Skip Spence
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| Alexander "Skip" Spence | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Alexander Lee Spence |
| Also known as | Skip Spence |
| Born | April 18, 1946 Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | April 16, 1999 (aged 52) Santa Cruz, CA, USA |
| Genre(s) | Rock, psychedelic rock, folk rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Drums, Guitar |
| Years active | 1965–1968 |
| Label(s) | Columbia, Sundazed |
| Associated acts | Jefferson Airplane Moby Grape |
Alexander Lee "Skip" Spence (April 18, 1946 – April 16, 1999) was a musician and singer-songwriter. He was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Spence was a guitarist in an early line-up of Quicksilver Messenger Service before Marty Balin recruited him to be the drummer for Jefferson Airplane. After one album with Jefferson Airplane, their debut Jefferson Airplane Takes Off, he left to co-found Moby Grape, once again as a guitarist.
During the recording session of the group's second album, Wow in 1968, Spence allegedly attempted to break down a bandmate's hotel room door with a fire axe while under the influence of LSD. Spence was committed for six months to New York City's Bellevue Hospital, where he was subsequently diagnosed with schizophrenia.[1]
Upon his release, he recorded his only solo album, the now-classic psychedelic/folk album Oar (1969, Columbia Records). However, mental illness and alcoholism prevented him from sustaining a career in the music industry, and he spent most of his later life homeless in and around San Jose and Santa Cruz, California. He died in 1999, from lung cancer. He was 52.
Spence continued to have minor involvement in later Moby Grape projects and reunions, as well as helping the Doobie Brothers get signed to Warner Bros. Records. More recently, Spence's "Land of the Sun," one of the only post-Grape recordings he ever completed, was nearly placed on the X-Files soundtrack. [2]
More Oar: A Tribute to Alexander "Skip" Spence, an album featuring contributions from R.E.M., Robert Plant, Tom Waits, Beck, and many others, was released a few weeks after his death.
[edit] Discography
- Jefferson Airplane Takes Off (RCA 1966)
- Moby Grape (Columbia 1967)
- Wow/Grape Jam (Columbia 1968)
- Land of the Sun (Sundazed Music 1999); Single release featuring Spence's two post-Oar recordings.
- Oar (Columbia 1969, Sundazed Music 2000); remastered and featuring over 20 minutes of additional material
[edit] External links
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