Alex Chilton
What does it mean to be a big star? Alex Chilton died yesterday. Among rock musicians he’s about as well known and respected as they come. He’s venerated by hallowed rock names like REM, Wilco and the Replacements, who wrote a hit named for Chilton. He was even commemorated on the floor of Congress by Rep. Steve Cohen, a fellow Memphan.
It’s incredible to think that in 1967 at the age of 16 he penned and sang one of the most familiar hits of the time, The Letter by the Box Tops. Wanting to branch out, he later helped form Big Star, one of the most critically acclaimed, yet least known groups of modern rock & roll, blazing the path for the more famous bands that would follow playing their brand of ‘power pop.’ Though increasingly distrustful of the direction of the radio and record business, Chilton never stopped playing. But he did so in his own individual, independent and uncompromising way. Ambivalent about fame and the gloss of the music biz, Chilton once told Terry Gross on her show Fresh Air that he was happy continually pursuing the music, he liked: “I dunno really, you know? I like simple pop songs with no real message, you know? Just about feeling good and being happy.” That’s what mattered. Do that, and the other stuff just kind of follows.
