Post by Rob Durkee on Mar 18, 2010 1:54:33 GMT -5
By ROCKIN' ROBIN
Alex Chilton, the lead singer of the Box Tops, who had the biggest hit single of 1967 with "The Letter," has died. He was 59. According to John Fry, a long-time friend, Chilton passed away on Wednesday (March 17, 2010) at a New Orleans hospital of apparent heart problems.
According to Fry and the Associated Press, Chilton had been scheduled to perform with his current group, Big Star, on Saturday (March 20, 2010) at the South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin. Fry said Chilton's passing "was just a sudden and unexpected event."
Alex Chilton was a mere 16 years old when he sang lead for the Box Tops' breakthrough hit, "The Letter." The song roared to #1 on the Cash Box pop chart in September, 1967, and was named the magazine's biggest single for that year. Wayne Carson Thompson, who also wrote "Always On My Mind," wrote "The Letter." He got the idea for the song from his father. "Dad was a songwriter of sorts," Thompson told writer Fred Bronson. "He'd come up with ideas and pass them on to me. He said, 'If you can do anything with this, then go ahead.' 'Give me a ticket for an aeroplane' was all he had, but I took that line and wrote the rest of the words and the melody."
"The Letter" was only about 1:45 long and many pop music fans at the time thought the Box Tops were a black group.
Thompson didn't like the song when he first heard it, however. "I didn't like it because the boy (Chilton) didn't sing it high enough," Thompson reasoned. Dan Smythe, the drummer for the Box Tops, replied, "Well, it's a hit record." Smythe also came up with the group's name. While recording "The Letter," the group hadn't had an official name. One of the members said, "Well, let's have a contest and everybody can send in 50 cents and a box top." Smythe replied, "Hell, that sounds great" and named the group the Box Tops.
Rounding out the Box Tops' original lineup were Gary Talley (lead guitar), William Cunningham (bass) and John Evans (keyboards). The group had six other songs make the Cash Box top 40 pop chart. "Neon Rainbow" was a modest #24 hit as the followup to "The Letter." Then in the spring of 1968, the Box Tops took "Cry Like A Baby" to #2 on the Cash Box pop chart. "Cry Like A Baby" was kept out of #1 by "Honey" by Bobby Goldsboro and would be ranked #18 for 1968.
"Choo Choo Train" was a #17 hit for the Box Tops in the summer of 1968. After just missing the top 40 with the #41 hit "I Met Her In Church," the Box Tops reached #28 in early 1969 with "Sweet Cream Ladies, Forward March." The group had its last two top 40 hits in 1969 with "Soul Deep" (#13) and "Turn On A Dream" (#35).
The Box Tops disbanded in the early 1970's, when Chilton began to pursue a solo career. He teamed up with Jody Stephens, the drummer for the group Big Star, to do a reunion concert in 1993. Chilton began touring with Big Star in 1996 plus recorded at least two solo LP's in the mid-90's.
Alex Chilton, the lead singer of the Box Tops, who had the biggest hit single of 1967 with "The Letter," has died. He was 59. According to John Fry, a long-time friend, Chilton passed away on Wednesday (March 17, 2010) at a New Orleans hospital of apparent heart problems.
According to Fry and the Associated Press, Chilton had been scheduled to perform with his current group, Big Star, on Saturday (March 20, 2010) at the South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin. Fry said Chilton's passing "was just a sudden and unexpected event."
Alex Chilton was a mere 16 years old when he sang lead for the Box Tops' breakthrough hit, "The Letter." The song roared to #1 on the Cash Box pop chart in September, 1967, and was named the magazine's biggest single for that year. Wayne Carson Thompson, who also wrote "Always On My Mind," wrote "The Letter." He got the idea for the song from his father. "Dad was a songwriter of sorts," Thompson told writer Fred Bronson. "He'd come up with ideas and pass them on to me. He said, 'If you can do anything with this, then go ahead.' 'Give me a ticket for an aeroplane' was all he had, but I took that line and wrote the rest of the words and the melody."
"The Letter" was only about 1:45 long and many pop music fans at the time thought the Box Tops were a black group.
Thompson didn't like the song when he first heard it, however. "I didn't like it because the boy (Chilton) didn't sing it high enough," Thompson reasoned. Dan Smythe, the drummer for the Box Tops, replied, "Well, it's a hit record." Smythe also came up with the group's name. While recording "The Letter," the group hadn't had an official name. One of the members said, "Well, let's have a contest and everybody can send in 50 cents and a box top." Smythe replied, "Hell, that sounds great" and named the group the Box Tops.
Rounding out the Box Tops' original lineup were Gary Talley (lead guitar), William Cunningham (bass) and John Evans (keyboards). The group had six other songs make the Cash Box top 40 pop chart. "Neon Rainbow" was a modest #24 hit as the followup to "The Letter." Then in the spring of 1968, the Box Tops took "Cry Like A Baby" to #2 on the Cash Box pop chart. "Cry Like A Baby" was kept out of #1 by "Honey" by Bobby Goldsboro and would be ranked #18 for 1968.
"Choo Choo Train" was a #17 hit for the Box Tops in the summer of 1968. After just missing the top 40 with the #41 hit "I Met Her In Church," the Box Tops reached #28 in early 1969 with "Sweet Cream Ladies, Forward March." The group had its last two top 40 hits in 1969 with "Soul Deep" (#13) and "Turn On A Dream" (#35).
The Box Tops disbanded in the early 1970's, when Chilton began to pursue a solo career. He teamed up with Jody Stephens, the drummer for the group Big Star, to do a reunion concert in 1993. Chilton began touring with Big Star in 1996 plus recorded at least two solo LP's in the mid-90's.
