Alex Chilton

For the song by The Replacements, see Alex Chilton (song).

Alex Chilton
Chilton singing and playing the guitar
Chilton performing in 2009
Background information
Birth nameWilliam Alexander Chilton
Born(1950-12-28)December 28, 1950
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedMarch 17, 2010(2010-03-17) (aged 59)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer-songwriter
  • record producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
Years active1966–2010
Labels
Formerly of

Alex Chilton (born William Alexander Chilton; December 28, 1950 – March 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and record producer, best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star.[3] Chilton's early commercial success in the 1960s as a teen vocalist for the Box Tops was never repeated in later years with Big Star and in his subsequent indie music solo career on small labels, but he drew an intense following among indie and alternative rock musicians. He is frequently cited as a seminal influence by influential rock artists and bands, some of whose testimonials appeared in the 2012 documentary Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me.

  1. ^ a b c Zoladz, Lindsay (February 11, 2019). "December Boy: On Alex Chilton". The Ringer. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  2. ^ Milano, Brett (December 28, 2022). "Alex Chilton: The Original Big Star Of Indie Music". uDiscoverMusic. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  3. ^ "Alex Chilton, Influential Rock Singer, Dies at 59" The New York Times, March 19, 2010; page B17.