Friday, April 9, 2010

2Truthy's Happy Friday Hour Remembering Alex Chilton


(Very Special Thanks to The Box Tops)

Alex Chilton Died Of No Health Care


The Big Easy – Who wasn't in love with Alex Chilton? Music writer Keith Spera sends up this amazing tribute to Alex Chilton in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, and describes the smart, handsome, humble and talented musician's life from his roots in Memphis to his life cut all too short in his adopted home of New Orleans that he loved. 
 
Alex Chilton had no health insurance. Spera talked with his wife, Laura Kersting about his final days below:

At least twice in the week before his fatal heart attack, Chilton experienced shortness of breath and chills while cutting grass. But he did not seek medical attention, Kersting said, in part because he had no health insurance. On the morning of March 17, she went to work. Chilton called her after suffering another episode; she arrived home before the ambulance, and drove him to the hospital. He lost consciousness a block from the emergency room, after urging Kersting to run the red light.
That week, the health care debate dominated Washington D.C. But Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) took time to memorialize Chilton from the floor of Congress. Chilton, an avid C-SPAN viewer, likely would have appreciated the moment. Lingering damage to his Treme house was an ongoing source of concern for Chilton. Kersting hopes, in the coming months, to raise enough money to repair the home her husband cherished. “He loved this house more than he loved himself,” she said. “He really cared about New Orleans houses and people.
A lot of people thought he still lived in Memphis. But New Orleans was his home. His heart was here.”


R.I.P. Alex Chilton.

-2Truthy

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I remember several interviews with him. Wonderful man.

Our country is screwed.

2Truthy said...

Hey B'Man, I knew he died on St. Patrick's Day but only recently read he had no affordable access to healthcare (note that HuffHo said he died of "No Health Insurance".)

What a tragic irony that he has played in the past for one of corporate America's leading tradeshows teeming with plenty of insufferable, "I Got Mine" happy shiny people who could give a shit about Obamacare's death sentence to at least 45,000 people who die each year from lack of affordable access to health care.

Knowing Chilton was one of the 45K is particularly depressing. I loved his Box Top stuff best - tight, integrated amazing blue-eyed soul stuff.