Alice Cooper locks in final 2006 tour dates

Alice Cooper, who last month wrapped up his summer tour schedule, has laid out a fall tour that marks the last of his 2006 concert plans.

The veteran shock-rocker will return to the road for a Sept. 23 opening performance at the Rolling Stones' headlining show in Halifax, Nova Scotia--the first of three shows he'll open for the group in the coming weeks--and will then tackle a headlining itinerary that runs through Halloween.

His third and final date with the Stones, set for Nov. 8 in his adopted home state of Arizona, will cap his roadwork for the year, according to a tour announcement, which added that more tour dates are in the works for 2007.

Cooper continues to back his latest studio set, "Dirty Diamonds," which hit stores just over a year ago. In May, he followed that up with "Live at Montreux 2005," a live DVD and CD that capture his performance at last year's Montreux Festival. A complete tracklisting, as well as streaming audio and video clips from the set, are posted at Eagle Rock Entertainment's website.

Cooper's backing band currently features guitarists Kari Kelli and Damon Johnson (Brother Cane), bassist Chuck Garric and drummer Eric Singer (KISS).

Born Vincent Damon Furnier in 1948, Cooper has been cranking out albums since 1969, the year he issued "Pretties for You." He scored his first hit with the cut "Eighteen," featured on 1971's "Love It to Death."