Alex Chilton passes away at 59

[kissmyshadestoo]

Influential guitarist, singer Alex Chilton dies

The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 17, 2010; 11:39 PM

NEW ORLEANS -- Singer and guitarist Alex Chilton, known for his influential work with bands the Box Tops and Big Star, has died. He was 59.

Chilton's longtime friend John Fry says that Chilton died Wednesday at a hospital in New Orleans after experiencing what appeared to be heart problems.

Fry, the owner of Memphis-based Ardent Studios, says he has spoken to Chilton's wife and that she's very distressed. Fry said: "It was just a sudden and unexpected event."

Chilton had been scheduled to perform with Big Star on Saturday at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas.

The festival's creative director, Brent Grulke, says Chilton's gift for melody was second to none.

Gulke says: "Alex Chilton always messed with your head, charming and amazing you while doing so."

He wrote some great tunes.....seems fitting to post a song dedicated to him:

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Godspeed.

 

[Kewpie]

Very sad news.
RIP Alex and I eternally grateful to his music.

 

[spinelessswine]

Heartbroken by this news

Chilton was a total hero to me. He was so ahead of his time and had an ear for melody like no other.
I had the honour to meet him last summer in London and it put paid to the theory to 'never meet your heroes'. He was wonderfully lovely, talkative, appreciative that I'd been to his show and knew so much about his music. We hung out for a bit and talked about old country singers like George Jones, he gave me songwriting advice and we even discussed Elliott Smith (my other all time hero). I'd told him I'd got into Big Star after hearing Elliott's cover of Thirteen. He said he'd never actually heard Elliott's music but that for years people had been telling him it was something he'd really like so he asked me loads about him. When I told him Elliott passed away a few years back he seemed genuinely upset and thanked me for telling him so much about his music, that he would definitely be getting some of Elliott's music into his life as soon as he got back to the States. I hope he did. A wonderful man that I can't speak of highly enough.

RIP Alex Chilton

 

[CharlieFairhead]

Genius.
R.I.P
[youtube]TF8fnoA1VNM&feature=related[/youtube]

 

[Thewlis]

He will be greatly missed. Great man, great band.

How was this never a huge hit:

[youtube]Cn1t6l7UUPc&feature=related[/youtube]

 

[Oh my god. it's Robby!]

 

[kissmyshadestoo]

From yesterday's edition of the NY Times:

Op-Ed Contributor
Beyond the Box Tops
By PAUL WESTERBERG

Minneapolis

HOW does one react to the death of one’s mentor? My mind instantly slammed down the inner trouble-door that guards against all thought, emotion, sadness. Survival mode. Rock guitar players are all dead men walking. It’s only a matter of time, I tell myself as I finger my calluses. Those who fail to click with the world and society at large find safe haven in music — to sing, write songs, create, perform. Each an active art in itself that offers no promise of success, let alone happiness.

Yet success shone early on Alex Chilton, as the 16-year-old soulful singer of the hit-making Box Tops. Possessing more talent than necessary, he tired as a very young man of playing the game — touring, performing at state fairs, etc. So he returned home to Memphis. Focusing on his pop writing and his rock guitar skills, he formed the group Big Star with Chris Bell. Now he had creative control, and his versatility shone bright. Beautiful melodies, heart-wrenching lyrics: “I’m in Love with a Girl,” “September Gurls.”

On Big Star’s masterpiece third album, Alex sang my favorite song of his, “Nighttime” — a haunting and gorgeous ballad that I will forever associate with my floor-sleeping days in New York. Strangely, the desperation in the line “I hate it here, get me out of here” made me, of all things, happy. He went on to produce more artistic, challenging records. One equipped with the take-it-or-leave-it — no, excuse me, with the take-it-like-I-make-it — title “Like Flies on Sherbert.” The man had a sense of humor, believe me.

It was some years back, the last time I saw Alex Chilton. We miraculously bumped into each other one autumn evening in New York, he in a Memphis Minnie T-shirt, with take-out Thai, en route to his hotel. He invited me along to watch the World Series on TV, and I immediately discarded whatever flimsy obligation I may have had. We watched baseball, talked and laughed, especially about his current residence — he was living in, get this, a tent in Tennessee.

Because we were musicians, our talk inevitably turned toward women, and Al, ever the Southern gentleman, was having a hard time between bites communicating to me the difficulty in ... you see, the difficulty in (me taking my last swig that didn’t end up on the wall, as I boldly supplied the punch line) “... in asking a young lady if she’d like to come back to your tent?” We both darn near died there in a fit of laughter.

Yeah, December boys got it bad, as “September Gurls” notes. The great Alex Chilton is gone — folk troubadour, blues shouter, master singer, songwriter and guitarist. Someone should write a tune about him. Then again, nah, that would be impossible. Or just plain stupid.

Paul Westerberg, a musician, was the lead singer of the Replacements.

 

[Patrick!]

Someone should write a tune about him. Then again, nah, that would be impossible. Or just plain stupid.

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