Singer and guitarist Alex Chilton, who topped the charts as a teen and later became a cult hero with Big Star, died Wednesday. He was 59. Chilton died at a hospital in New Orleans after experiencing what appeared to be heart problems, said his longtime friend John Fry. Fry said Chilton's wife, Laura, was very distressed by the unexpected death. “Alex was an amazingly talented person, not just as a musician and vocalist and a songwriter, but he was intelligent and well read and interested in a wide number of music genres,” said Fry, the owner of Memphis-based Ardent Studios. As the teenage singer for the pop-soul outfit the Box Tops, Chilton topped the charts with the band's song “The Letter” in 1967. Their other hits were “Soul Deep” and “Cry Like a Baby.” Chilton grew up in one of rock music's most celebrated cities, Memphis, Tennessee, and formed the band with friends from school. His short run with Big Star brought less mainstream success but made him a cult hero to other rock musicians, as evidenced by the title of the 1987 Replacements song, “Alex Chilton.” Big Star's three 1970s albums all earned spots on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest.
