It’s no secret that the Replacements were heavily influenced by singer Alex Chilton and his band, Big Star.

A precocious kid, Chilton got his musical start at 16 as the lead singer of the Box Tops. In 1971, he formed Big Star with Chris Bell.

Though many of his bands never achieved commercial success, Chilton’s work has influenced many other bands – like the Posies, the Cramps, R.E.M. and the Replacements.