It’s been a while now since Nita Strauss officially revealed that she’s leaving Alice Cooper’s touring band. Not long after the news broke, some outlets reported on a rumor that Nita was joining Demi Lovato’s band. This proved to be true after she broke the news through her social media channels.
There was, of course, some expected commotion among rock and metal fans online. While it wasn’t that prominent, some portion of the fanbase took things too seriously and wasn’t very fond of this decision. However, it’s her job that we’re talking about. And she’s well-known for her “hired gun” status. Besides, she’s not the only rock or metal or blues guitar player who hopped in to play for a mainstream pop star. Far from it.
Many also wondered how things went on Alice Cooper’s end and that’s exactly what she talked about in a recent interview with Metal Injection. When asked about how she broke the news to Alice Cooper and whether it was “nerve-wracking,” Nita explained (transcript via Blabbermouth):
“I wouldn’t even say nerve-racking, because… I mean, it was a big decision, of course, but it definitely wasn’t as dramatic as it has seemed online, if that makes sense. We had just started the U.K. tour when I got the offer to come and play with Demi.“
“And I just went into Coop’s room — I went to his hotel room and I talked with him and his wife. And I said, ‘Look, I have this opportunity.’ He asked, ‘Would it conflict with anything on this tour?’ I said, ‘No, but it would conflict with the fall dates, so I’d have to step back from the fall tour.’ And he said, ‘Go and do it.’“
“He gave his blessing. He gave me a big hug and said, ‘Go and have fun. Shine your light, and let us know what next year looks like and we’ll work it out.’“
“So it was a lovely and loving conversation — no big blowup; no drama; no one got fired; no one stormed out. And I took a step back and I’m trying something different. And we’ll see what happens in the future.”
Further on, Nita reflected on the news of her joining Demi Lovato’s band leaking through some media outlets. She explained how “it didn’t help” since he didn’t get the chance to reveal it all by herself. She said:
“I don’t really know how that news got out, ’cause it was all pretty close to the vest. But somebody found out, somebody decided to put it out before anybody really could make a proper statement about it, and I think that’s how these things get twisted around into something that it’s not.“
Photo: Ralph Arvesen (Alice Cooper 2015 (cropped)), Frank Schwichtenberg (Nita Strauss – Wacken Open Air 2017 38)
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