Alex Chilton of the Box Tops/Big Star Dead at 59

Alex Chilton, the pop hitmaker, cult icon and Memphis native best known as a member of 1960s pop-soul act the Box Tops and the 1970s power-pop act Big Star, died Wednesday at a hospital in New Orleans. Chilton had been complaining about his health earlier Wednesday, Fry said. He was taken by paramedics from his home to the emergency room but could not be revived. The singer, songwriter and guitarist was 59.

Chilton was born in Memphis and played both bass and rhythm guitar in area groups while still in high school. One of those groups, the DeVilles, caught the eye of producers Chips Moman and Dan Penn who had them signed to Bell, changed their name to the Box Tops and had them record the song "The Letter." The record, one of the shortest in chart history at under two minutes, went to the top of the U.S. charts and stayed there for four weeks making it the biggest hit of 1967.

Chilton and Big Star had been scheduled to play Saturday as part of the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.