He wasn’t wearing mascara or black leather, but there was no mistaking the rock ‘n’ roll icon who'd just walked into the store.
It was Alice Cooper, himself, shopping at Edison Mall with his wife. Their arms were full of shopping bags.
Lifelong fan Trish Janey recognized Cooper immediately after he walked into new vintage market Old Town New Market Central at about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 5.
“He’s a legend," Janey says. "Absolutely a legend."
More Alice Cooper sightings: See where else the rock icon shopped, ate and met fans this week in SWFL
Janey was on her way to the store’s back room when she realized she was nearly walking into Alice Cooper. So she did what she’d do with any customer.
“I said, ‘Hello, how are you?’" says Janey, who runs the vintage booth Redbird 23 inside Old Town New Market Central. “I would have greeted anyone who was very close to my face. But yeah, it happened to be Alice Cooper, and I put that together pretty quick in my mind.
"And I was like, ‘Wow, it's great to see you out here in the wild.’ … And then he was like, ‘Yeah, we have a show.’”
Cooper was in town for a concert that night at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. Janey didn’t make the show, but some of her friends were there.
“It was just great knowing that he's visiting our little town,” Janey says. “And he's getting out and meeting people.”
Soon the vintage market's co-owner, Kim Lee-Smith, heard the commotion and walked over to see what was happening.
Lee-Smith didn’t recognize Cooper at first, despite also being a fan. She thought he was just a local “rocker dude” in a band, with his jean shorts, black T-shirt and long hair tucked under a ball cap,
But then it dawned on her: This rocker dude looks a LOT like Alice Cooper.
“Then I said to him, ‘Are you Alice Cooper?’” Lee-Smith says. “And he's like, “No, I'm Brad Pitt.’ And so I was like, 'Oh, my gosh, I can't believe you're here in my store!' ’”
Cooper and his wife spent about 20-30 minutes chatting and browsing at Old Town New Market Central, which opened May 1 in the old Disney Store at Edison Mall. The market features 30 vendors selling vintage items, collectibles, home decor, artwork, clothing, jewelry and more.
They chatted about Cooper’s Christianity, cars and other things.
“It was super-cool,” Janey says. “He’s just a down-to-earth guy.”
He even took time to sign some Alice Cooper concert T-shirts from vendor booth Jack Sells. Then he and his wife left to continue shopping.
Afterward, Lee-Smith and Janey couldn’t quite comprehend what had just happened: A big rock star visiting their store, just days after opening.
“We were in disbelief,” Janey says, “and we were kind of screaming afterwards, like little girls.”
Charles Runnells covers arts and entertainment for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 or email crunnells@usatodayco.com. Follow or message him on Facebook(@charles.runnells.7), Instagram (@crunnells1) and X (@CharlesRunnells).
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