It's the end of an era.
Ryan Roxie has just announced that he's decided not to go on tour with Alice Cooper this time out. He wants to spend some time at home with the family. He's been on the road with Alice for MOST of the past 10 years, and he needs a break.
Wow.
I've sort of been expecting this since last year's tour ended, but when I opened up myspace and read the announcement, it was like a knife to my heart. I just can't really imagine going to see Alice and not seeing Roxie up there. He's really become an integral part of the show, doing all the musical arranging and really he's as much fun to watch as Alice himself. No doubt someone great and very musically competent will step in to replace him, but there's something else that I doubt can be replaced.
Roxie is the most genuine rockstar I have ever met. He has gone out of his way to meet the fans and make actual personal connections with people in a way that you never see in the rock and roll biz. The internet is littered with smiling pictures of Roxie and fans, and stories of what a nice human being he is. I've done my own share of littering the internet with these stories(never managed to get one of those pictures though!!!) Over the past two years I think I have really become a Roxie fan first and an Alice fan second, and I just don't know how I will cope with seeing the big rock show without him.
I'm putting a positive spin on it...hoping this means he will concentrate on getting his new album together and maybe even tour with Roxie77. That would be a dream come true, and would make the sacrifice well worth it for me. Fingers crossed.