The Facebook account for Jefferson Airplane — which Barbata joined in 1972 — shared this post on Monday: “Known for his exceptional talent, John left his mark on the music. During a hiatus for CSN&Y, David Crosby introduced John to the Airplane, who hired John instantly. You can hear John’s drumming skills on the band’s final studio album, LONG JOHN SILVER, as well as the live album THIRTY SECONDS OVER WINTERLAND.
On 2028 another memeber of the band Martin Balin, singer and guitarist, who cofounded the psychedelic rock group in 1965, died, in Tampa, Florida, where he was on the way to the hospital.
Jefferson Starship, the splinter band that Balin also played in for a number of years, paid tribute to their former bandmate on its official Facebook page.
Balin teamed up with guitar player Paul Kantner in San Francisco and the band launched its debut album, “Jefferson Airplane Takes Off,” in 1966. Kantner died in 2016.
The band, best known for their hits sung by vocalist Grace Slick, including “Somebody to Love,” and “White Rabbit,” played at the Woodstock music festival in 1969 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
