Primal Scream - Gillespie Pays Tribute To 'Rock Genius' Chilton

PRIMAL SCREAM frontman BOBBY GILLESPIE has paid tribute to late BIG STAR rocker ALEX CHILTON - comparing the singer/guitarist's work to the legacy of THE BEATLES.

The 59 year old passed away at a New Orleans, Louisiana hospital on Wednesday (17Mar10) after suffering heart problems.

Chilton's work has been cited as an influence by many bands, including R.E.M., Wilco, The Bangles, Garbage and Counting Crows.

And Gillespie admits that without Chilton's music, Primal Scream would have had a very different sound.

He tells BBC 6 Music, "(He was a) genius of rock 'n' roll. (His work was) as good The Byrds or The Beatles.

"When we started Primal Scream, Alex was a huge influence on us, and he still is. Even if he'd only ever produced the first Cramps album he'd still be one of my rock 'n' roll heroes. But he did a lot more than that.

"He just made so many great records, and they were crazy rock 'n' roll records. But they were also art records and beautiful records, mournful records, sad records, joyous records. What I'm trying to say is that Alex Chilton was one of the greats."