Alex Chilton, Box Tops And Big Star Singer, Dead At 59

Underground music icon Alex Chilton died of an apparent heart attack in New Orleans yesterday, at the age of 59. First achieving notoriety as the startlingly gruff-voiced teenage singer of The Box Tops—their biggest hit, “The Letter,” topped the charts in 1967—Chilton may now be best known for leading the wholly different sounding Big Star, one of the most influential pop/rock groups to enjoy practically no commercial success during their existence. Once ignored by everyone but critics, several songs from 1972′s #1 Record and 1974′s Radio City have become belated classics, including the oft-covered “September Gurls” and “In The Street”—better known as “That ’70s Song” thanks to its use as the theme to That 70′s Show.

Following the troubled recording of Big Star’s moody magnum opus, 3rd/Sister Lovers, Chilton spent years releasing obscure solo EPs and singles while young alternative rock bands covered his songs and sang his praises—sometimes literally, in the case of The Replacements‘ single “Alex Chilton.” Chilton reunited Big Star in the early ’90s, finally releasing another album under the name, In Space, in 2005 (Chilton regularly toured with a reconvened Box Tops as well). He is survived by his wife and son.

See clips of Chilton’s most famous songs after the jump.

Big Star’s “September Gurls,” #178 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Songs Of All Time. If you heard it on classic rock radio, you’d never guess in 1974 it didn’t even make the charts.

The reunited Big Star performing “In The Street” on Leno (Cheap Trick shoehorned their “we’re all alright!” hook into the song when covering it for That ’70s Show)

The Box Tops performing “The Letter.” Yes, this is the same Alex Chilton who sang in Big Star—he just sounded a lot grittier in his teens. Didn’t you?

Big Star’s “Kanga Roo” from 3rd/Sister Lovers, a song covered by both Jeff Buckley and Beck in concert. Others who’ve interpreted the group include Wilco, Elliott Smith, The Bangles and R.E.M.

[Photo: Getty Images]