Willie Alexander Explained

Willie Alexander
Alias:Willie "Loco" Alexander
Background:solo_singer
Birth Date:1943 1, mf=y
Birth Place:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Instrument:Keyboards, vocals
Genre:Art rock, protopunk, experimental rock, alternative rock, power pop, new wave
Occupation:Musician
Label:MCA Records, New Rose Records
Associated Acts:The Velvet Underground

Willie "Loco" Alexander (born January 13, 1943) is an American singer and keyboardist based in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

He played with the Lost, the Bagatelle and the Grass Menagerie, before becoming a member of the Velvet Underground in late 1971, joining fellow Grass Menagerie alumni Doug Yule and Walter Powers and replacing Sterling Morrison, who had gone off to pursue an academic career.[1]

With the Velvet Underground, Alexander toured England, Scotland and the Netherlands in support of then-current album Loaded. After completing the tour on November 21, 1971, in Groningen, the band planned to start recording a new album, but band manager Steve Sesnick sent all of the band but Yule home, presumably to retain maximum control of the product (the resulting album was Squeeze, released in 1973) and effectively ending Alexander's time with the band.

After leaving the Velvet Underground, he enjoyed a checkered career, both solo and with his Boom Boom Band,[1] that lasts to this day. In-between, Alexander teamed up with Powers to tour France in 1982 for French punk record label New Rose Records,[2] in 1987 opening for Dramarama and in 2006 for a tour with the Boom Boom band.

Alexander's 1975 single "Kerouac",[1] was covered by Tim Presley on the album The Wink (Drag City, 2016) and his 1980 single "Gin" was covered by Luna on their covers album A Sentimental Education (Double Feature, 2017).

In addition to his storied music career, in 1994, Alexander narrated a local film entitled Middle Street made by fellow Gloucester native, independent filmmaker Henry Ferrini. Willie has also contributed many songs to the soundtracks for Henry's other films.

The band, Willie Alexander and the Fishtones, released the album I'll Be Goode (Fisheye Records) in 2016.[3]

Albums discography

Solo

Willie Alexander and the Persistence of Memory Orchestra

Willie Alexander and the Boom Boom Band

Willie Alexander and the Confessions

The Fish Eye Brothers

With The Bagatelle

With The Lost

With The Velvet Underground

Sources

  1. Anonymous. "Velvet Underground ist wieder da!" In: Sounds, November–December 1971. Interview with the band. link
  2. Henry Daniel. "Velvet Underground". In: Frendz, November 5, 1971. Interview with the band. link
  3. Arjan de Weerd. "Despite All the Amputations, the Name of This Band Is Velvet Underground", July 2, 2004. Interview with Willie Alexander on his V.U. stint link

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Colin Larkin. Guinness Publishing. 1992. First. 0-85112-939-0. 61.
  2. Web site: Giancarli . Andrea . New Rose Records, a 1980's indie label . Blasting News . March 26, 2018 . 14 January 2019.
  3. Web site: Caples . Garrett . MaximusRocknRoll: Willie 'Loco' Alexander . Poetryfoundation.org. 26 April 2017. 24 Jun 2020.

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