Grace Slick (born Grace Barnett Wing) is an American singer and songwriter, who was one of the lead singers of the rock groups The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, Starship, and was a solo artist, for nearly three decades, from the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s. Slick was an important figure in the 1960s psychedelic rock genre, and is known for her witty, often acid-tongued, thought-provoking lyrics.
She was the lead singer for the rock groups Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 (as a member of Jefferson Airplane ).
She once revealed that she, along with Yippie leader Abbie Hoffman , once tried to attend a White House tea for graduates of Finch College, where Tricia Nixon once attended. While at the tea, Slick intended to sneak up next to President Richard Nixon and spike his tea with LSD. The secret service recognized them and escorted them off the grounds before the attempt could be made.
Ranked #20 on VH1s 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll
Her song with Jefferson Starship , "We Built This City" was #1 on VH1 and Blender magazines "50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs...Ever".
The character Frankie Hart in American Pop was based partially on her and partially on her good friend Janis Joplin.
Aside from singing with Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship , she also sometimes played piano, keyboards, flute and recorder for the bands.
Her favorite books are "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass".
Her favorite bands are The Rolling Stones and Gipsy Kings.
Had a long-term relationship with Jefferson Airplane bandmate Paul Kantner.
Has an affinity for all things Eastern and Spanish. Since she loves Spanish things so much, she feels she must have spent many lives in Spain, or in Southern California while it was under Spanish rule.
Has been writing songs, stories, poems and free verse since childhood.
Wrote in her book that she wakes up at 4:30 every morning.
Listens to music from the 1960s and 1970s, classic jazz and Spanish music.
Was good friends with Janis Joplin.
Has a younger brother named Chris, born September 1949.
Her middle name, Barnett, was also her mothers maiden name.
She gave birth to her daughter China Kantner on January 25, 1971 in San Francisco. Contrary to popular belief, Slick never seriously intended to name her "God" or "god" with a lower-case g, she said this jokingly to a religious delivery room nurse as she was filling out the birth certificate.
Was given the nickname "The Chrome Nun" by David Crosby. In fact, her nickname was used as part of the title of an album she made as a side project outside of Jefferson Airplane with bandmates Paul Kantner and David Freiberg entitled "Baron Von Tollbooth and the Chrome Nun".
Attended and graduated from Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, California.
Retired from the music business and has pursued a career as an artist.
Interests include art, philosophy, spirituality, sewing and writing.
Attended Finch College in New York City and the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.
Sang lead and played guitar, bass, recorder, piano and organ for her first band The Great Society.
Is an accomplished artist (painting, drawing, sketching, sculpting and scratch board etching).
Along with Janis Joplin , she was one of the first female rock stars and an important figure in the directed change of rock music in the late 1960s.
Her distinctive vocal style and striking stage presence exerted influence on other female performers including Stevie Nicks and Patti Smith.
Has English, Norwegian and Swedish ancestry.
[late 1960s] We are the people that our parents warned us about.
No matter how big or soft or warm your bed is you still have to get out of it.
Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert. Those are the guys I look at who are telling me pretty much the truth. And they throw humor into it which makes it much more interesting to listen to.
Through literacy you can begin to see the universe. Through music you can reach anybody. Between the two there is you, unstoppable.
When you learn that a truth is a lie, anger follows.
