking – musicians are known to go to extremes onstage. This can lead to scary mishaps, like misfired pyrotechnics or dangerous prop malfunctions.
Alice Cooper knows a thing or two about such accidents. The godfather of shock rock nearly has met his maker during performances on multiple occasions.
“When you go to the circus and see a trainer locked in a cage with 12 tigers, there’s always the possibility that one of the tigers behaves inappropriately,” Cooper once explained. “Let’s say that danger is part of the show. You go into it knowing that you may be about to witness a tragedy… and that makes everything much more interesting and authentic. I’ve always wanted to integrate that point of uncertainty into my show. I want people to think: ‘This could be Alice Cooper’s last night.’”
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Cooper is one of the famous musicians who can be found below in our list of 10 Rock Stars Who Nearly Died Onstage.
While some, like the shock rock icon, put their life on the line in the name of excitement, many more faced death due to completely unexpected accidents. Electrocution, projectile instruments and sudden illnesses landed some rockers on our list. For others, the dangerous pitfall was a literal fall on the pit (turns out plummeting off a stage is bad for one’s health).
Thankfully, all of these musicians survived their harrowing moments and were able to continue their careers.