Skip spence

Skip Spence, who has died of lung cancer aged 52, played a skip spence role in the San Francisco psychedelic rock scene of the late s as a member of two of its most influential bands, skip spence, Jefferson Airplane and Moby Grape.

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Skip spence

In the same year, he released his only solo album, Oar , and then largely withdrew from the music industry. He had started his career as a guitarist in an early line-up of Quicksilver Messenger Service , and was the drummer on Jefferson Airplane 's debut album, Jefferson Airplane Takes Off. He has been described on the AllMusic website as "one of psychedelia's brightest lights"; [2] however, his career was plagued by drug addiction coupled with mental health problems, and he has been described by a biographer as a man who "neither died young nor had a chance to find his way out. His father, Alexander Lett "Jock" Spence — , [4] was a machinist, a salesman, and played Route 66 as a solo singer-songwriter and piano player. In the late s, the family relocated from Windsor to San Jose, California , based on Spence's father finding work in the aircraft industry. At the age of ten, he was given his first guitar by his parents. Spence was a guitarist in the band the Other Side before Marty Balin recruited him to be the drummer for Jefferson Airplane apparently because he looked the part. He was dismissed by the band after taking an unannounced vacation to Mexico. He briefly considered joining Buffalo Springfield as a drummer before returning to the guitar to co-found Moby Grape. During the recording session of Moby Grape's second album, Wow , in , Spence attempted to break down a bandmate's hotel room door with a fire axe, while under the influence of LSD.

Tuesday 12 September This article is more than 24 years old.

All are paying tribute to a man whose last meaningful music was made 30 years ago but whose legacy still burns bright. For the past three decades the man in question has been in declining physical and mental health, living on the streets or in care. Now things have deteriorated further. The doctors have also diagnosed lung cancer. His son Omar arrives with a promo pressing of More Oar , the aforementioned benefit album, and plays it at his bedside. Despite his condition, Skip manages a weary smile.

For a six month stay, all he had to show for it were the pajamas on his back, a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and a head full of songs. The music was devouring him, and it needed to be let out. The music was all he had left. At one time, Skip Spence had the whole world wrapped around his finger. He started out as an early member of Jefferson Airplane before going on to become the founder and principal songwriter of Moby Grape, one of the most promising young bands of the San Francisco psych rock scene.

Skip spence

In the same year, he released his only solo album, Oar , and then largely withdrew from the music industry. He had started his career as a guitarist in an early line-up of Quicksilver Messenger Service , and was the drummer on Jefferson Airplane 's debut album, Jefferson Airplane Takes Off. He has been described on the AllMusic website as "one of psychedelia's brightest lights"; [2] however, his career was plagued by drug addiction coupled with mental health problems, and he has been described by a biographer as a man who "neither died young nor had a chance to find his way out.

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His son Omar arrives with a promo pressing of More Oar , the aforementioned benefit album, and plays it at his bedside. His former bandmates in Moby Grape , the Bay Area group he co-founded in the 60s, felt it deeply. I read a lot of stuff in the press about him being crazy, but he was not. Retrieved July 18, Omar Spence, singing his father's songs, was backed by the Santa Cruz White Album Ensemble, with Dale Ockerman and Tiran Porter , both formerly of the Doobie Brothers, and both of whom have played with various members of Moby Grape in several bands over the past three decades. Toggle limited content width. Saturday 20 January I was waiting for him in front of the studio. In other projects. Due to his deteriorating state and notwithstanding that he was no longer functioning in the band, Spence was supported by Moby Grape band members for extended periods. Music Sales.

There are a number of musicians whose names could come to mind when talking about Jefferson Airplane, its lighter, softer spin-off, Jefferson Starship , and that group's own spin-off band, Starship. Most notably, Grace Slick sang female lead vocals for all three bands. And while originally not part of the second group, Airplane's lead male vocalist, Marty Balin, joined Jefferson Starship soon after they formed , reprising his old role.

Singer songwriter musician. It is asserted, without citation, that Spence first returned to his wife and family in Santa Cruz and that his family accompanied him to Nashville; see Moby Grape. Sunday 21 January So we had to leave our families and spend months at a time in hotel rooms in New York City. Spence has been described on the Allmusic website as "one of psychedelia's brightest lights". Monday 22 January He was absolutely indispensable — a great arranger and songwriter, with an incredible stage presence. Related Tags psychedelic singer-songwriter folk 60s rock Add tags View all tags. Columbia , Nashville. Weird things happened to him.