Willie Alexander


Willie "Loco" Alexander 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.
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 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, 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, in 1987 opening for Dramarama and in 2006 for a tour with the Boom Boom band.
Alexander's 1975 single "Kerouac", was covered by Tim Presley on the album The Wink and his 1980 single "Gin" was covered by Luna on their covers album A Sentimental Education.
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 in 2016.

Albums discography

Solo

  • Solo Loco
  • Taxi-Stand Diane
  • Greatest Hits
  • Tap Dancing on My Piano
  • The Dragons Are Still Out
  • Fifteen Years of Rock & Roll with Willie Alexander
  • Willie Loco Boom Boom Ga Ga 1975-1991
  • Private WA
  • The Holy Babble
  • Loco in Beantown
  • The New Rose Story 1980-2000
  • Solo Loco Redux
  • ''Vincent Ferrini's Greatest Hits''

    Willie Alexander and the Persistence of Memory Orchestra

  • Willie Alexander's Persistence of Memory Orchestra
  • ''The Persistence of Memory Orchestra: The East Main St. Suite''

    Willie Alexander and the Boom Boom Band

  • Sperm Bank Babies
  • Willie Alexander and the Boom Boom Band
  • Meanwhile... Back in the States
  • Pass the Tabasco
  • Loco Live 1976
  • ''Dog Bar Yacht Club''

    Willie Alexander and the Confessions

  • Autre Chose
  • ''A Girl Like You''

    The Fish Eye Brothers

  • ''When the Swan was on the Boulevard''

    With The Bagatelle

  • ''The 11 p.m. Saturday LP''

    With The Lost

  • Early Recordings, Demos, Acoustic and Live 1965-1966
  • ''Lost Tapes 1965-'66''

    With The Velvet Underground

  • ''Final V.U. 1971-1973''