Treat Her Like A Guest

Today we celebrate the birthday of Grace Slick, now in her seventies.

She was a model who, in the do-it-yourself 60s, became a singer. Her first band was The Great Society. Great name. A much worse name is Jefferson Airplane, but that's the one that clicked, and before she knew it, her powerful voice was heard by millions on hits like "White Rabbit" and "Somebody To Love" (originally done by The Great Society).

In the 70s, the renamed Jefferson Starship became, if anything, bigger than the Airplane, but I'll always think of Slick from those radical days in the 60s. She did a lot of wild things, but the best story is something that didn't happen. Tricia Nixon invited fellow Finch College alumni, including Slick, to tea at the White House. Slick brought along Abbie Hoffman and planned to spike President Nixon's drink with LSD. Unfortunately, they were stopped at the gate when security realized just who Grace Slick was.

She's a painter now and, I'm glad to say, seems to have a sense of humor about herself and the times in which she lived.