DEAD - Alex Chilton

bort · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:16 pm

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/20 ... lton-dies/

Pop hitmaker, cult icon, and Memphis rock icon iconoclast Alex Chilton has died.

The singer and guitarist, best known as a member of '60s pop-soul act the Box Tops and the '70s power-pop act Big Star, died today at a hospital in New Orleans. Chilton, 59, had been complaining of about his health earlier today. He was taken by paramedics to the emergency room where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death is believed to be a heart attack.

His Big Star bandmate Jody Stephens confirmed the news this evening. Chilton had been scheduled to perform with Big Star on Saturday as part at the annual South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

Yail Bloor · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:22 pm

Dern. RIP.

Sex, Drugs, and Dave · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:24 pm

FUCK! NO! I met him while in a santa costume!

rogneeb · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:07 pm **Posts:** 12618

RIP you crazy bastard

Donovan · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:42 pm

Fuck mortality.

harry · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:00 pm

Yail Bloor Wrote:

Dern. RIP.

I supposed there is some poetic logic in honoring Chilton not with his own music but rather with the music of someone he influenced.

Yail Bloor · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:20 pm

Yeah, it's a tribute to the man with a song that was written as a tribute to him. 2 + 2 = 4.

Dick Meatwood · **Posted:** Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:24 pm

Dammit. I need to listen to "Kangaroo".

RIP.

Stop Breathin' · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:10 am

I'm in love
with that....coronary

duckyboy · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 1:37 am

ah fuck. RIP

Zombeels · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 3:19 am

What a shame.

PopTodd · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:24 am

I heard the news in my car on the way in to work this morning and, alone in the car, I yelled, "WHA?!?!"
It was just a casual, passing note at the end of the news.
Damn.
R.I.P. you curmudgeonly motherfucker.

nobody · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:49 am

robotboy · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:33 am

really sucks

PopTodd · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:38 am

nobody Wrote:

That video is hilarious.
It's so obvious just how much they don't give a shit about even trying to make it look like they're actually performing. (The keys player even more than Alex, even.)

Stone · **Joined:** Wed Aug 22, 2007 9:27 am **Posts:** 1562

The guy was 16 when they recorded "The Letter." Quite a talent now gone.

Flying Rabbit · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:11 am

Dang. One of my favorite voices in music.

Its weird, because I just put on Chris Bell before I read this...kinda eerie.

seafoam · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:15 am

Damn sorry to hear.

and yeah, the piano guy is cracking me up.

PopTodd Wrote:

nobody Wrote:

That video is hilarious.
(The keys player even more than Alex, even.)

PopTodd · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:23 am

Somebody posted this excerpt from the Butthole Surfers chapter of Our Band Could Be Your Life over at Hipinion. I thought it was pretty cool.:

Quote:

Haynes then made a successful run for the dressing room and slammed the door behind him. Kramer could hear Leary and Haynes screaming at each other inside, and when he finally worked up the courage to open the door, he found the two of them smashing guitars, bottles, and chairs in what Kramer calls "the most potent example of bad behavior I have ever seen [...]"

Moments later a man entered the dressing room and asked if he could borrow a guitar. "BORROW A GUITAR??!! WELL, WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU???!!!" Haynes screamed, eyes flashing in delirious anticipation of forthcoming violence. But the man was totally unfazed.

"I'm Alex Chilton," the man answered calmly.

Haynes was flabbergasted. After a long pause, he methodically opened the remaining guitar cases one by one and gestured at them as if to say, "Take anything you want."

- Our Band Could Be Your Life, p 297

Kingfish · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 11:25 am

Damn. This one is too soon.

I'm not much of a Big Star fan. But, after hearing Chuck Prophet cover "Bangkok", I was just thinking yesterday that I needed to delve more into Chilton's solo material.

Rick Derris · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 11:33 am

A giant.

RIP

Spade Kitty · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:49 am **Posts:** 4401

I never usually say this about someone over the age of 55, but it really seemed far too soon.

He's such an unusual case because he's so lauded in cult circles and so ignored in popular ones.

I love those three big star records.

What solo stuff should I check out?

tentoze · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 3:40 pm

I've never heard a Big Star song, much less an album.

billy g · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:41 pm **Posts:** 9020

Big Star is a band that I feel like I should like more than I do. As far as Alex Chilton's solo stuff goes, I've only heard "Like Flies on Sherbert." Its pretty good.

Seems like there are alot more comps of Chilton's work than there are actual studio albums. I guess that's only going to get worse now.

Kingfish · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:18 pm

billy g Wrote:

Big Star is a band that I feel like I should like more than I do.

That's how I'd say I feel about them too.

DEAD - Alex Chilton

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