Grace Slick

Mostly known for being the frontwoman to psychedelic rock pioneers Jefferson Airplane, Grace Barnett Wing (October 30, 1939), aka Grace Slick, not only lent her powerful voice to the group’s acid-fueled sound but also penned their most memorable hits. Throughout her decades-spanning career, she was also a part of the band’s different incarnations, including Jefferson Starship and Starship. Born in Highland Park, Illinois, Wing lived in the Chicago Metropolitan and relocated to Palo Alto, California with her family in the early 50s. There she attended a private all-girls school and pursued a college education before marrying filmmaker Jerry Slick and becoming a model. Inspired by a Jefferson Airplane live performance at the legendary The Matrix nightclub in San Francisco, Wing formed short-lived The Great Society alongside husband Jerry Slick, brother-in-law Darby Slick, and David Miner in 1965. During that time, she wrote the songs “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love,” both of which would later be included in Jefferson Airplane’s sophomore effort Surrealistic Pillow (1967) as Wing replaced main vocalist Signe Toly Anderson. Both tracks went on to become Top 10 hits and took the band to new heights, establishing her as one of the most recognized female vocalists in rock music. Throughout the 70s, and following Jack Casady’s departure from the Airplane, Wing formed Jefferson Starship with Paul Kantner and the other remaining members, and kicked off her solo career with debut album Manhole (1974). The Grammy-nominated Dreams followed in 1980, and so did Welcome to the Wrecking Ball! (1981) and Software (1984). In the mid-80s, Wing formed the band Starship, which managed to land three singles on the top of the charts: “We Built This City” (1985), “Sara” (1986), and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” (1987). 1989 found the singer reuniting with her former Jefferson Airplane bandmates, releasing an eponymous album and going on a successful tour before she completely retired from the music industry in the early 90s.