Glen Edward Buxton (November 10, 1947 – October 19, 1997) was an American guitarist who played lead guitar for the rock band Alice Cooper. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 90 on its list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". In 2011, Buxton was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the original Alice Cooper band.

Early life

Born in Akron, Ohio, Buxton moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and attended Cortez High School. Cortez High School had a paper called the Tip Sheet which detailed events going on at the school. Alongside Dennis Dunaway and Vince Furnier, Glen Buxton contributed to the school paper. His contribution was as photographer. Dunaway was sports writer for the paper and Furnier was writer of a witty editorial column. In 1964, at Cortez High School, he made his debut in a rock band called The Earwigs. In a separate interview, Cooper stated, "Glen was not a songwriter. He would write riffs, though. They would show up on the album, and even great guitar players would say, 'What is that line? It's so weird, but it's catchy.' Mike (Bruce) was much more into chord structure. So, Glen was always sort of our icing on the cake."

In the 1990s, Buxton lived in Clarion, Iowa, performing with local artists. In 1994 Buxton founded the band Buxton-Flynn with his long time friend, Michael Flynn. The band played shows throughout southern Minnesota and north Iowa.

Death

Buxton died of complications from pneumonia at a hospital in Mason City, Iowa, on October 19, 1997, aged 49. He had recently spent time visiting and playing music with two of his Alice Cooper bandmates and longtime friends, Michael Bruce and Neal Smith. Buxton mentioned having some pain at the nightclub and his friends urged him to see a doctor, but Buxton replied he would wait until he got home. On October 19, his fiancée drove him to the hospital near his home in Clarion, Iowa, where he died of viral pneumonia. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Clarion, Iowa.

Discography

with Alice Cooper

  • Pretties for You (1969)
  • Easy Action (1970)
  • Love It to Death (1971)
  • Killer (1971)
  • School's Out (1972)
  • Billion Dollar Babies (1973)
  • Muscle of Love (1973) (Songwriting only; does not play on the album.)
  • The Revenge of Alice Cooper (2025) (Two songs)

With Ant-Bee

  • Lunar Muzik (1997)

References

  • Official website