Alice Cooper rediscovered a multimillion-dollar Andy Warhol classic that he had “rolled up in a tube” in a storage locker for more than 40 years.
In an interview with The Guardian published on Monday, July 24, the rock star’s longtime manager, Shep Gordon, revealed that the “Little Electric Chair” silkscreen print from the late artist’s “Death and Disaster” series was stored alongside decades-old touring equipment.
Cooper, 69, and Warhol, who died at age 58 in February 1987, became friends in the early 1970s in New York City. “Andy was kind of a groupie, and so was Alice. They loved famous people. So they started a relationship, and they loved to hang out,” Gordon told the British newspaper.
However, the “School’s Out” singer’s then-girlfriend, model Cindy Lang, was the one who had purchased the 1964 canvas from Warhol. “As I recall, Cindy came to me for $2,500 for the painting,” Gordon said.
“Alice says he remembers having a conversation with Warhol about the picture,” he continued. “He thinks the conversation was real, but he couldn’t put his hand on a Bible and say that it was.”
Eventually, the print disappeared amongst Cooper’s many stage props and touring equipment. Then, four years ago, “Alice’s mother remembered it going into storage. So we went and found it rolled up in a tube,” Gordon said.
Though the print is unsigned, Warhol expert Richard Polsky is certain it’s authentic. “I’m 100 percent [sure],” he told The Guardian. “It looks right, and the story just makes too much sense. It’s hard to appreciate how little Warhol’s art was worth at the time. … Why would Andy give [Cooper] a fake?”
A second “Little Electric Chair” print from Warhol’s series sold for $11.6 million at a 2015 auction.
