Cooper, Sparks support teen music club

PHOENIX, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Rock icon Alice Cooper and "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks participated in the dedication of the site where a new teen music center will be built.

When completed, the $7 million center known as The Rock will feature a multiuse concert hall, recording studio, sound rooms, coffee house, and indoor basketball courts and rock-climbing walls.

The center at Arizona's Grand Canyon University was designed to provide a safe, productive place to socialize and make music, the university said in a statement.

Cooper is a long-time contributor to Grand Canyon University, supports scholarships and received an honorary doctorate there, while Sparks, whose grandmother is a GCU alumnus, designated The Rock as one of the charities to which she would donate a portion of her winnings.

Both performers are Phoenix natives.

"With Grand Canyon University's support, we are fulfilling a vision we've had for several years -- to provide teens and children with a central place to learn, have fun, and explore their creativity in a supportive environment," Cooper said in a statement. "I hope that in years to come, The Rock will be the first of many such teen centers in Arizona and around the country."