Grace Slick
The fierce, clarion voice of 60s psychedelia who commanded the stage with a potent mix of rebellion, artistry, and sheer force of will.
Born 1939 (age 87)·American painter and musician·Birthday: October 30·The Silent Generation
Biography
Grace Slick didn't set out to be a rock star; she was a model and a department store clerk before answering a newspaper ad for a vocalist. That decision sent shockwaves through music. As the frontwoman for Jefferson Airplane, her powerful, cutting voice became the soundtrack to a revolution, delivering anthems like 'White Rabbit' and 'Somebody to Love' with an intensity that was both otherworldly and fiercely grounded. She was the quintessential San Francisco scene figure—smart, outspoken, and unapologetic, often clashing with authority and convention. After the Airplane's zenith, she navigated various band configurations and a solo career, her voice remaining a formidable instrument. In the 1980s, she walked away from music entirely to focus on painting, establishing a successful second career as a visual artist with a style as bold and satirical as her lyrical persona.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Grace was born in 1939, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Grace Was Born
The biggest hits of 1939
#1 Movie
Gone with the Wind
Best Picture
Gone with the Wind
Grace's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1939Born
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1944Started school
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1952Became a teenager
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Could drive
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1957Could vote
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Turned 21
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1969Turned 30
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 40
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 50
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 60
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 70
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 80
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 87 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Performed the definitive versions of the psychedelic standards 'White Rabbit' and 'Somebody to Love' with Jefferson Airplane.
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Jefferson Airplane in 1996.
- Successfully transitioned to a second career as a painter, with her artwork exhibited and sold in galleries.
- Her performance with Jefferson Airplane at the 1969 Woodstock festival became a landmark of the era.
Did You Know?
She once invited the Black Panthers to a party at the White House during the Nixon administration.
She attempted to dose President Richard Nixon with LSD by inviting a friend who was a White House aide to a spiked drink, but the plan failed.
Before music, she worked as a model for the I. Magnin department store.
She is an accomplished visual artist who has held numerous exhibitions of her paintings.
“Remember what the dormouse said: feed your head.”
