Alex Chilton

Alex Chilton

1950–2010

Music fans who approached Alex Chilton to praise him and his seminal power-pop band, Big Star, were usually startled by his response. “People say Big Star made some of the best rock ’n’ roll albums ever,” he said in 1992, “and I say they’re wrong.”

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William Alexander Chilton, who was born in Memphis, “experienced his first taste of musical stardom at the tender age of 16 as a member of the Box Tops,” said the Chicago Sun-Times. His soulful vocals on the group’s 1967 single, “The Letter,” propelled the song to No. 1 in the U.S. The band’s other hits included “Cry Like a Baby” and “Neon Rainbow.” Chilton tired of the showbiz grind, though, and left the band in 1970.

But he couldn’t leave music, said The Washington Post. He formed Big Star in 1971 with three other musicians. The band released two albums that sold poorly but gained cult status for their rough-edged depictions of teenage angst. R.E.M., the Replacements, and Wilco have all cited Big Star as a key influence, and Cheap Trick’s version of the band’s “In the Street” became the theme song to That ’70s Show.

After Big Star split, in 1978, Chilton produced records and performed solo. Big Star re-formed in 1992, playing to enthusiastic audiences. Chilton was at home in New Orleans, preparing to join the band at Austin’s South by Southwest festival, when he died of an apparent heart attack.