Tommy Henriksen From Producer to Vampire | Life in Six Strings
Tommy Henriksen
From Producer to Vampire | Life in Six Strings
Join Kylie Olsson as she goes backstage in Huntsville, Alabama, with Tommy Henriksen. From playing bass to producing and finally becoming a key guitarist for Alice Cooper and the Hollywood Vampires, Tommy shares his incredible journey. Watch the full episode on Life in Six Strings.
Episode Overview
In this high-energy episode of Life in Six Strings, host Kylie Olsson hits the road to Huntsville, Alabama—the Rocket City—to catch up with Tommy Henriksen on the opening night of an Alice Cooper tour.
Tommy gives a chaotic, fun, and deeply insightful backstage tour. He reveals the surprising truth that he didn't start playing guitar in a band until he joined Alice Cooper's lineup, dives into the dynamics of playing in a massive three-guitar attack with Nita Strauss and Ryan Roxie, and shares stories from the road with the Hollywood Vampires.
Explore Backstage Culture
This episode pulls back the curtain on the grueling, glamorous, and often hilarious reality of touring with rock royalty:
- ■ The Three-Guitar Attack: Tommy explains the magic of the Alice Cooper band's three-guitar lineup. By blending Nita Strauss's shredding, Tommy's thick first-position chords, and Ryan Roxie's harmonies, they create a massive wall of sound with zero egos.
- ■ Hollywood Vampires & Reality Checks: Tommy talks about the surreal experience of flying private and playing alongside Johnny Depp and Joe Perry, but emphasizes how he always stays grounded, appreciating the contrast when he returns to "holiday inn" reality.
- ■ The Pre-Show Jam: Viewers get a rare look at the band's pre-show ritual as Tommy, Ryan, and Kylie casually jam on the Alice Cooper classic "Be My Lover" in the dressing room.
Episode Highlights
- From Bass to Guitar Hero Tommy drops a massive secret: his first love is actually the bass guitar. When Alice Cooper asked him to join the band, he assumed it was on bass, only to find out he'd be playing guitar—forcing him to rapidly study legends like Angus Young and Ace Frehley on YouTube.
- The "Garbage" Custom Gibson Inside his guitar vault, Tommy shows off a beautiful Gibson Custom Shop guitar. The body was actually rescued from a trash can during a walk through the factory with a Gibson builder, turning discarded wood into a stage-ready masterpiece.
- "I'm Not Alice Cooper" Tommy explains the hilarious reason behind his famous "I'm Not Alice Cooper" t-shirt. With his dark hair and similar style, fans constantly mistake him for the shock rock legend, leading to some very confusing photo ops on the band's cruises.
- The Seatbelt Strap Trick Tommy reveals the DIY origins of his famous 360-degree guitar spin trick. As a broke punk rocker, he ripped a seatbelt out of a car at a junkyard for $5, modifying it to let the guitar spin flawlessly around his neck without choking him.