Posted Mar 17, 2010, 6:04 pm
Musician Alex Chilton, songwriter for Big Star and The Box Tops died today of a heart attack, as reported by the Memphis Commercial Appeal. He was 59.
Chilton has retained a cult following for 30 years. Having had a huge success with his Box Tops single "The Letter," Chilton failed to find the great 60s stardom that so many of his contemporaries achieved.
While in its time, it failed to sell millions of records, his band Big Star is considered by many to have been singularly influential decades later, as scores of alternative acts and songwriters have cited them as major antecedents.
Big Star's scant three albums retain legendary status among musicians. Recorded in Memphis at Ardent Studios, the first two records, "#1 Record" and "Radio City" are transcendent and perfect "power-pop." The third album, also known as "Sister Lovers, "recorded after fellow songwriter Chris Bell left the band, is arguably Chilton's strangest and most profound material.
By the late 1980s, cover versions of Big Star songs were ubiquitous and just as fresh and relevant as they had been in the 70s. The roster of Big Star interpreters included several of the best bands of the era, REM, The Replacements and This Mortal Coil.
Chilton and fellow founder Jody Stephens reformed the band in the 1990s with members of The Posies. While the band had not been active for a few years, a concert had been scheduled at South by Southwest for Saturday.
Friends and colleagues are shocked by his sudden passing. Ardent Studios founder John Fry spoke to the Commercial Appeal.
It’s obvious to anybody that listens to his live performances or his body of recorded work, his tremendous talent as a vocalist and songwriter and instrumentalist. Beyond the musical talent, he was an interesting, articulate and extremely intelligent person. I don't think you’d ever have a conversation with him of any length that you didn’t learn something completely new.
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Chilton is survived by his wife, Laura, and a son Timothy.
3 comments on this story
I’ve never met any of the Jawhawks, but I did stand next to Mark Olson outistde the Hotel Congress when he and Victoria Williams were playing there a few years back. I was waiting my date—she never showed up, but it was because she was a cath lab nurse and on-call, and pretty much half our dates were interupted by her being called in to Tucson Heart. Anyway, I thought of going over to Olson and saying how much I loved the Jayhawks music. But of course he left the group, so I didn’t know how he would take it, and I guess I didn’t want to seem like a slobbering fan boy. An elderly one at that. Frankly, he and Victoria were off that night—they were great a couple years before at Solar Culture. I think they broke up not long after that tour they were just beginning at CC. I own all but the earliest two indie label Jayhawks albums, Louris’ “Vagabonds,” which is great, I think, and all of Olson’s stuff with and without Victoria. And, I own all of her stuff too. I really like her music, but some people have a hard time with her voice—hey, I like the Innocence Mission too, so female voices with unusually pitch don’t bother me. Like Susan Cowsill, Victoria’s soul shines through when she sings. I won’t ask about Louris as a person, but he’s one hell of a great musician. Sent you two E-mails earlier. One’s a rough movie review, but it’s one you’ve already covered…it’s one I just did for fun to send to Kathleen, and I didn’t do a re-write, as I normally would.
Yes, yes—how could I forget the Jayhawks? I actually went on a date with Louris once. And there are many more—Locally, Andrew Gardner of La Cerca does a mean “Kangaroo” and 35 Summers used to play “I’m in Love with a Girl.” I’m still sad thinking about it.
Maggie, I spoke with you today at the street fair. This was sad news to me when I read Paul Westerberg’s op-ed in the NY Times this AM. I love the first two Big Star records, and was listening to them on the drive downtown. I guess I’ll have to give “Sister Lovers” another chance, as I was less enthusiastic about it. Rhino has a four disc box set out now. I did buy some of Chilton’s later solo efforts, but aside from a song here and there, I thought they were pretty weak. If I had to pick a favorite Big Star tune it would be “Thirteen,” which Chilton and Bell wrote together. Not sure whose sensibility it reflects, but it’s hard to imagine a more perfect distillation of that “teenage feeling.” That line, “Would you be an outlaw for my love…” That’s just so perfect. Anyway, you mentioned some groups that were influenced by Big Star. I would add the Jayhawks. Gary Louris wrote a song called “Big Star,” but I doubt many of the few people who bought that Jawhawks’ album—“The Sound of Lies”—caught the reference. Essentially Louris was joking that someday the Jayhawks might be looked upon the same way, as a group unappreciated in its own time. Louris and Jeff Tweedy, among others, had a side project called Golden Smog. On at least two of their three CDs the the drums are played by Jody Stephens, the drummer from Big Star. So the respect was obviously there.