Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper and Joe Perry Form Supergroup 'The Hollywood Vampires': Trio Will Play Rock in Rio

Johnny Depp finally took the plunge. The actor, who has been known to play guitar with some of rock's biggest names, has joined Alice Cooper and Joe Perry of Aerosmith to form The Hollywood Vampires. Even more impressive, the supergroup already has a gig scheduled. The trio will play at the Rock in Rio festival in Las Vegas in May. Queens of the Stone Age, Faith No More and System of a Down are also scheduled to play the event.

Cooper used the Hollywood Vampires name in the 1970s to describe a group of rock stars -- John Lennon, Keith Moon, Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson -- who liked to drink together at the Rainbow Bar and Grill in Los Angeles, Rolling Stone noted. The shock rocker has shared the stage with Depp on plenty of occasions, and the actor also worked on Perry's recent holiday EP.

"We see each other a lot," Cooper said about Depp. "He's become a close friend and collaborator. We've done a lot of recording together recently. He is really a very talented and cool guy. Johnny is a guy who doesn't have to do anything; he does things because he wants to do them. It's not about his ego."

In 2014, Depp was spotted onstage with Marilyn Manson and Ryan Adams. He also contributed some guitar work to Lost on the River, an album created by Marcus Mumford, Elvis Costello and Jim James, among others.

"What I really love about Johnny is that when he does music, it is for fun and because he loves music. He was a musician first, so I think it is really close to his heart," Cooper added.

Confirmed! #RockInRio announces Debut Of #TheHollywoodVampires! The #Supergroup, featuring #AliceCooper, #JohnnyDepp and #JoePerry plays on the same night as #QueensOfTheStoneAge and #SystemOfADown ------------------------------------------------- Rio de Janeiro, February 11, 2015 – The organizers of Rock in Rio have just announced that Hollywood Vampires will be playing at the Main Stage of the Brazilian edition of the festival, which takes place at the City of Rock, on September 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26 and 27. The band, featuring rock icon Alice Cooper, American Actor, Producer and Musician Johnny Depp and Joe Perry, lead guitarist for Aerosmith will play on the same night as Queens of the Stone Age and System of a Down. Alice Cooper, a pioneer of hard rock with a theatrical touch, began his solo career at the end of the 1970s, with classic albums like “Welcome To My Nightmare”, ”Lace and Whiskey", “From the Inside" and Constrictor". A gifted actor, with over 50 films throughout his career, Johnny Depp actually started his career as musician and is a renowned rock enthusiast. His musical ability has already been proven and witnessed by artists including Marylyn Manson, Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) and Keith Richards (Rolling Stones), amongst others. Joe Perry is considered one of the best guitarists of all times by Rolling Stone magazine and he is a Rock n’ Roll hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame recipient together with his partners in crime Aerosmith. Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp have been partners for a while and now with Joe Perry also on Hollywood Vampires, they will “rock it out “ yet once again. The sixth Brazilian edition of Rock in Rio will be hosted in the City of Rock, in Rio de Janeiro (Parque dos Atletas - Av. Salvador Allende, no number), on an area covering more than 150,000 m2. Initial attractions include Katy Perry, System Of A Down, Queens of the Stone Age and A-Ha, playing on the Main Stage, and John Legend, confirmed for the Sunset Stage. ------------------------------------------------- #rocknroll #vampires #brazil #rio #aerosmith #legends #JohnVarvatos #concert

A photo posted by Alice Cooper (@realalicecooper) on Feb 13, 2015 at 5:55pm PST