Guitarist NITA STRAUSS Recalls 'Surreal' Initial Meeting With ALICE COOPER

During a recent interview with Sara of the Philadelphia radio station 93.3 WMMR, ALICE COOPER guitarist Nita Strauss discussed her initial meeting with the legendary shock-rocker.

"The first time I met Alice was in the most surreal situation that you could possibly imagine," Nita said. "When I met Alice, I had actually already gone through the audition process. A lot of people don't know this, but [his] band is based all over the world. There are a few living in the States; there are a few living in Europe. We all live in different states from each other, so my audition was all done via video. I was sending in videos; they were giving me notes and asking to see different stuff; so by the time I met Alice for the first time, I had already gone through the audition process and I was already in the band. I had my flight out to start the tour.

"Then I got a call from Bob Ezrin, who has been Alice's longtime producer," Nita continued. "He said, 'Alice is in the studio, working on the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES record with Johnny Depp and Joe Perry, and I thought it might be nice for you two to meet since you're going to be in his band.' I said, 'That would be great. I would love that. Thank you. Just tell me when to come down.' He said, 'Well, right now, of course.' I'm on my way to the gym [and have] my hair in a bun. I turn the car around, run back, brush my hair and go.

"As it turns out, the studio that they recorded in is at Johnny Depp's house," Nita explained. "There I am, walking into this mansion — a minor detail that they left out — this elaborate, beautiful mansion in Hollywood. [There were] no guards or anything — they're like, 'Oh, just go on in.' I literally just walked in and sat down and waited quietly by myself, and then this beautiful girl came in and introduced herself. She's like, 'Hi, I'm Calico Cooper, Alice's daughter.' She immediately made me feel so at home. Then when Alice came in, it's the same thing."

Strauss — whose debut solo album, "Controlled Chaos", was released on November 16 — joined the ALICE COOPER band in 2014. She appears on the 2018 live album "A Paranormal Evening At The Olympia Paris", as well as six of the live bonus tracks that appear on some versions of COOPER's 2017 album "Paranormal".

During a 2018 interview with Maximum Classic Rock, Cooper said that Strauss "looks like a model [and] plays like Eddie Van Halen."