Marty Balin

Marty Balin was an American singer and songwriter who co-founded Jefferson Airplane and later joined Jefferson Starship. Born in Cincinnati, he started recording for Challenge Records in 1962 and two years later fronted a folk group called The Town Criers. He founded Jefferson Airplane and was a lead voice and writer in the group from 1965 until 1971, sharing vocals with Grace Slick; his compositions included Today, Comin' Back to Me, and Volunteers. The band played the Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock, and he appeared in the documentary Gimme Shelter (1970). After leaving in 1971, he joined Jefferson Starship in 1975 and sang lead on hits such as Miracles and Count on Me, then departed in 1978. Later came the rock opera Rock Justice, solo albums Balin and Lucky, and the KBC Band. In 1996 the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted him as a member of Jefferson Airplane, and in 2016 he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.