Alex Warren has one of the most personal fan rituals in pop right now, and it involves ashes. In Rolling Stone’s Musicians on Musicians issue, the“Ordinary”singer told Megan Moroney that fans bring urns or bags holding their late parents’ashes to his shows and ask him to autograph them. While the ask might make plenty of artists squirm, Warren said he loves it:“You get to keep that person alive with every conversation and you have this beautiful memory.”
The ritual makes sense given his story. Warren’s father died of kidney cancer when he was just nine, and his mother died in 2021. Grief fuels his catalog, which is why he told Moroney,“I wrote that song about my dead dad,”and why online criticism of his music stings more than usual. Even the technical problems that disrupted his“Ordinary”performance at last year’s Grammys, where he was nominated for best new artist, didn’t dampen his mood. He called it“the best night of my life.”
The chart numbers show that connection is paying off.“Ordinary”topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks,“You’ll Be Alright, Kid”reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200, and 2026’s“Wildchild”peaked at No. 2. Would you ever bring something that personal to a show, or is that where you draw the line?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.