Died On This Date (March 17, 2010) Alex Chilton/ Influential Singer & Songwriter
themusicsover William “Alex” Chilton
December 28, 1950 – March 17, 2010
Even though Alex Chilton was one of indie rock’s biggest influences, many don’t realize he sang lead on one of the biggest pop hits of the ’60s. While still in high school in Memphis, Tennessee, 16-year-old Chilton was asked to join a local rock band that soon became known as the Box Tops. Later that year, the group released “The Letter” which quickly became a #1 hit around the world (Chilton’s lead vocal track was slowed down to make him sound older). That was soon followed by “Cry Like a Baby” and “Soul Deep,” both moderate hits also sung by Chilton. After leaving the Box Tops, Chilton joined Chris Bell in an up-and-coming power pop band, Big Star who made records that took the best pop elements of the British Invasion and spiced them with a dash of Memphis soul. In 1972, Big Star released #1 Album, which, although it was a commercial failure, was highly influential to the Replacements, R.E.M., Wilco, Counting Crows, Ryan Adams the Flaming Lips, and Teenage Fanclub. One of its songs, the Bell-Chilton penned, “In The Street,” was re-recorded by Cheap Trick in 1999 and used as the theme song for That ’70s Show. Chilton later helped form and produced Panther Burns with Tav Falco. He also released several influential solo albums throughout his career. In 1987, the Replacements included the great love letter to Chilton, “Alex Chilton,” on their Pleased To Meet Me album. In 2005, Chilton reformed Big Star for an album and tour. On March 17, 2010, Alex Chilton died of a heart attack. He was 59 years old.
What You Should Own
Mikey Dread started his career in music as an engineer at the JBC, the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation. At the time, the station was broadcasting mostly foreign pop songs, so Dread convinced the higher-ups to give him his own program which he called Dread At The Controls. It eventually became the most popular show on the network. One group of fans of the show were the Clash who invited Dread to England to produce some tracks on their 1980 release, Sandinista! as well as to tour with them through Europe and beyond. Throughout this time he was building his own audience as a respected singer and performer. In his later years, Dread grew disillusioned with the record industry so he quietly retired and went back to school to study electronics and business in his new home city of Miami. This paid off as he was able to regain the rights to his music which he began re-releasing on his own label. In October of 2007, it was announced that he was being treated for a brain tumor. He passed away surrounded by his family at his Connecticut home on March 15, 2008.
Jack Lawrence was a noted songwriter whose penned songs that have been nominated for Academy Awards and have been made into hits by the likes of the Ink Spots, 
Alan W. Livingston was the executive with Capitol Records who played a significant role in bringing two future pop culture icons to the world. First in 1946, he created the character, Bozo The Clown for a series of children’s records and sing-along books. It was his first duty at the fledgling company and it was the very first such learning tool for children. He has been credited for building the company from its $6 million a year beginnings into one of the industry’s powerhouses taking in over $100 million a year. When he was president during the ’60s, he led the company down a the path of rock ‘n roll by signing the likes of the Beach Boys, the Band, and his most celebrated “discovery,” the Beatles. Alan Livingston was 91 when he passed away on March 13, 2009.
As one of disco’s family groups, the Sylvers, Edmund Sylvers scored a huge hit with “Boogie Fever” in 1976. He was also the voice of the Marlon Jackson character in the popular Jackson 5 cartoon. After the disco fever died off, Sylvers continued to work as a percussionist and a producer with such artists as Jackson 5, the Whispers, Gladys Knight and Janet Jackson. He succumbed to cancer on March 11, 2004.