SickthingsUK

This is very sad news. RIP Brian... and thanks for giving it your all with Alice.

Very sad news indeed. Whether you were like many here who knew him well or like myself who had only meet him a couple of times and traded a few emails, there is no denying his impact on the Alice community. What few times I've met him, he was always kind and had a great sense of humor. My thoughts go out to the Cooper family and all acquainted.

It's always sad when someone goes before their time is due. My condolenses to all of his family, friends, and sickthings.

That's so sad..I'm so sorry... I was at a barbeque today and somehow "Alice" came up and I mentioned Renfield..we talked and talked about them both.. It was a great conversation.... Imagine my surprise to find this hours later...ahh, crap...

So, so sorry...

Much Well to Him and All,
BD

This is so sad and a shock, Brian will be terribly missed. Met him one time briefly at a show. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. ................

Truly shocking news. I dealt with Brian through aliceauctions as well. He was a great guy to deal with and went out of his way to help me out. I never asked for any special attention, he just gave it to me and I appreciated it very much. He knew what it was to be a fan, and it showed. Hindsight is 20/20, and I now regret not approaching him at a couple of shows. I didn't want to be a pest. He will be missed, and my condolences to the Cooper Clan, as he has been with them for a LONG time...and of course, his family. The Cooper community truly has lost one of its jewels...

It's a godsend to have anyone like him in relation to a fan base. This is a real blow and a dent that cannot be filled. I'm really sorry to hear this news.

Hi There!
I Just Wanted To say How Shocked & Sad i Am To Hear The News About Brian.
may i Just say A Sincere Thank You And God Bless To A Guy who For Many Of The Fans Made The Impossable Come True.
Cheerz Brian!
You Will Be Missed, Big Time!!
md

My deepest condolences.

so sorry to hear this sad news. R.I.P brian

There is really nothing more to add - I'm shocked and sad , Condolences and thoughts with all connected with Brian and family .

Ross

Very sad news, shocking too.

RIP Brian

I just posted this on my blog. Not much but it sums up my feelings for now.

Yesterday went well, but I don't feel like talking about it now. As I came home I got an email saying that Brian "Renfield" Nelson, Alice Cooper's assistant had died.

That was a huge shock. For us fans he was someone very special. He was one of us (possibly the greatest Alice fan on Earth) but he was working for the Master.
He always took care of everything, he also directed several big projects, the huge boxset that came out in 99 for instance. Few other musicians have such a gem to show, it's packed with rareties and the booklet and box are beautiful.

And all while doing his job of protecting the band's privacy on tour, he did all he could for some fans to meet Alice or passed on some information one way or the other. He was always lurking among us and knew what we were talking about. He was THE link between fans and band. I've never seen the likes of him anywhere else.

I had never met Brian, but in the days I joined the first mailing list (in July 1997) I enjoyed his witty, often snarky comments, and exchanged a few emails. He was part of the show in more than one way.
It's hard to explain to others why one is crying over someone whom one has never met in real life. But yesterday I literally cried myself to sleep. The concert in three weeks will not be the same. I always looked out for Brian's silhouette after the opening act, it was a sign that everything was ok, and the fun was going to start. There will be a shadow over all the fun. It must be really hard for them all.

All my condolences to Brian's family and friends, to Alice and the band, and the rest of the crew. I wish I could do something more than just typing words here.

My condolences to all his friends and relatives.
Very sad news...

This is indeed horrendous news...

Brian's loyalty, dedication and considerable contributions to the Alice Cooper legacy will never be equaled.

I have had the great honor of meeting and corresponding with Brian for decades and he had always been extremely patient with my enthusiasm perhaps recognizing in me, as well as with every Alice Cooper fan, a mirror image of himself.

Remember The Renfield...

God speed Brother, see ya down the road

Matt

Very sad news, Brian was always a dedicated and passionate man, may you rest in peace.

Wherever you are I hope they have an awesome record collection.

Dan
x

As I said previously, I considered Brian to be my friend and I am shocked and deeply saddened by this tragic news. I am now writing this because I think it's important for Alice Cooper fans to appreciate just how helpful Brian was to the fans and how significant he was to preserving the legacy of Alice Cooper.

We had many conversations where it was always very apparent that it was very important to Brian that Alice's rightful place in rock history be recognized. We would discuss how sometimes Alice's pioneering role in both theatrical and glam rock would often be overlooked and Brian was always ready to send letters or do what he felt was necessary in order to ensure that Alice received his proper due. There are probably few celebrity assistants who cared as much about the life and career of their celebrity employer as Brian cared about Alice Cooper. It seemed to me that being Alice's assistant was so much more than a job to Brian as he was completely devoted to protecting Alice the person and the entire Alice Cooper legacy.

I also remember how seriously protective Brian was of Alice. I recall, for example, the way that Brian would be very careful not to let the fans see which hotel room Alice was in. It was just so incredibly sweet the way he was so protective of Alice. Alice was lucky to have an assistant who could be so trusted and loyal. I think it says a lot about Brian's character and integrity, that he was such a loyal, trustworthy and genuine friend.

I got to know Brian when we were both frequent posters on the original Sickthings mailing list. Brian was very supportive of my posts and was very kind to me. It was Brian who chose me to write an article on Alice Cooper for a Metal Edge magazine or to write some liner notes. For a big Alice Cooper fan like myself, it was fun and cool to get these oppurtunities and it says how nice Brian was that he would give these oppurtunities to a fan, in addition to giving backstage passes and backstage meetings with Alice.

Many people in Brian's position could easily have forgotten about the fans and not cared about helping them as I'm sure other celebrity assistants are not always as accomodating. The fact that Brian still cared and never forgot what it was like to be a fan showed a great deal of character and humility on his part.

I think my favourite memory of Brian was when I was in Los Angeles and he welcomed me into his home. He had laid out countless magazines covering Alice from the early 70s because he knew that was my favourite Alice era. As he was showing me his collectibles, he handed me Alice's white tophat from the WtMN tour and told me that I could try it on. He also gave me some memoriabilia for free, just as gifts, showing how generous he was and his continual willingness to do nice things for the fans. We shared some Alice Cooper stories and a lot of laughs. I will never forget his kindness to me.

Brian has been a constant fixture on Alice Cooper tours for the past 28 years and I don't think an Alice tour is ever going to be quite the same without his presence. He is going to be sorely missed by Alice Cooper fans all over the world.

My condolences go to Brian Nelson's family, Alice Cooper, Alice's family and everyone else who cared about Brian.
Much love,
Susie

Hi everybody...I've been doing this little Youtube show for the last few weeks where I give my opinion on a wide variety of topics and stuff called "Spider's Parlor" (take a wild guess where the title was inspired from ...anyway, last night I filmed a tribute of sorts to Brian....

I hope you all like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ74Yj8OTMY

Like everyone else, I'm shocked and saddened by this news.

I'll never forget when Brian joined my original SickThings mailing list. The quantity and quality of the posts shot up dramatically, and it was a great time to be a SickThing.

Thanks for everything, Brian.

Hunter

Summer of 1988 the eve of starting my Senior year of HS....Goldmine...an auction was posted selling Cooper merchandise. Called the number in the ad, and who is it that answers on the other end? Brian. At the time I had no idea he was "Renfield" I was a dreamer back then working part time at a grocery store so I didn't get much out of that auction but Brian manage to sell me a few Alice Shirts CHEAP!! The following summer "TRASH" was released and to promote the album, Alice showed up at a radio promoted Blood drive!! You donate blood you meet ALICE. That's when I first met Brian & Airic Brummit(Skull logo RYFAY). Anyways Brian felt pleased I remembered him as well which was the first time I met Alice Cooper. I have a pic of that day...

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/ ... 7478_l.jpg

it goes me, Alice, Brian & Airic


Wow 20 years ago this summer!!

All I can say behind the scenes at the Cooper shows will NEVER be the same.

Brian RIP