Alex Hassilev, a founding member of the folk music trio the Limeliters and a prominent figure in the 1960s folk revival, passed away from cancer on April 21, 2023, in Burbank, California, at the age of 91. His wife, Gladys Hassilev, confirmed his death.
Born in Paris on June 11, 1932, to Jewish immigrants from Russia, Hassilev and his family moved to New York in 1939. He attended Harvard University and the University of Chicago before studying acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York. It was during this period that he immersed himself in the Greenwich Village folk scene and met Glenn Yarbrough.
Together with Yarbrough and later Lou Gottlieb, who joined after encountering the pair in Los Angeles, Hassilev helped form the Limeliters in 1959. The group quickly gained popularity, known for their intellectual appeal and tight harmonies. Their albums, "Tonight in Person" (1960) and "The Slightly Fabulous Limeliters" (1961), both achieved top 10 status on the Billboard charts.
Despite achieving significant fame, which included playing 300 dates a year at their peak between 1960 and 1962, the Limeliters disbanded in 1965 following internal disagreements and a traumatic plane crash. Hassilev pursued a solo career and ventured into acting and record producing. He featured in "The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming" (1966) and made television appearances, including on "Get Smart."
The Limeliters saw several reunions in the later years, with Hassilev participating until his retirement in 2006. He is survived by his wife, Gladys, his son David, two grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.