Jefferson Airplane has been on the music scene since the 1960’s and they along with other band variations such as Jefferson Starship, Starship and Hot Tuna, have been making hit recordings ever since.
In San Francisco in 1965, Marty Balin the founder of Jefferson Airplane was looking to put together a folk music group. It was in San Francisco that Balin met Paul Kantner and the two formed the core of Jefferson Airplane. Balin and Kantner rounded up the rest of the band members, and the first appearance of the group was on August 13, 1965, at the Matrix, in San Francisco.
The group started to work on their act, and on November 1965 signed a record deal with RCA Records. Their first album Jefferson Airplane Takes Off! was released in March 1966 to very good success. In October 1966, with Signe Anderson, the original female lead singer leaving the band to have a baby, Jefferson Airplane signed Grace Slick to take her place. The signing of Slick was a big event in the history of the band with Slick providing outstanding vocals to the band.
The band was together until 1974, when Jefferson Airplane broke up. During the ten years that the band was together they had hit records such as White Rabbit and Somebody to Love. They were also a big act in the late 60’s and early 70’s, with the group appeared at the original Woodstock Festival in 1969.
· Jefferson Airplane: biography on the group from Rolling Stone
· Jefferson Airplane: biography of the band
· Jefferson Airplane: lyrics to songs of Jefferson Airplane
In 1974, Jefferson Starship appeared on the scene, with Kantner and Slick leading the group. The following year, Marty Balin re-joined his former band mates in the group. In the 70’s Jefferson Starship had success with hits such as Miracles, Count on Me and With your Love. The band continued to change lineups and names. In the late 80’s the group changed its name to Starship and had several more chart hits including We Built This City and Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now.
· Jefferson Starship: information on Paul Kantner's Jefferson Starship
· Jefferson Starship: unofficial fan site on Jefferson Airplane/Starship
· Jefferson Starship: information, videos and more on the group
· Starship: information on the group Starship
· Starship: discography of Jefferson Starship and Starship
· Starship: official site of Starship starring Mickey Thomas
While Starship and Jefferson Starship are mostly finished, except for an occassional re-union gig, members of the band have formed other bands. Hot Tuna and the KBC Band have been formed out of members of Jefferson Airplane/Starship and have continued to play.
· Hot Tuna: biography and information on the band
· KBC Band: information on the KBC Band
Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship and Starship have been on the music scene since the mid-60’s and have produced some very good music. The combination of electric guitars, acoustic guitars, smooth vocals and outstanding songwriting has made the band a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With this great combination, it’s easy to see why they have been one of the top acts in Rock since their inception, and their music will continue to be enjoyed by future generations of music lovers.