Neal Smith's Billion Dollar Babies 1973 Tour Premier Mirror Ball Drum Set

Heritage Auctions (HA.com) -- The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer, Neal Smith, for the Alice Cooper Band used this custom wrapped mirror, 18 piece Premier drum kit on the groundbreaking 1973 Billion Dollar Babies Tour. It is being offered in the Entertainment & Music Memorabilia Auction on February 20, 2016. Bidding is now open. To learn more, visit www.HA.com/7159
Stay Connected to Heritage Auctions:
/ heritageauctions
/ heritageauction

[@JoeyP322]

Such an incredible underrated drummer... The Alice Cooper Band is one of the best bands in rock ever

[@HeritageAuctions]

Thank you for your comment!

[@beatler11]

Yes! Just saw Alice last week again. I so wish I would have been old enough back in the 70s to have seen you guys. Thank you for so much great music while you guys were together.

[@kimholland7638]

Yup. Neal and Dennis are so underrated. Both superb.

[@jonesy2111]

Kim Holland Glen and Michael are also extremely underrated in their own right also. The original AC group are on par with the greatest bands in rock

[@pleasantvalleypickerca7681]

The albums they made in the early 70's are classic albums. Great music! The best band that ever played with Alice.@@jonesy2111

[@jonesy2111]

@@pleasantvalleypickerca7681 I don't think Alice or anyone has surpassed them either. In fact I lost interest in AC over the years but those first albums still sound great and are special

[@kenni123064]

One of the best drummers ever! Neil Smith is an original and has his own technique that none can mimic! Just an incredible drummer.

[@ronvolz007]

I worked with Neal Smith to create this kit. Mike Grham his brother Goose and myself glued on all these mirrors! A Big job that took 3 days and lots of glue. We built this kit in the ballroom at the Gallesi Mansion where we lived in Greenwich Conn. in 1972. We were all amazed when we finally saw them lit on stage. When the spot lites hit them the beams shot out from the stage with 100's of beams of light!! Best Kit Ever !!! Ron Volz,, I Was There :)

[@macdrummer007]

Ron Volz was one of the main roadies for the Alice Cooper group ...and is a legend in the business! Enough said.Ron I never found out ..who won the auction?

[@sandyhancock5521]

Ron Volz who owns this set now?!!!

[@upyours574]

My first hard rock concert! December 26 1973 new haven Connecticut. Billion dollar babies tour! AWSOME!!!

[@Nudiescorner]

I was 13 when I saw them at Madison Square Garden for the Billion dollar babies tour...Neil Smith's drum set was INCREDIBLE!!!! FIRST revolving drum set I ever saw!!!!! It was AWESOME!!!!!

[@route9records]

I was there! First concert!

[@plasticweapon]

one of the best drummers i've ever heard, talk about underrated!

[@jonesy2111]

Neil is one of the coolest dudes in rock and incredible drummers....

[@pleasantvalleypickerca7681]

A great drummer! Love the original band!!!!

[@johnweyers2685]

One of my favorite drummers. 😎 Abide

[@MichaelSmith-pi2ly]

I saw them in 73 in Utica NY. ZZ Top was the opener, but The story was that Frank Beard was ill, so a local band called "THE GREAT SPECKLED BIRDS" a progressive band playing ELP and the likes opened. The Alice Cooper group was spot on and rocked that little central NY auditorium. It was amazing. I was 9 years old at the time, so it left quite and impression. The kicker was moving to FLA in 75 and living next door to the keyboard player for the speckled birds Gary Ohlson and becoming life long friends with him. It was an awesome time.

[@davidoglesby6771]

Neal is a bad ass! Such a killer drummer and big influence on me! He's probably the most second recognizable member of Alice Cooper. I remember looking at those album covers Love It To Death & Killer and thinking these guys look weird! 😆 But Neal always stood out cause he was tall and looked like a girl 😂 But what a great drummer! And wrote Hallowed Be My Name! All of Alice Cooper are hugely underrated! I think the critics have always sidelind them over the years. But they were the first of many things. Noise Rock, Glam Rock, Punk Rock, Heavy Metal, and of course Shock Rock! But to hell with Rolling Stone magazine and all those rags, They're just old washed up posh hippies anyway! Long live the Alice Cooper group!

[@patrickrancourt4782]

Rolling"" lefties"" stones magazeene lol Spit and critic Only this we can read They're just only journalist after all

[@josephesposito3499]

Neil was always cool looking he never looked like a girl, more like a viking

[@danserdutz6700]

Million Dollars Baby was probably the BEST concert I've experienced ... and I've seen maybe 100. Incredibly great!

[@kevinsmith7516]

Wow. I would love to own that drum kit!

[@toddalanwilson6297]

Dude,I used to play along with you to all the old great ones!Sunrise,hallowed be they name list goes on....thank you for all those licks dude,still digging you....peace.

[@Germinalx]

How great is Neal!

[@HeritageAuctions]

Thank you for your comment!

[@beatlehmann3424]

Legendary..........!!

[@jasperjenkins7729]

Neal Smith & Keith Moon were my 1st drumming idols. I literally looked at pictures of THAT kit for hours. I would give my 9 current drum sets for just THAT 1 kit. Holy mother of GAWWWD.

[@HeritageAuctions]

Thank you for commenting!

[@jasperjenkins7729]

@@HeritageAuctions Can I ask what they sold for?

[@davidwright5789]

Me too

[@TR6Telos]

That made me laugh out loud, "cutting Alices head off every night was the best effect we had ever used!"

[@beatler11]

To this day I still want to leap to my feet at the start of Billion Dollar Babies intro!

[@davidwright5789]

It's one of the best drum openings ever

[@GenX21_Chis]

Happy Belated Birthday to Mr.Smith.9-23-47.Akron.

[@seanod7157]

Great to see Smith looking so good. I wonder what the kit sold for. Alice Cooper Group is the best.

[@johnmulder2325]

How cool is that man?

[@misfit2022]

Neal Smith put the heavy into heavy rock for Alice Cooper. Listen to the stuff Dunaway and Alice wrote for the Spiders which sounds like The Beatles but once the Alice Cooper Band in particular Neal cover it, they instantly become much heavier.

[@jeffreyoldham55]

Killer set.

[@moffettcoates6455]

Outstanding

[@jamessholtz6016]

I grew up in the Detroit area. Saw the band may times 70 to 72. They had a great show then. Great lights too. Literally saw them play in a converted barn loft that bands played in back.then. In the right state of mind it was phenomenal entertainment.

[@frederickgrill4812]

yea I was there Alice Copper/Z Z Top News Years Eve 73-74 Great Concert Buffalo, NY

[@HeritageAuctions]

Thank you for your comment!

[@GH-hp3nq]

I would love to have this drum set and I would take very well care of it if I had it. I've been playing drums for 48 years and keep on playing until I die. I've had my 68 camaro 42 years and runs great and I take great care of it and I would do same if I had this drum set.

[@toddalanwilson6297]

Guess I'm old dude,but man I wish I was healthy again,I'd take those off your hands.....wow,lol can't believe you available?actually mentioned Killers....great record....Cancer sucks,I'm 42 lung tumor,t1n3....living in Maine,would luv to see the whole old band back together for a reunion tour....hopes all's well take care an peace dude!

[@starshiptrooper7670]

The band played Nashville in Dec.of 73.' Nice x-mas present for a 16 yr. old.

[@autocrow]

That original band was the best. Nice drum kit! Does Neal give lessons with it? haha. If that kit could talk....

[@LANDSEAAIRCANADA]

FANTASTIC ! sadly we missed the boat on this incredible kit... sigh ...

[@lawrencearansaspasstx4374]

I can't help but wonder if Neal Smith ever thinks back to the late '60s and remembers the days when the Alice Cooper band was first starting out and the audience would walk out on them. The concept of Alice Cooper was too much for the Flower Children to groove on. Dig? But NOW here's Neal Smith grooving on thousands of dollars for a drum kit that he, once, played on. I bet he's diggin' that!

[@jeffreyholmes7216]

I saw them on their holiday tour with zz top.tickets.$3.50 Awsome@

[@60zeller]

Jeffrey Holmes that’s great, witch show.

[@jeffreyholmes7216]

@@60zeller billion dollar babies at the cap centre in Maryland in dec. 1973

[@whatcher8151]

@@jeffreyholmes7216 Saw then in Toledo, they only played 2 songs. Guns were blazing, they left for fear of losing their lives. Toledo Sports Arena. Waited and stomped feet for 3.5 hours. Never came back and they made it home before me! ZZ Who? Really, no one even cared then.

[@Nanotick1]

My first concert was Alice Cooper...Welcome to my Nightmare at Cobo Hall in Detroit

[@jasperjenkins7729]

My 1st cooper concert was at Cobo Hall as well. The "Babies" opened. 77-78 There were hospital gurneys hanging from the light and he was running thru an Asylum with a ticking bomb jump in & out thru a HUGE screen. 1st of 7 Alice concerts over the Years

[@scottlurken9667]

Billion Dollar Babies !!

[@cosmo1eleven855]

Billion Dollar Maybe!!

[@johnnystieferman6527]

Saw the billion dollar babies tour in 1973 here in Fayetteville n.c. My first concert they were with FLO and Eddie i still have my ticket stub.

[@HeritageAuctions]

Thank you for commenting!

[@jeffreyholmes7216]

I saw the holiday tour with as top in 1973. The first concert I had ever seen. Tickets were $3.50. And believe me you noticed the drum set when you walked into capital centre. Frank beard from zz Tom's drums which were in front of his Looked like a toy in front of neals.

[@aschule5684]

I can't believe how many lucky people in this comment section saw Alice Cooper on the BDB tour. I envy you all!

[@edrader]

i was supposed to see BDB in frankfurt germany but they cancelled the show!

[@kjc9trader491]

How is Neal doing? Is he in financial trouble... is this why he is selling these? Or something else?... Curious... But an Icon in the drummer world... and this kit is also iconic!

[@davidwright5789]

I think he's fine. I watched an interview with him recently. He went into real estate after band broke up. Sadly, Glen Buxton has passed.

[@barrycardiss4043]

Huge influence on me..

[@TheRealDrJoey]

I just finished Dennis Dunaway's book, and I recommend it to old fans. Saw these guys many times growing up in Detroit, and I saw the Welcome To My Nightmare show at Cobo Hall with the new band--just didn't have the magic. The only time the audience got on their feet was toward the end of the show, when they started playing material from Billion Dollar Babies, Killer, School's Out, etc. Also, I'd have to say the last album with (mostly) the original band, Muscle of Love, is REALLY underrated.

[@davidwright5789]

Me too. It's fantastic. I'm writing a play titled School's Out The Alice Cooper Group Story. I have found so many cool stories to use. Dennis is a great storyteller. IMO better than Vincent.

[@TheRealDrJoey]

@@davidwright5789 Good luck with that project.

[@buddhull]

@@davidwright5789 I loved DD’s Alice Cooper Band book. But yeah, Vince isn’t necessarily a truth teller, he just talks himself up. Dennis is a storyteller and doesn’t fill in whatever blanks or mundane details that come up with conversations with celebrities that didn’t happen or just nonsense. I’m not hating on Vince, but listening to interviews with him sometimes is mind numbing; like he thinks everyone besides himself won’t know he’s telling every interviewer fairy tales.

[@kjc9trader491]

I just noticed - No HH Stand? Did he not use HH's???

[@stallownedstallion825]

Took all of them to be Alice. No matter what....real fans know.

[@toxievope3617]

Wish he would mention all their sizes.

[@wribar]

Neal - What is the chance that the man from Premier that sold you this set was the late Mr James A Coffin ? His two sons are my best friend and musicians in a band called VIDICUS. His oldest son has signed autograph books of the Alice Cooper Group because of this claim

[@JohnDoe-ny1wp]

I grew up loving this group and still do but its sad knowing that somewhere out there, there is some talented kid who may be beating 5 gallon buckets, who will never have a decent drum kit. Meanwhile.....(you know where I'm going with this).....enough said.

[@dougwilson4529]

What bullshit! Tell the kid to get a job.

[@jeffwise8194]

Great drummer. I gotta ask. Neil. When you hear a song on the radio while driving in your car that you actually played drums for, what do you think? What goes through your head? How does it make you feel? Knowing that you were a force in the creation?

[@jimbratsos7869]

😊👍

[@Sweet--Richard.4981]

Was this auction for charity or personal?

[@LED3333]

J Hatfield, This was one of our Signature Auctions. This was not one of our Charity Auctions. We do hold Charity auctions you can visit www.ha.com/information/charity-home.s?ic=Task-entertainment-charity-121913. Thank you

[@rerenaissance7487]

Still my benchmark for a great rock drummer. Only Tres Cool comes close for those little off-beat tricks.

[@Love6653]

Hey it is NILA SMITTY of Alice Pooper all TRANSGENDER BAND Me THINKS

[@bobbydtv1]

how much did it go for ?

[@LED3333]

Bobby, This item sold for $125,000.00. Thank you

[@splash5427]

Missy Victoria are you literally just here to insult and rag on Neal?

[@splash5427]

Missy Victoria 😂😂😂

[@bongofury5924]

My silly Missy, historical items sell for more than their actual value. Steve McQueen's motorcycle from The Great Escape would go for much more than a 1963 Triumph TR6 Trophy normally would. Perhaps you're better suited to baking cookies.......

[@kengibbens5059]

How bout the Santa suit that Bob Greene wore on stage when the band would stomp him?????

[@HeritageAuctions]

Thank you for your comment!

[@doninmichigan]

I remember that, I saw the tour at Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor Michigan, Dec 73

[@dildoit]

evrything from original alice cooper band is like a letter from a long lost friend .. and some of the stuff from the menbers is too.... Some of Neal' s stuff is really great. Dennis's too..... only .......theres not enough of it

[@ButThatsShacksTrain]

Did you ever see the interview with Glen Buxton where he talks about Jim Morrison wearing his sweater during the photo shoot for LA Woman.

[@doninmichigan]

'Like a letter from a long lost friend', that's perfect!

[@supadupahilton6848]

Neil found pieces of GB's original SG Custom from back in the day, and had it all restored. I believe there's a KZbin video on it. Really cool!!