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Paul Kantner — R.I.P.

Posted: January 29th, 2016, 6:58 am
by bluenoter
  
https://www.facebook.com/GraceSlickOfficial/

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http://www.sfgate.com/music/article/Jefferson-Airplane-s-Paul-Kantner-dies-at-74-6791483.php

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Paul Kantner, one of the giants of the San Francisco music scene, died Thursday [January 28, 2016]. Mr. Kantner, a founding member of the Jefferson Airplane, was 74 and had suffered a heart attack this week.

His death was confirmed by longtime publicist and friend Cynthia Bowman, who said he died of multiple organ failure and septic shock.

Mr. Kantner had a string of health problems in recent years, including a heart attack in March.

With Jefferson Airplane, Mr. Kantner pioneered what became known as the San Francisco sound in the mid-1960s, with such hits as “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit.”

The Airplane was renowned for thrilling vocal gymnastics by singers Marty Balin, Grace Slick and Mr. Kantner, the psychedelic blues-rock sound developed by guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bass player Jack Casady and the LSD-spiked, ’60s-era revolutionary fervor of its lyrics.

The band was formed in 1965 in a Union Street bar called the Drinking Gourd, when Balin met Mr. Kantner and expressed his interest in creating a “folk-rock” band. It didn’t take long for the Airplane to attract a sizable local following, enough so that when fledgling promoter Bill Graham opened his legendary Fillmore Auditorium, the Jefferson Airplane served as the first headliner.

The Airplane was the first of the so-called “San Francisco sound” bands to sign a recording contract with a major label, and in August of 1966, its debut album, “Jefferson Airplane Takes Off,” was released. Slick joined the band a year later and songs like “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit” became national hits as the love children came streaming into San Francisco.

Headliner at festivals

The group quickly became an integral part of the ’60s rock scene, from the Matrix club to Golden Gate Park’s “Human Be-In” to Monterey Pop. The Airplane’s high point may have been its sterling early-morning performance at Woodstock, while its nadir may have come only months later, at the violence-plagued Altamont concert, when Balin was knocked unconscious by the rampaging Hells Angels.

After the band was grounded by feuds and a lawsuit, Mr. Kantner and Slick transformed the group into Jefferson Starship in 1974, taking the name from a Kantner solo album.

When Mr. Kantner left the Starship in 1985, he accepted an $80,000 settlement in exchange for a promise not to use the names “Jefferson” or “Airplane” without Slick’s consent.

Slick stayed with the Starship and had a hit with “We Built This City” before the band folded in the late 1980s.

Stayed in San Francisco

A sometimes prickly, often sarcastic musician who kept his own counsel and routinely enraged his old bandmates — they sued him for trademark infringement (and settled) after he started his own version of Jefferson Starship in 1991 — Mr. Kantner became something of a landmark on the San Francisco music scene, the only member of the band still living in town.

“Somebody once said, if you want to go crazy go to San Francisco,” he said. “Nobody will notice.”

Mr. Kantner was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 for his work with the Jefferson Airplane during the band’s glory years — from the breakthrough 1967 “Surrealistic Pillow” album through Woodstock and Altamont.

“We never made plans,” said Mr. Kantner. “Well, we made plans, but they went awry. It was good to have a plan in case they didn’t go awry.”

He maintained a strenuous touring schedule, performing regularly with some version of the Jefferson Starship name. His group sometimes included Balin, as well as David Freiberg of the Quicksilver Messenger Service, another leading Bay Area band from the ’60s.

“When I look back on it, that’s probably longer than any of the other bands I’ve been in,” Mr. Kantner said.

Paul Lorin Kantner was born in San Francisco on March 17, 1941.

His father, a traveling salesman, sent Mr. Kantner to military school after his mother’s death. He sought escape in science fiction books and music, before being inspired by Pete Seeger to become a folk singer. He attended Santa Clara University and San Jose State College before dropping out to pursue music.

When not on the road with his band, Mr. Kantner was a fixture at Caffe Trieste in North Beach.

“I’ve always loved San Francisco better than anywhere,” he said. “It’s always had its problems, but just the weather alone, the views. This corner alone has proved so nourishing.”

Mr. Kantner is survived by three children: sons Gareth and Alexander, and daughter China.

Funeral arrangements are pending.




As you may know, I'm old; I got to see the Airplane at least twice. R.I.P.  Image
 

Re: Paul Kantner — R.I.P.

Posted: January 29th, 2016, 10:07 pm
by BFrank
This is actually a better Obit from the SF Chron because it's written by long-time local music critic, Joel Selvin.
Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner dies at 74

I was a BIG Airplane fan and saw them once or twice, as well. Also the early version of the Starship before they got WAY too commercial. I honestly haven't heard a thing that Paul has done in the last 30 years, but obviously his passing brings back a lot of memories.

RIP, Paul Kantner!

Re: Paul Kantner — R.I.P.

Posted: January 30th, 2016, 11:25 am
by bluenoter
BFrank wrote:This is actually a better Obit from the SF Chron because it's written by long-time local music critic, Joel Selvin.
Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner dies at 74

Thanks!

BFrank wrote:I honestly haven't heard a thing that Paul has done in the last 30 years, but obviously his passing brings back a lot of memories.

Same here. Much of the Airplane's stuff was on the "soundtrack of my life" during my salad days. But in particular, I'll never forget their singing the song "Volunteers" to and with a small crowd, outdoors, at a politically fraught time.

(No version of the Starship was significant to me.)

 

Re: Paul Kantner — R.I.P.

Posted: January 30th, 2016, 10:28 pm
by BFrank
This is unbelievably weird! RIP x 2.

Signe Anderson of Jefferson Airplane dies

Re: Paul Kantner — R.I.P.

Posted: February 3rd, 2016, 6:56 pm
by bluenoter
BFrank wrote:This is unbelievably weird! RIP x 2.

Signe Anderson of Jefferson Airplane dies

It sure is! Thanks, Brooks. And they died not only on the same date but at the same age, 74.

Here's an AP obit for her via the New York Times:


Signe Anderson, Jefferson Airplane Singer, Dies at 74


R.I.P.
 

Re: Paul Kantner — R.I.P.

Posted: February 5th, 2016, 5:48 pm
by Ron Thorne
Very sad news on both counts. Mind-boggling, coincidental timing, too.

I'm very envious of the "Airplane" concerts you were able to see, bluenoter.

Re: Paul Kantner — R.I.P.

Posted: February 6th, 2016, 7:53 pm
by bluenoter
And now a third S.F.-based musician has passed away this week at age 74---or one could say "California-based" and add Maurice White.

R.I.P., Dan Hicks

http://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2016/02/06/dan-hicks-san-francisco-folk-jazz-pioneer-dead-at-74/

Somehow I'd managed to know (or remember) nothing about Dan Hicks. But from what I've read and heard today, it seems that if anyone wishes to start a separate R.I.P. thread for him, it would fit either here in Other Music or in Jazz News / R.I.P. (Ron might have thoughts on that.)

Re: Paul Kantner — R.I.P.

Posted: November 10th, 2017, 6:09 pm
by harmony5219
I met Paul Kantner about a year before he died. He was a cantankerous chain smoker but was so very talented. Rest in peace.