Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/1488089
By Billy Hallowell - Faithwire Pastor Greg Laurie is cap vated by legendary musician Alice Cooper's tes mony, no ng how Cooper's transforma on journey was "hands down" the most compelling he encountered while wri ng his latest book on the intersec on of faith and rock 'n' roll. "Alice, at one point, was the No. 1 rock star in all of the world," Laurie, author of "Lennon, Dylan, Alice, and Jesus: The Spiritual Biography of Rock and Roll," told CBN's Faithwire. "He started living the rock star life to excess. He was pre y much drunk every day he was using drugs heavily, his life began to unravel; his wife Sheryl le him." Laurie recalled how Cooper one day found himself using cocaine alone in his room at the height of his dysfunc on. "He was snor ng it, and he looked in the mirror, and he said, 'I saw blood coming out of my eyes. I don't know if it was a hallucina on or if it was really happening, but all I knew was I was going to die.'" At that moment, Laurie said, Cooper "called out to God," and his en re life changed. "He got off drugs, he reunited with his wife, and he's been clean and sober for over 30 years," Laurie said. "He gets up every morning, and he reads his Bible… He gave a Bible to [singer] Marilyn Manson." These are the types of stories Laurie tells in "Lennon, Dylan, Alice, and Jesus," exploring the ups, downs, and spiritual intersections found at the roots of rock 'n' roll. As a big pop culture fan, Laurie said he found the topic absolutely cap va ng — and worthy of explora on. "I've always had an interest in pop culture. Combine this with the fact that I am an evangelist," he said of his mo va on for wri ng the book. "And an evangelist builds bridges to culture." Far from a "glorifica on of rock music or rock stars," Laurie said his explora on pulls back the veil to show how these musicians are ordinary people "searching for meaning in life." "They chase a er these things, and so part of the book is filled with a cau onary tale of why this is an empty pursuit in life," he said. "And other parts of the book are redemp ve." Laurie con nued, "The roots of rock are Gospel, they're Gospel, they're blues, they're even somewhat country." The pastor said many people who have reached such enormous success find themselves struggling to get the exci ng highs they experience at the start of their journeys. As excitement wanes, some turn to drugs on their quest to find ela on, which has led to some tragic endings for many performers. "Many of the people who are successful in entertainment in general… they're o en broken people… who maybe thought if they made it in Hollywood, they would be happy people," Laurie said. "If they make it, then they realize this is not the answer, and so their lives begin to unravel… these are just people like we are." Pastor/Evangelist Greg Laurie Recounts Alice Cooper's Incredible Transformation From Drugs to Jesus 'I Saw Blood Coming Out of My Eyes' 34 - WheelsOfGrace.com #64