Big Star

The American band Big Star was formed in 1971 in Memphis, Tennessee. Their music is influenced by the so-called “British Invasion,” a term used to describe the popularity of bands such as Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Animals, The Kinks, and others, enjoyed in the United States.

In the beginning, when the band was first formed, Big Star consisted of Chris Bell (vocals, guitar), Steve Ray (guitar), Andy Hummel (bass), and Jody Stephens (drums). However, Steve Ray did not stay with the band for long. He was replaced by Alex Chilton, who eventually took over as the group’s leader.

#1 Record, the band’s first album, was released in 1972. The album’s poor sales and the fact that Chilton had become the frontman led Chris Bell to leave the group that same year and pursue a solo career. In 1974, the band released its second album, Radio City.

The album, which still featured contributions from Chris Bell, received critical acclaim but did not achieve the expected success. After its release, Andy Hummel left the band and was replaced by John Lightman. Later in 1974, the band began recording new songs for their third album, but the group broke up that same year.

The third album, titled Third, was later released on an independent label in 1978, the year Chris Bell died in a car accident. In 1992, Rykodisc released a definitive edition of Third, titled Third/Sister Lovers.

Although it was not a commercial success during its existence in the 1970s, Big Star eventually gained a cult following among bands that emerged in the following decade. R.E.M., The Replacements, The Posies and Teenage Fanclub are among those who were influenced by the Memphis band.

In 1993, Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens reunited with Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow (two members of Posies) and played a few sporadic shows. That same lineup of Big Star went into the studio in 2004 and recorded the album In Space, which was released in 2005.

Alex Chilton died on March 17, 2010, at the age of 59, from a heart attack. That same year, on July 19, Andy Hummel died of cancer.