Spencer Dryden
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Spencer Dryden (April 7, 1938 – January 11, 2005) was an American musician who was best known as the drummer for Jefferson Airplane, New Riders of the Purple Sage and The Dinosaurs.
Dryden was born in New York City to Alice Chapel and Wheeler Dryden, a half-brother of Charlie Chaplin. He moved to Los Angeles as an infant, when his father went to work as an assistant director for Chaplin. Spencer fondly recalled playing at his famous uncle's Hollywood studio as a child. His father was a jazz fan, and took him to LA jazz clubs in the 1950's, which inspired his musical ambitions.
From 1966 to 1970, Dryden served as the drummer for Jefferson Airplane. The former jazzer, together with bassist Jack Casady, created an exceptional rhythm section. A feature of live Airplane sets at the time were free-form improvisational jams, with Dryden's licks complementing Casady's grand style. During this time also, he had an affair with Grace Slick. Afterwards, he played with The New Riders of the Purple Sage until 1977, at which point he became manager of the band. After leaving the New Riders, Dryden went on to play a lengthy stint with The Dinosaurs and Barry Melton's band before retiring from drumming in 1995.
In 1996, Dryden was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the rest of Jefferson Airplane.
The song Lather, appearing on Jefferson Airplane's Crown of Creation (1968), is said to have been written by Grace Slick on the occasion of Dryden's 30th birthday. Its lyrics tell of a boy who stays as young as possible until one day when he is shattered by having to finally grow up. The instrumental sections are wild and purposefully discordant.
He had been suffering from a hip replacement in the past few years before his death. In 2004, several musicians, led by Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead and Warren Haynes (Gov't Mule and the Allman Brothers Band), raised US$36,000 to help pay Dryden's medical bills.
Dryden died from colon cancer at his home in Penngrove, California.
