Alex Hassilev
July 11, 1932 – April 21, 2024
As reported by Clay Risen at The New York Times, the last original member of the Limeliters, Alex Hassilev, passed away on April 21 at the age of 91.
During the early ’60s, American audiences couldn’t get enough of the harmonies and traditional sounds of folk music. Among the most beloved acts of that era were the Limeliters – a trio comprised of Alex Hassilev, Glenn Yarbrough, and Lou Gottlieb. Hassilev, a skilled musician fluent in multiple languages, played banjo, guitar, and sang baritone for the group.
The Limeliters’ performances were marked by a unique blend of seriousness and humor, mixing traditional folk tunes like “The Hammer Song” with playful compositions such as “Have Some Madeira, M’Dear,” “The Ballad of Sigmund Freud,” and “Charlie the Midnight Marauder.” Before the Beatles came ashore, the trio were a powerhouse, playing an astonishing 300 shows a year and releasing multiple Billboard Top 10 albums, including Tonight in Person (1960) and The Slightly Fabulous Limeliters (1961).
Born in Paris to Russian Jewish immigrants Leonide and Tamara Hassilev, Alex Hassilev showed early promise as a student, attending Harvard after his military service. Disillusioned by what he perceived as elitism, he transferred to the University of Chicago and eventually found his way into acting and music, gravitating towards New York’s burgeoning folk scene in Greenwich Village.
The fateful meeting with Glenn Yarbrough at a party led to the formation of the Limeliters, who quickly gained popularity along the West Coast. Their official debut occurred after establishing a loyal following in San Francisco, leading to a recording contract with Elektra Records.
Despite their on-stage success, the Limeliters were famously known for their off-stage conflicts, earning them the nickname the Bicker Brothers. After Yarbrough’s departure following a plane crash in 1962, the group disbanded in 1965, with Hassilev pursuing solo projects in acting and record producing. His musical career continued with sporadic Limeliters reunions, solidifying in 1981 with a new lineup. Following the deaths of Lou Gottlieb in 1996 and Glenn Yarbrough in 2016, Alex eventually retired from the Limeliters in 2006.
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