Big Star consists of Alex Chilton (guitarist, songwriter), Jody Stephens (percussionist, drummer), Jonathan Auer (guitarist), Ken Stringfellow (guitarist, vocalist).
Big Star was an American rock and roll band of the early 1970s whose work is often cited as a prime example of power pop. Drawing upon pop music traditions — especially The Beatles, The Byrds, The Kinks, The Zombies, Badfinger, The Who, Todd Rundgren, Moby Grape, The Beach Boys and Free — Big Star's music was lyrical, powerful, and at times melancholic pop for the post- 1960s generation. Their approach not only recalled the British Invasion groups but the spare, relaxed style of Stax Records, the Memphis soul label, as well as the edgy rockabilly of early Sun Records. In an era of singer-songwriters and heavy-metal groups, they played melodic, concisely written songs. Their reputation, negligible in 1974, has steadily grown, and they are today considered one of pop's classic groups.
Big Star was formed in 1971 in Memphis, Tennessee, by guitarist/vocalist Chris Bell, bassist Andy Hummel, drummer Jody Stephens, and guitarist/vocalist Alex Chilton. All four at times contributed to the songwriting and lead vocals, with Chilton and Bell singing and writing the majority of the early songs as a team modelled after Lennon and McCartney's collaborative style.
Bell had previously worked on a couple of the songs in Big Star's early repertoire while in the groups Icewater and Rock City, whose personnel had also included Stephens, Terry Manning, Thomas Eubanks, Steve Rhea, Hummel, Vance Alexander, Richard Rosebrough, and eventually Chilton. Recordings from the late 1960s and early 1970s by these groups are included on the Rock City and Rockin' Memphis 1960's–1970's Vol. 1 albums released on Lucky Seven/Rounder Records in 2003.
