R.I.P. Alex Chilton

I just got word that Big Star singer/guitarist Alex Chilton died March 17.

He reportedly was having heart problems.

The 59-year-old formed Big Star back in 1971. And though the band didn’t have any major charting singles, it hit a nerve with a slew of independent musicians.

In fact, the Replacements recorded a song called “Alex Chilton.”

Most people know Chilton’s singing from his first group, the Box Tops. The band’s hit single, “The Letter,”
hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967.

Last year Rhino Records released a four-CD Big Star box set called “Keep an Eye on the Sky.”

Rest in peace Alex.