Grace Slick facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Grace Slick
Slick c. 1967
Born	Grace Barnett Wing (1939-10-30) October 30, 1939 (age 85) Highland Park, Illinois, U.S.
Other names	Gracie The Chrome Nun The Acid Queen
Occupation	Painter musician (retired)
Years active	1964–1990 (music career) 1995–present (painting career)
Musical career
Genres	Psychedelic rock progressive rock blues rock pop
Instruments	Vocals keyboards recorder
Labels	RCA

Grace Slick (born Grace Barnett Wing; October 30, 1939) is an American painter and musician. Her music career lasted for four decades. She was a very important person in San Francisco's psychedelic music scene. This was from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s.

Grace Slick first performed with the Great Society. She became famous as the lead singer of Jefferson Airplane. She also sang for its later bands, Jefferson Starship and Starship. Slick and Jefferson Airplane became very popular with their 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow. This album included two top-ten hits: "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love".

With Starship, she sang lead on two songs that reached number one. These were "We Built This City" and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now". She also released four albums as a solo artist. Slick stopped making music in 1990. However, she still creates visual arts today. In 1996, Grace Slick was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This was as a member of Jefferson Airplane.

Grace Slick's Early Life and Education

Grace Barnett Wing was born on October 30, 1939. She was born in Highland Park, Illinois, near Chicago. Her father, Ivan Wilford Wing, was of British descent. Her mother, Virginia Wing, had Scottish and Danish roots. Her parents met while studying at the University of Washington in Seattle. They later got married. In 1949, her younger brother, Chris, was born.

Her father worked in investment banking. Because of his job, her family moved several times when she was a child. They lived in the Chicago area. Then they moved to California. They lived in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Finally, they settled in Palo Alto in the early 1950s. Wing went to Palo Alto Senior High School. Later, she moved to Castilleja School. This was a private school just for girls in Palo Alto.

After finishing high school, she attended Finch College in New York City. This was from 1957 to 1958. She also went to the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. She studied there from 1958 to 1959.

Grace Slick's Music Career

Grace Slick worked as a model for three years. She also started writing music. She even helped with a short film made by her husband, Jerry Slick.

Starting with The Great Society (1965–1966)

The Great Society in 1965: Grace is carried by her then–husband, Jerry Slick. His brother, Darby Slick, is at right.

In August 1965, Grace Slick read about a new band called Jefferson Airplane. They were in San Francisco, a growing music city. Slick wasn't really thinking about music as a job. But then she saw Jefferson Airplane play live. After that, she decided to form her own band.

She joined with her husband Jerry Slick (drums). His brother Darby Slick (lead guitar) and David Miner (bass guitar) also joined. They called their group the Great Society. On October 15, 1965, the band played their first show. It was at a place called the Coffee Gallery. Soon after, Slick wrote the song "White Rabbit". This song was about dream-like experiences. She supposedly wrote it in just one hour. When they played it live, it was faster. It quickly became a favorite song for their fans.

Grace Slick helped create many of the Great Society's songs. Darby Slick also guided the band's sound. They became a popular band in the Bay Area by late 1965. The Great Society recorded several songs in 1965. One song, "Somebody to Love", was released as a single. Grace Slick sang, played guitar, piano, and recorder on their recordings.

Joining Jefferson Airplane (1966–1972)

In late 1966, Jefferson Airplane's singer, Signe Toly Anderson, left the band. She wanted to raise her child. Jack Casady then asked Grace Slick to join Jefferson Airplane. Slick said she joined because the band was very organized. This was different from the Great Society. With Slick, Jefferson Airplane started making new music. Their sound became more dream-like and imaginative. Their album Surrealistic Pillow had new versions of "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love". Both songs became top 10 hits.

Jefferson Airplane became one of the most popular bands in the country. Grace Slick became a leading female rock musician of her time. In 1968, Slick performed "Crown of Creation" on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. She ended the performance with a Black Panther raised fist. This was a symbol of social change.

Jefferson Starship and Solo Work (1970–1984)

Slick in 1976

Slick and Paul Kantner while in Jefferson Starship

After Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen left Jefferson Airplane, Grace Slick formed Jefferson Starship. She joined with Paul Kantner and other band members. She also started releasing solo albums. Her first solo album was Manhole. Then came Dreams, Welcome to the Wrecking Ball!, and Software. Manhole also featured keyboardist Pete Sears. He joined Jefferson Starship in 1974. Sears and Slick wrote several early Jefferson Starship songs together. These included "Hyperdrive" and "Play On Love". Dreams was a very personal album for Slick. It was even nominated for a Grammy Award.

Grace Slick was sometimes called "The Chrome Nun" by David Crosby. This nickname was used in the title of an album she made in 1973. It was called Baron von Tollbooth & the Chrome Nun. She made it with bandmates Kantner and David Freiberg.

Starship and Jefferson Airplane Reunion (1984–1989)

In the 1980s, Grace Slick was the only original Jefferson Airplane member left in the band Starship. The band had three number-one hits: "We Built This City", "Sara", and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now". Even with this success, Grace Slick has said she did not enjoy this time or the music. She left Starship in 1988.

In 1989, Grace Slick and her old Jefferson Airplane bandmates got back together. They released a new album and went on a successful tour before the band split up again.

Retirement from Music (1990–Present)

Slick (right) in 2010 with author Phil Konstantin

After the Jefferson Airplane reunion, Grace Slick stopped working in the music business. In a 2007 interview, she explained her decision. She said that rock and roll is mostly for young people to express themselves. She felt it was time for her to move on from performing.

Even though she retired, Slick appeared twice with Paul Kantner's new version of Jefferson Starship. The first time was in 1995. The band played at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. This was recorded on the live album Deep Space/Virgin Sky. The second time was after the 9/11 attacks in late 2001. She came on stage wearing a special outfit. She then revealed a covering with an American flag. She told fans her outfit was about liberty.

After leaving music, Slick started painting and drawing. She has created many pictures of other musicians from the 1960s. These include Janis Joplin and Jerry Garcia. Slick loved art since she was a child. In 2000, she began showing and selling her artwork. She often attends her art shows across the United States. She generally stays away from the music business. However, she did sing on "Knock Me Out" in 1996. This song was on an album by Linda Perry.

Slick published her autobiography, Somebody to Love? A Rock and Roll Memoir, in 1998. She also recorded an audio version of the book. In a 2001 interview, Slick mentioned she is mostly vegan. She said she eats mostly plant-based foods.

In 2006, Slick had a serious health challenge. She needed surgery and had to learn to walk again. Also in 2006, Slick gave a speech for a new airline, Virgin America. They named their first plane Jefferson Airplane.

In 2010, Slick helped write a song called "Edge of Madness". It was with singer Michelle Mangione. The song helped raise money for cleaning up after the BP oil spill. Grace also sang background vocals on the song. In recent years, Slick has made a few public appearances. She accepted Jefferson Airplane's Grammy Lifetime Achievement award in 2016. She also attended the unveiling of the band's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2022.

Grace Slick's Personal Life

Grace Slick was married to Gerald "Jerry" Slick from 1961 to 1971. He was a filmmaker and drummer. Then she married lighting designer Skip Johnson from 1976 to 1994. She has a daughter, actress China Wing Kantner, born on January 25, 1971. China's father is Paul Kantner. He was a guitarist for Jefferson Airplane. Slick and Kantner were in a relationship from 1969 to 1975.

In 1971, Slick was in a car accident in San Francisco. She was driving very fast with Jorma Kaukonen.

White House Incident

President Richard Nixon's daughter, Tricia, and Grace Slick both went to Finch College. Slick was invited to a tea party for former students at the White House in April 1970. She brought Abbie Hoffman as her guest. However, the party was only for women. White House security noticed Hoffman right away. He said he was Slick's "bodyguard," but they didn't let him in.

..... He hung it on the White House gate. Slick decided not to go to the party since Hoffman couldn't enter. They left together in a car. Slick later thought she was invited because the invitation used her maiden name, "Grace Wing." She believed they wouldn't have invited her if they knew she was Grace Slick.

Grace Slick's Visual Art

Slick in 2008

After retiring from music, Grace Slick started drawing and painting animals. She did this mainly for fun and because it made her happy. Later, she was asked to write her life story. Her agent saw her artwork. He asked her to draw portraits of other rock-and-roll musicians for her book. At first, she wasn't sure. But she found she enjoyed it. Colorful pictures of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Jerry Garcia appeared in her book.

Her book also includes an Alice in Wonderland-themed painting and other sketches. Her paintings of Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady were used for the cover of the 1998 album The Best of Hot Tuna. Grace Slick has drawn and painted since she was a child. However, she didn't do much art when she was focused on her music career. One exception is the cover art for her first solo album, Manhole, from 1974. She signed it "Child Type Odd Art by Grace."

Slick uses different styles and materials in her art. She doesn't want to stick to just one way of creating. She uses acrylic paints, canvas, pen, ink, scratchboard, pastels, and pencil. Many of her artworks mix different materials. Her styles include children's book themes like Alice in Wonderland. She also does realistic portraits of rock musicians. She creates scratchboards of animals and simple ink wash drawings.

Her most popular prints and original artworks are her versions of the White Rabbit. Her portraits of other musicians are also very popular. In 2006, her Alice in Wonderland art became so popular that she partnered with Dark Horse Comics. They released stationery and journals with the Wonderland theme.

Grace Slick doesn't seem to care much about what critics say about her art. She sees her visual art as another way to be creative. It allows her to make art without the demands of performing on stage every night.

In a 2007 interview, Slick said she attends many of her art gallery shows. She sometimes goes to over 30 shows a year across the United States. She enjoys talking with people at her shows. However, she doesn't like the travel, especially flying.

Grace Slick's Legacy and Impact

Grace Slick is famous as a rock and roll singer. She was one of the first female rock stars, along with Janis Joplin. She played a big part in how rock music grew in the late 1960s. Her unique singing style and strong stage presence influenced other female performers. These included Stevie Nicks, Patti Smith, and Terri Nunn.

Between 1985 and 1999, Slick was the oldest female singer to have a number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "We Built This City" reached number one on November 16, 1985. This was shortly after her 46th birthday. Before her, Tina Turner held this record at age 44. Turner's song "What's Love Got To Do With It" was number one in 1984. Slick broke her own record in April 1987 at age 47. That's when "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" topped the US charts. Her record lasted for 12 years. Then Cher broke it in 1999. Cher was 53 when "Believe" hit number one.

Slick sang for a series of animated shorts called "Jazz Numbers." These shorts were about the numbers two through ten. They aired on Sesame Street. The segment for the number two appeared in the very first episode of Sesame Street on November 10, 1969. She was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1981. This was for Best Rock Female Vocalist for her solo album Dreams. She also performed the song "Panda" at the 1990 March for the Animals.

She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. This was as a member of Jefferson Airplane.

In 1993, she narrated a Stephen King short story. It was called "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band". This was for his Nightmares & Dreamscapes audiobook.

She was ranked number 20 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll in 1999.

In 2017, Slick allowed the Starship song "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" to be used in a TV commercial. This was for Chick-fil-A. However, she does not agree with Chick-fil-A's views on same-sex marriage. So, she gave all the money from that deal to Lambda Legal. This group works to support the civil rights of LGBTQ people.

Grace Slick's Discography

Solo Albums

Collaborative Albums

Other Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Grace Slick para niños