A brief but significant Billboard announcement marking the start of Alice Cooper’s massive 1973 American tour, opening March 5 in Rochester, N.Y.

The Billion Dollar Babies tour began twice — once on paper, once on stage — and the surviving adverts tell the story. Between the planned March 1 launch and the verified March 3–5 performances lies the true scale of the production: too large for a single narrative, too ambitious for a single date.

On a single March day in 1973, Alice Cooper bridged two worlds: the academic halls of Eastman and the roaring spectacle of the Billion Dollar Babies tour. The announcement alone captures the era’s fascination with Cooper as both provocateur and cultural figure.

A front‑page snapshot of Alice Cooper at their theatrical peak — a band preparing for a record‑breaking tour while navigating illness, pressure, and the release of Billion Dollar Babies.

A horror‑themed glam spectacle wrapped in snakeskin packaging, Billion Dollar Babies is praised for its orchestration, theatricality, and taboo‑breaking lyrics.

A rare holographic portrait merging Dalí’s surrealist vision with Alice Cooper’s theatrical persona — a true artefact of 1973’s experimental spirit.

A secondary excerpt underscoring the article’s central theme: Alice Cooper as a performer who embraced spectacle without losing sight of the humour, humanity, and relentless work that fuelled the band’s rise.

secondary excerpt emphasising Ronson’s emergence as a solo force — a guitarist stepping confidently into the spotlight with a new album, a national tour, and a sound that carried the spirit of glam into 1975.

Alice Cooper Group’s Billion Dollar Babies (1973) — a No. 1 US/UK shock‑rock classic presented in its iconic snakeskin wallet sleeve.

Published February 24, 1973, this Record Mirror centre‑spread presents Alice Cooper in full stage regalia: dark makeup, leather, menace, and charisma. The feature celebrates Cooper as the era’s most notorious performer — a glam‑horror showman whose concerts blurred the line between rock, theatre, and nightmare