Nita Strauss

A full-time musician since her teenage years, Nita Strauss is best known for her work as a lead guitarist for shock rock artist Alice Cooper and pop singer Demi Lovato, in addition to her own solo albums. She was born in Los Angeles, California, on December 7, 1986. She left high school during her junior year to tour the country with her band Lia-Fail, then joined the Iron Maidens, an all-female tribute group to the heavy metal act Iron Maiden, in 2010. Four years later, she left the group and joined Alice Cooper's touring lineup instead, replacing Orianthi as Cooper's lead guitarist. Strauss became a fixture of Cooper's live show, appearing on his album Paranormal in 2017 and starring in the Netflix documentary Hired Gun that same year. She released Controlled Chaos, her debut as a solo artist, in 2018. The album reached Number 8 on Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart. Strauss temporarily left Alice Cooper's band during the summer of 2022 and joined Demi Lovato's touring group instead, remaining there for a year. By 2023, she's rejoined Cooper's band and wrapped up work on a second solo album, The Call of the Void. Featuring guest appearances by Cooper, Lzzy Hale, and Dorothy, The Call of the Void became the most successful release of her career, with the lead single "Dead Inside" reaching Number 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Singles chart. It was the first song by a female artist to top the Mainstream Rock chart in more than 30 years. A second single, "Victorious," followed closely behind, hitting Number 30.