Marty Balin, co-founder of the pioneering psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane, is dead at 76. The band was at the forefront of the counter-culture movement, with their political stance made clear on their Crown of Creation and Volunteers. He left the Airplane in 1971 and later joined the commercially successful off-shoot Jefferson Starship. That band would sell tons of records but lacked the musical inventiveness.
Balin had serious health issues in recent years. He had heart surgery in 2016. He filed a civil lawsuit for malpractice against a New York City hospital in August, accusing the staff of a botched operation that left whim with a damaged tongue and vocal chords.
