The story goes that when Alex Chilton, then the teenaged lead singer of The Box Tops, showed up to record the single "The Letter", the producers thought he sounded too young. So what he did was, he went into a room and screamed and screamed and screamed until his voice sounded like it had been bathed in cigarette smoke and age, and then he recorded the song. I don't know if that story is true, but I like it. It sounds like something I'd do.
Alex Chilton died today, days before he was set to reunite with surviving Big Star members for a show at SXSW. If you have to ask who Alex Chilton is, I kind of feel bad for you, but I also envy you, for you can (and should) Google "Alex Chilton" and discover greatness in simplicity, as clear and beautiful as the stars over a dark highway.
