That is genuinely really rather sweet. Was that one of the “you get a minute to speak your piece” bits that congressmen get sometimes?
Everyone in his adopted hometown of New Orleans had nothing but good things to say about Alex Chilton, by all accounts a very good guy and a great musical talent…
RIP
Sad. I was lucky enough to see him play a few times back when he was living in Athens. Always a great show.
Yep, was glad to see Memphis Rep, Steve Cohen do the memorial in Congress, and not surprised, he’s always been very aware of Memphis’ music contributions.
Of all the many tributes to Alex I’ve been reading, Ann Power’s stands as the most beautiful and true.
I was lucky enough to see Alex so many times, from NC to NOLA, to Memphis and…on… For some odd reason, the one sticking in my mind most now is at the opening of Doug and Ron Easley’s recording studio during the 90’s. Everyone was sitting up close on the floor, like storytelling time, hushed anticipation as the Great Chilton took the mike, just Alex and his guitar. He smiled, and started to sing: “People, people who neeeeeeddddd peooooppppllle, are…The Luccckkkkkiieeeesttt Peooooppppllle…” It was the weirdest version of that schmaltzy song ever, and brilliant, too; he could take an odd piece of musical flotsam and make it wonderful.
That’s making me smile with glee, and Alex was expert at bringing the glee of playing music into the world; even the sad angsty songs have the glee of speaking with a true voice, beyond pop machine glory.
I wish I could be in Austin on Saturday night, probably will be the most heartfelt send off a musician can have.
Bye, Alex, you drank deep and steady from the Southern musical well, and mixed it all up in the best way.
Having lost my job earlier today, I thought I was all cried out by now. Guess I was wrong.
Farewell, Alex, and thank you for all those amazing songs. Now you and Chris Bell can catch up on your jams in Rock-n-Roll Heaven.
Signed, Another September Gurl
Oh, man…so sorry.
Here’s a nice write upfrom Tony Sachs on the Huffington Post…
Two things that won’t mean anything to anyone but me: AC singing TBoEG on a rainy day near Washington DC’s Union Station, late autumn 1991, my brother driving, me in the passenger seat, “and there ain’t no one going to turn me 'round.”
Cut to 1992, getting off the bus to walk the half mile to my job in Lyndhurst, NJ, a cold yet clear winter day, blue sky like you wouldn’t believe, and Big Star on my walkman, Try Again, “Lord I’ve been trying…”
Not that anyone will read this or care, but if you do, you know what I am talking about.
Ah, hell, a third thing: AC at the Bottom Line in NYC, circa 1999, Michael Jackson’s “Rock With Me”, and the most incredible chordal guitar solos you could ever imagine, played on a Gibson hollow body electric, the sunburst kind
I came to Alex Chilton/Big Star via the Replacements song when I was about 20, so I wonder how my musical tastes would have been altered if I had somehow stumbled upon him/them earlier.
In any case, I was surprised at how his passing has affected me.
Time to go listen to “Watch The Sunrise”…