Alex Chilton Remembered
It’s been one year today since the death of Alex Chilton, the driving force behind Big Star and the Box Tops. Though Big Star went largely unnoticed on a mainstream scale for much of their career, the band’s contribution to rock and pop music today is invaluable. Chilton had a way of taking what in most hands would sound cliche or generic, and making it intensely personal and meaningful. On Big Star tracks like, “Thirteen,” and, “I’m in Love with a Girl,” Chiton effortlessly captures the joy of infatuation and the confusion of youth in just around two minutes – a feat that many artist work their entire career to achieve. Chilton’s songs have been covered by numerous indie rock heros, including the late Elliott Smith and Wilco, and he has played with Yo La Tango and Teenage Fanclub. In 1987, The Replacements released a song honoring the Big Star frontman, aptly titled, “Alex Chilton,” and containing the lyric: “I never travel very far without a little Big Star.” Check out videos of Chilton’s work over the years below:
