The History of Starship If you have come to this page from a search engine, or are not in frames, click here to go to the main page.
The History Of Starship, Part 1 (Present-1974).

|1999|1998|1997|1996|1995|1994|1993|1992|1991|1990|1989|1988|1987|
|1986|1985|1984|1983|1982|1981|1980|1979|1978|1977|1976|1975|1974|
Go to Part 2 (1973-1965)
Most of this information was taken from a great book called "The Encyclopedia of Rock Stars". It also contains information gathered from other sources.

1999
  • February 9 Jefferson Starship's "Windows of Heaven" is released in the United States by CMC International Records. The CD contains 12 tracks including "I'm On Fire" which features Grace Slick and is not included on the German release.
  • February 23 "The Best of Grace Slick" is released by RCA Records. The CD contains 18 tracks from her Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, Starship, and solo works and also includes a previously unreleased track from 1986 entitled "Do You Remember Me?"
  • April 16 Skip Spence, the original drummer of Jefferson Airplane, dies of lung cancer at age 52, after battling schizophrenia and alcoholism.

    1998
  • February 24 Jefferson Starship "Gold" re-mastered is released.
  • April 5 VH1's "Behind The Music - Jefferson Airplane" airs for the first time. The one hour show traces the history of the band and features interviews with Slick, Kantner, Balin, Dryden, Kaukonen, Casady, and Bill Thompson.
  • April 28 Jefferson Airplane "Live at the Fillmore East" is released. The album contains 18 tracks and was recorded on May 3 and 4, 1968 at the Fillmore East in New York City.
  • June 3 Jefferson Airplane releases a new CD in Germany titled "Windows of Heaven." The CD contains 15 tracks, 2 of which are re-recordings from "Deep Space/Virgin Sky".
  • September "Somebody To Love? A Rock And Roll Memoir" the autobiography of Grace Slick, is released.

    1997
  • January 29 "Journey: The Best of Jefferson Airplane" is released in Europe. The CD contains 21 Airplane songs.
  • April 30 Jefferson Starship "Miracles Live" is released. The 10 tracks on the CD are all taken from the "Deep Space/Virgin Sky" release.
  • September 8 "We Built This City: Starship's Greatest Hits" is released in Europe. The CD contains 16 songs.
  • October 12 Jefferson Starship performs at the Summer Of Love 30th Anniversary concert in San Francisco.

    1996
  • January With Slick as a no-show, reportedly suffering from a foot ailment, the Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh inducts Jefferson Airplane into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the 11th annual dinner from New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The group sings "Volunteers" at the perfunctory after dinner jam.
  • April 1 Starship, now comprising Thomas, Bloomfield, Talamaire, Phil Bennett (keyboards), Darrell Verdusco (drums), and Christina Marie Saxton (vocals), performs as part of the Opening Day festivities for the Minnesota Twins.
  • November 27 Warner Books signs Slick to a $1 million deal to write her memoirs, tentatively titled "Go Ask Alice, I Think She'll Know."

    1995
  • January 21 Slick, Kantner, Balin, Casady, Gould, Aguilar, Prince Gorman, Merl Saunders and David LaFlamme play a House of Blues tribute to Papa John in Los Angeles.
  • June 27 Jefferson Starship, now comprising Kantner, Balin, Casady, Gorman, Prince, Aguilar and Gould, releases a new album, "Deep Space / Virgin Sky" on the Intersound label.
  • August 12 Mickey Thomas and Starship perform in front of a totally nude crowd at the 160-acre Turtle Lake Resort, Union City, MI nudist park for the American Association for Nude Recreation.

    1994
  • Jefferson Starship performs at "Woodstock in Mexico," but not Woodstock '94, although Kantner, Balin and Casady appear in a Pepsi commercial about the event.
  • Slick's marriage to Skip Johnson ends after 18 years.
  • February 22 Papa John Creach dies of heart and respiratory problems in Los Angeles at the age of 76.
  • June 7 Slick is sentenced to 20 hours of community service and four A.A. meetings a week for three months after pointing a loaded gun at a police officer, called to her Tiburon, CA home to investigate a domestic dispute on March 5th.
  • September 17 Slick's white dress that she wore at Woodstock is donated to the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
  • November Craig Chaquico's second album, "Acoustic Planet," unseats Yanni's "Live at the Acropolis" as the #1 album on Billboard's New Age Album Chart.

    1993
  • Craig Chaquico's first solo album, "Acoustic Highway," is named Billboard's top Independent Adult Alternative/New Age Album of the Year.
  • January 25 Slick presents a eulogy to the late rock promoter and former Airplane manager, Bill Graham, in honoring him with the Award of Merit at the 20th annual American Music Awards, held at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles.
  • April 27 "Jefferson Starship, At Their Best" is released. The album contains 10 Jefferson Starship hits.
  • April 30 Jefferson Starship's "Deep Space 1993" tour begins. (Balin now joins The Next Generation line-up).
  • May 25 "The Best of Starship" is released. All ten songs on the album are Starship songs.
  • June 29 "The Best of Jefferson Airplane" is released. The album contains 11 Jefferson Airplane songs.
  • September 16 Grace Slick's Corte Madera California house is destroyed by a fire. It is later determined that it was accidentally caused by county workers. Slick receives $220,000 from the county and three firefighters are fined for stealing memorabilia while trying to put out the fire.

    1992
  • Thomas and Bloomfield reform Starship comprising Melisa Kary (former Starship backup singer, vocals), Bill Slais (formerly with Elvin Bishop Band, saxophone), John Sandersis (keyboards), Jeff Talamaire (guitar), T. Moran (drums), and Max Hasket (trumpet). The band signs to Capitol Records, but no album is released.
  • As various off-shoot combinations continue to work - Jefferson Starship The Next Generation, comprising Kantner, Casady, Creach, Gorman, Slick Aguilar, Prairie Prince and Darby Gould; Hot Tuna with Casady, Kaukonen and Michael Falzarano; Kantner fronting his own band Wooden Ships band and Balin releasing the "Better Generation" solo album, (including the Airplane tracks "It's No Secret" and "Volunteers") on GWE Records, RCA releases a 51-track, three CD/cassette boxed set, "Jefferson Airplane Loves You", comprising live numbers, alternative takes and previously unreleased material.

    1991
  • May 25 RCA releases "Starship Greatest Hits (Ten Years and Change)". The album contains both Starship and Jefferson Starship hits from the Mickey Thomas era. It contains two new tracks: "Don't Lose Any Sleep" and "Good Heart", which includes musicians Peter Wolf, and Martin Page. "Good Heart" makes it to U.S. #81.
  • October 25 Former Airplane manager Bill Graham is killed in a helicopter crash.
  • December 11 Jefferson Airplane "Live at Monterey Festival" is released on CD.

    1990
  • Starship officially disbands, with Thomas pursuing a solo career, Chaquico and Bloomfield forming their own band, and Morgan pursuing a career in movie and television music.
  • March 8 Jefferson Airplane is named Most Unwelcome Comeback in Rolling Stone magazine's 1989 Critics Awards.
  • March 23 Jefferson Airplane "White Rabbit and Other Hits" is released. The album contains 8 Jefferson Airplane hits.

    1989
  • January 14 "Wild Again", Starship's contribution to the Tom Cruise-starring movie "Cocktail", peaks at U.S. #73.
  • February 4 "Sing", the Mickey Thomas performed theme to the movie of the same name, stops at U.S. #73.
  • April The group wins lawsuit, first filed in 1966, against former manager Matthew Katz.
  • June 22 Slick, commenting on Jefferson Airplane's upcoming reunion album (which will reunite her with Kantner, Balin, Casady and Kaukonen for a permanent new Jefferson Airplane) says "We're your parents' worst nightmare because now we're your parents."
  • August Starship's "Love Among The Cannibals", recorded by the remaining members with new additions Brett Bloomfield (bass) and Mark Morgan (keyboards) makes U.S. #64. Bloomfield and Morgan toured with Starship and had done session work on some Starship albums, including "No Protection."
  • August 29 During a US reunion tour, Jefferson Airplane, augmented by Kenny Aronoff (drums), Peter Kaukonen (guitar), Zebra's Randy Jackson (guitar) and Tom Gorman (keyboards), plays at the New York State Fair, Syracuse NY.
  • September 23 Jefferson Airplane's comeback album, "Jefferson Airplane", released on Epic Records, and featuring the current line-up of Balin, Slick, Kantner, Kaukonen and Casady now joined by Kenny Aronoff, who has effectively replaced Dryden, enters the U.S. chart, set to make #85. (Much of the album has been recorded individually be each group member. Balin cut his tracks with Toto.)
  • October Starship's "It's Not Enough" reaches U.S. #12.
  • October 7 Jefferson Airplane gives a free concert in Golden Gate Park for a crowd of 65,000. Each fan is asked to bring a can of food to donate to the San Francisco Food bank.
  • November Donny Baldwin leaves the group. Starship, now comprising Thomas (vocals), Chaquico (guitar), Morgan (keyboards) and Bloomfield (bass), have to postpone a planned tour, after Thomas suffers facial injuries in an attack outside his hotel room in Scranton PA.
  • December Starship's "I Didn't Mean to Stay All Night" produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange peaks at U.S. #75.

    1988
  • February Starship releases "Set The Night To Music" which does not chart on the Top 40, but does well on the Adult Contemporary chart.
  • August Starship performs at the annual "Reading Festival", Reading, Berkshire.
  • November Slick, Kantner, Kaukonen and Casady perform together for the first time in 17 years. They soon begin writing and rehearsing for an upcoming album and tour.

    1987
  • "It's Not Over ('Til It's Over)" is named the official theme song for Major League Baseball.
  • April 4 Starship's power ballad, "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now", used as the theme for the film "Mannequin" tops the U.S. charts.
  • May 9 Starship's first U.K. chart-topper finally comes, more than two decades after the formation of the original Jefferson Airplane: "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" hits U.K. #1, where it will stay for four weeks, and is the biggest selling single of the year in Britain.
  • June A double compilation album, "2400 Fulton Street", credited to Jefferson Airplane, and including re-mastered versions of songs from the group's first six studio albums, reaches U.S. #138.
  • June 20 Starship participates in the 20th anniversary "Summer of Love" concert in San Francisco.
  • July 18 "No Protection" reaches U.K. #9.
  • August "It's Not Over ('Til It's Over)" reaches U.S. #9.
  • September "No Protection", including both recent Top 10 hits, reaches U.S. #12. Grace Slick leaves after this album.
  • November 7 "Beat Patrol", taken from the album, stops at U.S. #46.

    1986
  • February Ballad "Sara" peaks at U.K. #66.
  • March 15 "Sara" tops the U.S. chart for a week. (Though written by co-producer Peter Wolf and his wife, Ina, the song is named after Thomas' wife.)
  • April 23 Starship cancels a tour of Europe.
  • May 24 "Tomorrow Doesn't Matter Tonight" reaches U.S. #26.
  • July China Kantner makes a guest appearance on U.S. MTV. The band becomes the first national spokesgroup for the National Network of Runaway Youth Services.
  • July 26 Starship's "Before I Go" peaks at U.S. #68.
  • December 13 The KBC Band, comprising Kantner, Balin and Casady, Mark "Slick" Aguilar, Keith Crossan, Tim Gorman, and Darrell Verdusco, makes U.S. #89 with "It's Not You, It's Not Me", while the debut album, "KBC Band" reaches U.S. #75.

    1985
  • March After much legal wrangling, Kantner has departed from the band with a lump sum of $250,000 and the provision that Jefferson is dropped from the band's name. Freiberg has followed him, their departure being confirmed by Thomas as a sacking in an interview on MTV. The group initially plays as Starship Jefferson but soon settles on the abbreviated Starship. (Meanwhile, the KBC Band, debuts at the eighth annual Bay Area Music Awards. Balin leaves his own group to join the KBC band full time).
  • July Grace Slick hosts six hours of the "Live Aid" broadcast.
  • September The new Starship releases its first album, "Knee Deep In The Hoopla".
  • November 16 The first Starship single, "We Built This City" tops the US chart. Written by Martin Page, Bernie Taupin, Dennis Lambert and Peter Wolf, it achieves a chart peak not attained by either Jefferson Airplane or Jefferson Starship. With Freiberg departing during its recording, the parent album, "Knee Deep in the Hoopla" reaches U.S. #7. Pete Sears leaves after this album.
  • December The KBC band makes its official debut at the re-opening of the Fillmore. Signe Anderson takes the stage for "It's No Secret".
  • December 21 "We Built This City" reaches U.K. #12.

    1984
  • January Grace Slick releases the solo album "Software".
  • May Nuclear Furniture released.
  • June Paul Kantner leaves the group.
  • July 21 Power ballad, "No Way Out", written by Peter and Ina Wolf, reaches U.S. #23.
  • August Jefferson Starship "The Definitive Concert" video is released. The video is a February 1983 concert from Vancouver B.C. and contains both Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship songs.
  • August-November The group goes on an extensive North American tour to promote the Ron Nevison-produced "Nuclear Furniture", which enters the U.S. chart, on its way to #28.
  • September 29 "Layin' It On the Line" peaks at U.S. #66.
  • October Kantner appears on stage with Balin's band at Golden Gate Park, to perform an old Jefferson Airplane song, "It's No Secret".
  • December "Nuclear Furniture" reaches Gold album status.

    1983
  • March 5 Balin's "What Love Is" makes U.S. #63, as his second solo album, "Lucky", peaks at U.S. #165.
  • March 19 The group's "Winds of Change" reaches U.S. #38 as parent album reaches U.S. #26.
  • August Kantner's solo effort "The Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra" is released in the U.S.

    1982
  • April Jefferson Starship and other Bay Area musicians play the Black and White Ball, a benefit for the San Francisco Symphony, at the Opera House, and raise over $250,000.
  • May 28 The group takes part in a benefit concert for the Vietnam Veteran's Project, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, with Boz Scaggs, Country Joe McDonald, and the Grateful Dead.
  • August Drummer Don Baldwin (ex-Elvin Bishop Band) joins, Dunbar having left after album sessions have been completed. Mickey Thomas releases a solo album titled "Alive Alone".
  • October "Winds of Change" is released.
  • December 11 "Be My Lady" reaches U.S. #28.

    1981
  • March Slick rejoins the Jefferson Starship, just as her solo album, "Welcome To the Wrecking Ball", peaks at U.S. #48.
  • April Modern Times is released.
  • May 23 The group's "Find Your Way Back" reaches U.S. #29.
  • June The band's album, "Modern Times", reaches U.S. #26, as Balin's first solo set, Balin, peaks at U.S. #35.
  • July 16 Modern Times is certified Gold.
  • August 8 The group's "Stranger" reaches U.S. #48, with Balin's solo ballad, "Hearts", hitting U.S. #8.
  • September The group plays a benefit concert to save San Francisco's cable cars, raising over $70,000.
  • October 24 "Atlanta Lady (Something About Love)", the second single from Balin's album, reaches U.S. #27.

    1980
  • January 19 "Jane" reaches U.S. #14. (The group plays a benefit concert at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA, in aid of the people of Kampuchea, with the Grateful Dead and the Beach Boys.)
  • February 2 "Freedom at Point Zero" hits U.S. #10.
  • March 1 The extracted "Jane" reaches U.K. #21.
  • March 15 "Freedom at Point Zero" hits U.K. #22 and is certified Gold in the U.S.
  • March 22 "Girl with Hungry Eyes" makes U.S. #55.
  • May 3 Slick's solo album, "Dreams", reaches U.S. #32.
  • June 14 "Dreams" reaches U.K. #28.
  • October 25 Kantner suffers a stroke, from which he will fully recover. The group begins to record "Modern Times".

    1979
  • January "Gold" is released.
  • March 10 The second collection of hits, Jefferson Starship Gold, reaches U.S. #20
  • April 12 The vocal gap is filled by Mickey Thomas (b Dec 3, 1949, Cairo, GA) who sang lead vocal on Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around and Fell In Love". Barbata leaves, and in replaced by Aynsley Dunbar (b. Jan 10, 1946, Liverpool, Lancs.).
  • May 12 The new lineup debuts live at a free concert in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.
  • October "Freedom At Point Zero" is released.
  • November 12 Balin presents a rock opera, "Rock Justice", in a four-day run at the Old Waldorf Club, San Francisco.
  • December 31 Jefferson Starship's New Year Eve's concert at X6s club, in San Francisco, is widely broadcast live on U.S. and world radio.

    1978
  • February 25 The Earth Day premiere of the album "Earth" is aired nationally attracting an audience of 20 million listeners.
  • May 6 "Earth" hits U.S. #5, having been certified platinum.
  • May 13 The extracted "Count on Me" hits U.S. #8.
  • May 20 Hot Tuna's "Double Dose" reaches U.S. #92.
  • June 17 Slick's alcohol problem prevents her from taking the stage at the "Lorelei Festival" in Hamburg, Germany. As a result, the fans riot, stealing or destroying much of the band's equipment, and causing the cancellation of their final German date.
  • June 19 Grace Slick officially quits the band.
  • June 24 The group appears at the "Knebworth Festival", Knebworth, Herts.
  • July 29 "Runaway" reaches U.S. #12.
  • October Drummer John Barbata is critically injured in a car accident.
  • October 17 "Crazy Feelin'" makes U.S. #54, Balin quits the band, leaving Kantner as the only original member.
  • December Former Journey member Aynsley Dunbar replaces John Barbata on drums.

    1977
  • March 5 "Flight Log (1966 - 1976)", an anthology of Airplane, Starship, Hot Tuna, Slick, and Kantner material, reaches U.S. #37.
  • May 23 Jefferson Starship intends to give a free concert in San Fransisco's Golden Gate Park, but authorities refuse to permit the concert due to the use of electric and amplified instruments.

    1976
  • January 10 "Play on Love" reaches U.S. #49.
  • June "Spitfire" is released.
  • July 7 The group gives a free concert in New York's Central Park during a rainstorm. The concert still attracts 75,000 fans.
  • August 14 Spitfire hits U.S. #3.
  • September 18 "With Your Love", from "Spitfire", reaches U.S. #12 as the group performs "Miracles" at the Don Kirschner Rock Awards.
  • September 28 "Spitfire" is certified Platinum by the RIAA.
  • November 29 Grace Slick and the groups lighting director Skip Johnson are married in Maui, Hawaii.
  • December 25 "St. Charles" peaks at U.S. #64, as Hot Tuna's "Hoppkorv" makes U.S. #116.

    1975
  • January With earlier differences now resolved, Balin rejoins.
  • February "Dragonfly" is certified Gold.
  • May Jefferson Starship gives a free concert in New York's Central Park. Over 100,000 fans attend. Hot Tuna's "America's Choice" reaches U.S. #75.
  • May 23 Jefferson Starship takes part in an all-star benefit to raise funds for a shortfall in the San Francisco school budget at the City's Kezar Stadium.
  • June "Red Octopus" is released.
  • August Creach leaves to settle in Los Angeles and front his own band.
  • September 6 "Red Octopus" begins a four week tenure at U.S. #1, and will sell over two million copies.
  • September 30 Jefferson Starship joins the Grateful Dead for a free concert at San Francisco's Lindley Park.
  • October 18 Balin-penned "Miracles" hits U.S. #3, becomes a million seller and will become a staple on U.S. radio.
  • December Hot Tuna's "Yellow Fever" makes U.S. #97.
  • December 29 Slick and Kantner break up, after living together for seven years. (Slick will marry the group's 24-year old lighting engineer, Skip Johnson, in November 1976.)

    1974
  • February Slick's maiden solo album, "Manhole", makes U.S. #127, while Hot Tuna's "The Phosphorescent Rat" reaches U.S. #148. Slick, Kantner, Creach, Barbata, 19-year old Craig Chaquico (b. Sept 26, 1954, Sacramento, CA), ex-Steelwind and the Kantner-Slick solo-efforts, and Kaukonen's bass-playing younger brother, Peter (under the name Peter Kangaroo), begin rehearsing under the name the name Jefferson Starship.
  • March 19 Jefferson Airplane officially becomes Jefferson Starship.
  • April Jefferson Starship begins its first US tour. Peter Kaukonen will leave at its conclusion, to be replaced by UK session player Pete Sears, who worked on "Manhole".
  • June "Early Flight", an album of unreleased and rare Jefferson Airplane material, peaks at U.S. #10.
  • July The new group goes into the studio for the first time.
  • October "Dragonfly" is released, marking the debut of Jefferson Starship on record.
  • November 21 Balin, having vowed he would never perform with them again, joins the band on the stage at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco.
  • November 23 "Ride the Tiger" peaks at U.S. #84.
  • December "Dragonfly" lands at U.S. #11, and earns a gold disk.

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