The One and Only Wasn’t Even the First
Jefferson Airplane is synonymous with the one and only Grace Slick. The singer brought charisma, fun-to-sing-along-to vocals, and a sense of danger to the band’s songs. Just think about the creepy yet fantastic journey through the Alice in Wonderland-referencing White Rabbit, for example. It’s hard to imagine the band getting anywhere without Slick.
Grace Slick. Photo by Alan Messer / Shutterstock
And so, it’s worth noting that Slick wasn’t the group’s first singer – nowhere near it. After a 1965 performance in San Francisco, Signe Toly [Anderson] was asked to join the still-forming group by founder Marty Balin. Toly sang lead vocals on Jefferson Airplane’s 1966 debut album. But before the year ended, she was already out of the band (she had just given birth). Sherry Snow (of Blackburn & Snow) was asked to replace her, but she declined. Eventually, Slick got the gig.