Thank You Alex

Alex Chilton died Wednesday night from what is believed to have been a heart attack. He was 59. I still remember the first time I heard a Big Star song. "September Gurls" streaming from my cheap desktop speakers. I must've listened to that track hundreds of times during that summer. I was a fan of Chilton's ever since; and more importantly, I discovered what something heavily creative, simple, and heartfelt actually felt like. It's like discovering Pet Sounds for the first time and really engaging it with your whole person. Everything. That's what it felt like for me when I listened to #1 Record, Radio City, or Third/Sister Lovers; and I'll never understand why more people outside of the independent music world never latched onto Big Star. If you don't know much about Alex Chilton, you owe it to yourself to get educated. There's no doubt in my mind that your favorite band probably owes him a huge debt.