Jefferson Airplane

Not to be confused with Jefferson Starship.

Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane photographed by Herb Greene in his dining room, San Francisco, late 1966; top row from left: Jack Casady, Grace Slick, Marty Balin; bottom row from left: Jorma Kaukonen, Paul Kantner, Spencer Dryden
Jefferson Airplane photographed by Herb Greene in his dining room, San Francisco, late 1966; top row from left: Jack Casady, Grace Slick, Marty Balin; bottom row from left: Jorma Kaukonen, Paul Kantner, Spencer Dryden
Background information
OriginSan Francisco, California, U.S.
Genres
Years active1965–1973, 1989, 1996
Labels
Spinoffs
Past membersSigne Toly Anderson
Marty Balin
Bob Harvey
Paul Kantner
Jorma Kaukonen
Jerry Peloquin
Skip Spence
Jack Casady
Spencer Dryden
Grace Slick
Joey Covington
Papa John Creach
John Barbata
David Freiberg
Websitejeffersonairplane.com

Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1965. One of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to achieve international commercial success. They headlined the Monterey Pop Festival (1967), Woodstock (1969), Altamont Free Concert (1969), and the first Isle of Wight Festival (1968)[1] in England. Their 1967 breakout album Surrealistic Pillow was one of the most significant recordings of the Summer of Love. Two songs from that album, "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit", are among Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[2][3]

The October 1966 to February 1970 lineup of Jefferson Airplane, consisting of Marty Balin (vocals), Paul Kantner (guitar, vocals), Grace Slick (vocals, keyboards), Jorma Kaukonen (lead guitar, vocals), Jack Casady (bass), and Spencer Dryden (drums), was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.[4] Balin left the band in 1971.[5] After 1972, Jefferson Airplane effectively split into two groups. Kaukonen and Casady moved on full-time to their own band, Hot Tuna. Slick, Kantner, and the remaining members of Jefferson Airplane recruited new members and regrouped as Jefferson Starship in 1974, with Balin eventually joining them. Jefferson Airplane received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.

  1. ^ Stutz, Colin (January 28, 2016). "Paul Kantner, Jefferson Airplane Co-Founder & Guitarist, Dies at 74". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on November 30, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  2. ^ "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. April 7, 2011. Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  3. ^ Greene, Jason Heller,Brittany Spanos,Simon Vozick-Levinson,Keith Harris,Andy (January 29, 2016). "Jefferson Airplane: 12 Essential Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 11, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Lewis, Randy (September 28, 2018). "Marty Balin, co-founder of Jefferson Airplane, dies at 76". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 10, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  5. ^ "Jefferson Airplane co-founder Marty Balin dies at age 76". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved November 11, 2024.