In 1978, a sobered Cooper used his experience in the sanitarium as

In 1978, a sobered Cooper used his experience in the sanitarium as the inspiration for his semi-autobiographical studio album From the Inside , which he co-wrote with Bernie Taupin , known for his work with Elton John; it spawned yet another US Top 20 hit ballad, ” How You Gonna See Me Now “. The subsequent tour’s stage show was based inside an asylum, and was filmed for Cooper’s first home-video release, The Strange Case of Alice Cooper , in 1979. Around this time, Cooper performed “Welcome to My Nightmare”, “You and Me”, and “School’s Out” on The Muppet Show (episode #307) on March 28, 1978 (he played one of the devil ‘s henchmen trying to dupe Kermit the Frog , Gonzo and Miss Piggy into selling their souls). He also appeared in an against-typecasting role as a piano-playing disco waiter in Mae West ‘s final film, Sextette , and as a villain in the film Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band . Cooper also led celebrities in raising money to remodel the famous Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles, California. Cooper himself contributed over $27,000 to the project, buying an O in the sign in memory of close friend and comedian Groucho Marx . In 1979, Cooper also guest starred on good friend Soupy Sales ‘ show, Lunch with Soupy Sales and was hit in the face with a pie, as part of the show. When asked about the experience, Cooper had this to say about his friend: “Being from Detroit, I came home every day and watched Soupy at lunch (Lunch with Soupy Sales). One of the greatest moments of my life was getting pie-faced by Soupy. He was one of my all time heroes.”