Guitarist Paul Kantner of the Jefferson Airplane and the Jefferson Starship has died at the age of 74. Mr. Kantner was touring with the latest incarnation of the Jefferson Starship right up until recently and last played in the New York area at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury and B.B. King’s in New York City. I was supposed to go to the Westbury gig but had accidentally triple booked myself that night and ended up seeing the Gregg Allman Band at City Winery.

I have seen the Jefferson Starship back in the 70’s when Grace Slick led the vocals and more recently at The Paramount a couple of years ago when the 70 plus year old Kantner rocked out in his psychedelic spandex pants with Cathy Richardson doing her own best take on the Jefferson Airplane classics.

Paul Kantner may not be a household word or the first person that many would think of regarding the Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship but he was the undeniable musical and inspirational leader of the groups that performed and recorded for decades since the 1960’s.

The old rockers are passing away at an increasingly alarming and sobering rate. The local oldies station no longer plays the hits from the 50’s or eve 60’s bot now play Fleetwood Mac and The Romantics.

Joe Cocker, Ben Keith, Bobby Keys, David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Clarence Clemens, Paul Kantner and the list goes on and on.

God gave Rock and Roll to you……..

Long Live Rock

GQ