Alex Chilton is Dead at 59

To me, there were very little musicians that sounded as American as Alex Chilton. That's weird, considering that along with his fellow Big Star member Chris Bell, they were about the most British-sounding band around. Maybe it's because we now associate so much of the subsequent "Power Pop" movement with lots of American bands, that we sometimes forget how much of their influence was from pre-Revolver British Invasion. Then again, the major influence of all of those groups was American R&B. Wherever the winding road ends up, Alex Chilton, one of Memphis's favorite sons, always seemed to create some of the most American music possible. It was in fact not too long ago that I discovered Big Star (remember, I'm a teenager), after having heard "September Gurls" many a time in numerous places. I heard Radio City and played, literally, nothing but that for about a week. Then I devoured #1 Record, then Third/Sister Lovers, then Chris Bell's posthumous I Am the Cosmos, and now I'm trying to track down Chilton's solo stuff. There really hasn't been any band like them, and there definitely wasn't a band like them when they were at their peak, which was actually the entire span of the band's existence - which was about 3 years, 6 if you count the later-released, really-more-of-a-Chilton-solo-album-but-equally-breathtaking Third. I'm rambling, not really making a point here, I guess. If there's a point, it's that they simply wrote beautiful guitar pop, and no one has come close to matching the beauty heard in their songs.

And now, just a few minutes ago, I found that Alex Chilton has died of a heart attack at 59. It's strange - he hasn't really made a well-received album in more than 20 years, it didn't really seem like he was on any sort of breakthrough, I always wanted to see him in concert or meet him, but that never seemed very realistic. So logically, besides the tragedy of an early death of a musical idol I've long admired from afar, it shouldn't really affect me. And yet, it feels like something like the "end of an era." The idea that there's a living, breathing human responsible for so much beauty is both obvious and slightly inconceivable. And now, the human's gone - but his music remains. So, thank you, friend / Wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you / I'm so grateful for all the things you helped me do.