The past year or so has been a stampede of celebrity deaths, but this is the first one I feel needs more Internet eulogies and press coverage.Alex Chilton had a storied career starting at 16 with the 60's with the blue-eyed soul outfit The Box Tops and through the 70's fronting the seminal pop group Big Star. With simple hooks and sweeping choruses, Big Star's sound was under appreciated and didn't have the radio impact that other hard rock groups enjoyed. In a short career of three studio albums, Big Star influenced countless alt- and indie bands such as the Replacements, R.E.M., Teenage Fanclub, Sloan, The Posies and Yo La Tengo. After Big Star's breakup, Alex Chilton enjoyed a solo career with some left turn experimentation, produced a wide variety of artists including the debut of The Cramps and became and a celebrated Godfather of Indie not unlike Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen.
Big Star was to play a reunion show this Saturday at the independent band festival South By Southwest. Sadly, if it still happens, it will most surely be a fitting tribute to a great songwriter and musician who helped sculpt the music I have loved and enjoyed.
Update: An excellent ode to Alex Chilton was just sent to me by an old friend Nick. This blogger wrote this about 3 years ago. It doesn't need any updating.
Below are a couple of great clips of Big Star and, of course, the loving tribute/ultimate anti-video by The Replacements:
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