R.I.P. Spencer Dryden (Jefferson Airplane)

Spencer Dryden, drummer for the Jefferson Airplane's initial incarnation passed away after a long ilness. Guitar player Jorma Kaukonen has nice words to say on his website:

http://www.jormakaukonen.com/thoughts.htm
Wednesday, January 12, 2005 Austin, Texas

The times of a man's life. Sometimes the scenes flit by your eyes like the
3D images in a viewmaster. I just heard that my old band mate and friend,
Spencer Dryden, died last night. I was so fortunate that I was able to
talk to him several times in the past couple of months. We joked together
that some of our contemporaries considered us in late middle age... late
middle age if you plan on living to be 130 years old. Yes, we were two
older men talking together from the perspective of our age... and it felt
like home. For me, the incarnation of the Airplane I liked best was the
one with Spencer, Paul, Marty, Jack, Grace and myself. We struggled
together... occasionally lived together... argued together... loved
together... and made some great music together. A time past... a time of
being young together... a time that only exists today in our mind's eye.
Indeed... What a time! Spencer had been so sick for such a long time. It
is easy of course, to say that he is in a better place, but I believe it
to be so. When the quality of life diminishes beyond acceptability if we
are lucky, we get to move one.

Spencer, you were a part of my youth, my growth... my journey. In the last
year we became reacquainted again and you became a part of my journey once
more. I will treasure the things you said to me when "Friends" used
Embryonic Journey for their closing episode. There are many who will
always be a part of my life, living in my heart and my memory... You are
in that grand company for sure. Your pain is gone... that jaundiced eye
with which you always looked at the world is bright again... No one could
say 'Awww man,' with more dripping disdain than you. It was in a class
with my Grandmother saying 'Feh!' to the world.

Your door into summer has opened... enjoy the journey old friend. Ride
free to the edge of the world!

(See albums Jefferson Airplane Takes Off, Surrealistic Pillow, Fish, Worst of.... a legendary Saf Fransisco band of the late 60's hippie generation.)

 

that is soooo sad. i hadnt heard.

 

...but lather still finds it a nice thing to do to lie about nude in the sand...

May his soul live on through the music.

 

...drawing pictures of mountains that look like bumps and thrashing the air with his hands...

It always will dude, it always will.