Episode 20 - Jody Stephens - Big Star

Today on my 20th Episode of Hidden History of Rock & Roll. I welcome an American musician and producer. He played the drums in the band Big Star from 1971, formed in Memphis, TN, until the band parted ways in 1975. Band members Alex Chilton of The Box Tops on guitar, Andy Hummel on bass, Chris Bell on guitar and vocals, Jody Stephens on drums. He is the last surviving original member of the band. He also played drums with Golden Smog. He performs and records with Luther Russell as Those Pretty Wrongs, their debut 7" was released in 2015 on Burger Records and their debut LP came out in 2016 on the Ardent Music Label. He also contributed to "The Student Becomes the Teacher" a 2018 song by The Lemon Twigs who have cited Big Star as being an influence. In 2019 he produced the LP Electric Power for Rock/power soul band The Reputations from Austin, TX. Big Star has been described as the quintessential American power pop band and one of the most mythic and influential cult acts in all of Rock & Roll. They drew influence from The Beatles and The Byrds, pioneering a style that foreshadowed the alternative rock of the 80's & 90's. According to Rolling Stone Magazine, Big Star created a seminal body of work that never stopped inspiring succeeding generations. Three of Big Star studio albums are included in Rolling Stone's lists of the "500 Greatest Albums of all Time". In May of 2025 he and the band were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame to recognize its lasting legacy as a cornerstone of power pop and alternative rock. Please welcome to the show.....Jody Stephens.