Information AboutGrace Slick |
Grace Slick (born October 30 , 1939 ) is an American Singer and Songwriter , who was one of the lead singers of the rock groups Jefferson Airplane , Jefferson Starship , Starship, and also as a solo artist, for nearly three decades, from the mid- 1960s to the mid- 1990s . Slick is considered to be one of the most important musicians in bringing the 1960s psychedelic rock to mainstream appeal. She is known for her witty, influential, thought-provoking lyrics. EARLY LIFE Slick was born in Evanston, a , a private, all-girls school in Palo Alto, California , near San Francisco . Following graduation, she attended Finch College in New York from 1956 to 1958 and the University Of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida from 1957 to 1959. Slick maintained a friendship with Janis Joplin that began early in her music career and lasted until Joplin's death by Drug Overdose on October 4, 1970. She also had a friendship, as well as a sexual relationship, with Jim Morrison . According to her biography, it began during their 1968 European tour but no real romance was involved. She was also good friends with The Grateful Dead 's Jerry Garcia . Slick was married twice, to Gerald "Jerry" Slick, a cinematographer, and then to Skip Johnson, a Jefferson Starship lighting designer. She has one daughter, China Wing Kantner (born January 25, 1971). China's father is former Jefferson Airplane guitarist Paul Kantner , with whom Grace had a relationship from 1969 through 1975. CAREER During her musical career, Slick was a member of several rock bands: The Great Society , Jefferson Airplane , and Jefferson Airplane's successor bands, Jefferson Starship and Starship. She was known not only for her provocative lyrics but also for her Alcoholism and public persona. Notable songs that she recorded with Jefferson Airplane/Starship include " White Rabbit ", " Somebody To Love ", " We Built This City ", "Volunteers", "Lather" and " Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now ". Jefferson Airplane's albums '' Surrealistic Pillow '' and '' Volunteers '' were ranked in the top 500 greatest albums of all time by '' Rolling Stone '' magazine. Their hit songs '' Somebody To Love '' and '' White Rabbit '' also appeared on Rolling Stone's top 500 greatest songs of all time. Slick's solo albums include ''Manhole'', ''Dreams'', 'Software' and '' Welcome To The Wrecking Ball ''. ''Dreams'', produced by Scott Zito, is thought by many critics to be Grace Slick's finest hour as a vocalist. Alongside her close contemporary Janis Joplin, Slick was an important figure in the development of rock music in the late 1960s . Her distinctive vocal style has exerted a definite influence on other female performers, such as Sandy Denny and Dolores O'Riordan . Like Joplin, Slick's uncompromising persona and powerful voice helped to open up new modes of expression for female performers, giving a new legitimacy to the role of the female lead singer in the male-dominated world of rock music. MULTIPLE ARRESTS Slick has had several run-ins with the law. On four occasions, she was arrested for alcohol-related offenses, including driving under the influence and public drunkenness. In 1970, she was charged with driving under the influence while racing a car on the . She was reportedly arrested in 1994 for Assault With A Deadly Weapon , after pointing an unloaded gun at a police officer (after, according to her, the officer came onto her property without explanation). {Link without Title} A remarkably similar situation is described in Grace's song "Lawman", released on the "Bark" album in 1971. RETIRED LIFE Slick left Starship (and the music business) in 1988 at age 48. During a 1998 interview with VH1 on a Behind the Music documentary featuring Jefferson Airplane, Slick stated that the main reason she retired from the music business was that "all rock-and-rollers over the age of 50 look stupid and should retire." After retirement, she turned her attention to painting. She has done many renditions of her fellow '60s musicians such as Janis Joplin and Jerry Garcia , and others. In 2000 , she began displaying and selling her artwork. Although panned by most art critics, Slick continues to paint and sell her artwork. She has generally stayed away from music, although she did perform on "Knock Me Out", a track from ''In Flight'', the 1996 solo debut from former .'' In a 2001 USA Today article, she said, "I'm in good health and people want to know what I do to be this way, ...I don't eat cheese, I don't eat duck — the point is I'm Vegan ..." {Link without Title} In 1998 she released her Autobiography , ''Grace Slick: Somebody to Love? A Rock and Roll Memoir''. In 2006, Grace suffered from Diverticulitis , a common digestive disorder particularly found in the large intestine. After initial surgery, she had a relapse requiring further surgery and a tracheotomy. She was placed in an induced coma for two months and then had to learn to walk again. {Link without Title} ARTISTIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS Slick's longevity in the music business helped her earn a rather unusual distinction: the oldest female vocalist on a '' Billboard Hot 100 '' number one single. "We Built This City" reached #1 on November 16 , 1985 , less than three weeks after her 46th birthday. The previous record was age 44 for Tina Turner , with 1984 's number-one hit, "What's Love Got To Do With It". Turner (who is, coincidentally within a month of Slick's age) turned 45 two months after the song topped the charts. Slick broke her own record in Summer 1987 at age 47 when "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" topped the U.S. charts. Her record stood for 12 years, but was ultimately broken by Cher , who was 53 in 1999 when "Believe" hit number one. Slick did vocals for Jazz Numbers, a series of animated shorts about the numbers 2 through 10, which aired on '' Sesame Street ''. Jazz #2, for instance, appeared in the first episode of the first season of Sesame Street, November 10, 1969. TRIVIA
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