Christopher Bell, the lead singer for the Memphis bands The Box Tops and Big Star, had a remarkable music career. With The Box Tops, he charted 10 Hot 100 singles between 1967 and 1970, including the iconic "The Letter" which reached number one on the charts. The band's other notable hits included "Neon Rainbow", "Cry Like a Baby", and "Soul Deep".
Big Star, which was originally known as Rock City and then Ice Water, was formed by Christopher Bell, Alex Chilton, Andy Hummel, and Jody Stephens. The band released three critically acclaimed albums: No. 1 Record, Radio City, and Sister Lovers. Although the records received poor distribution at the time of their release, they have since become highly sought-after collector's items.
Big Star's music has had a profound influence on many bands and musicians, including R.E.M., The Replacements, Teenage Fanclub, The Posies, and Matthew Sweet. After the band's initial run, Christopher Bell moved to New York and played with Chris Stamey and Will Rigby in the band Alex Chilton And The Cossacks. He later relocated to New Orleans and Los Angeles, where he continued to record and release solo albums.
In 1993, Big Star reformed for a one-off show at Missouri University, with Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens joined by Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer of The Posies. The performance resulted in a live album, and the band has since performed sporadically, releasing a new album entitled In Space in 2005.
