Description
Jefferson Airplane formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay area during the summit of the counter culture sweeping the country, and soon became became a household name with appearances on radio, television, and top selling albums.
Jefferson Airplane's debut show was on August 13, 1965 at the Matrix nightclub in San Francisco, then went on with several successful tours including performances at the Berkeley Folk Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Monterey Pop Festival, Woodstock, and Altamont.
They recorded hit singles such as "White Rabbit," "Volunteers," "Embryonic Journey" and "Somebody to Love" and smash albums such as Volunteers, Surrealistic Pillow, Bark and Takes Off.
The band featured: Grace Slick (vocals), Marty Balin (vocals and guitar), Paul Kantner (vocals and guitar), Jorma Kaukonen (guitar), Jack Casady (bass), and Spencer Dryden (drums). Founding members also included Signe Toly Anderson and Skip Spence. Later lineups of Jefferson Airplane included Joey Covington on Drums, and Papa John Creach on violins.
Around 1973 they disbanded, forming a generation of new bands including Jefferson Starship, Hot Tuna, and more. In 1989 a short reunion occurred, 1996 the band was inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, and in 2016, the band earned a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Surrealistic Pillow is the band's sophomore album, released in 1967, and saw drummer Spencer Dryden and singer Grace Slick join the band. It was a major hit, reaching #3 on the Billboard charts and was certified Platinum. The album is a key work of early psychedelic rock and one of the finest album of the 1960s.