A Man Called Destruction: The Life and Music of Alex Chilton, From Box Tops to Big Star to Backdoor Man
After performing at his school talent show, Chilton was recruited by a local band for a recording session because he sounded black. The resulting song, “The Letter,” became one of the biggest hits of 1967. Sixteen-year-old Chilton toured with the Box Tops, but the band soon broke up. He formed Big Star, an influential band known for its harmonies and jangling guitars. While critically praised, they failed to sell any records. In New York City, Chilton performed at CBGBs just as punk was happening. He developed a reputation for a cultivated amateurishness and unpolished performances. Dark moods, tumultuous relationships, and self-destructive behavior brought on multiple nadirs, both professional and personal. Moving to New Orleans to straighten out his life, he worked as a dishwasher and a janitor before returning to music, playing his own brand of quirky music as well as reunion shows before dying in 2010. George-Warren’s biography, based on interviews with family, friends, and fellow musicians, is best in its depiction of the early years in Memphis, painting a three-dimensional picture of a troubled, charismatic, and talented artist. --Ben Segedin