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{{Short description|American singer, songwriter, and musician (1942–2018)}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
{{Infobox musical artist
|Name = Marty Balin
| name = Marty Balin
|Img = Marty Balin.jpg
| image = Marty Balin photo 1976.JPG
| caption = Balin in 1976 with Jefferson Starship
|Background = solo_singer
|Birth_name = Martyn Jerel Buchwald
| birth_name = Martyn Jerel Buchwald
|Alias =
| alias =
|Born = {{Birth date and age|1942|1|30|mf=y}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1942|1|30|mf=yes}}
|Died =
| birth_place = [[Cincinnati]], Ohio, U.S.
|Origin = [[Cincinnati, Ohio]]
| origin =
| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|9|27|1942|1|20|mf=yes}}
|Instrument = [[Vocals]], [[Guitar]]
| death_place = [[Tampa, Florida]], U.S.
|Genre = [[Psychedelic rock]], [[Folk rock]], [[Album oriented rock|AOR]], [[Acid rock]]
| instrument = Vocals, guitar, bass guitar<!--- If you think an instrument should be listed, a discussion to reach consensus is needed first per: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Infobox_musical_artist#instrument--->
|Occupation = [[Musician]], [[Singer-songwriter]]
| genre = [[Psychedelic rock]], [[folk rock]], [[pop rock]], [[soft rock]], [[acid rock]]
|Years_active = 1965-present
| occupation = Musician, singer-songwriter
|Label = [[Challenge Records]], [[EMI America]], GWE Records
| years_active = 1962–2016
|Associated_acts = [[Jefferson Airplane]], [[KBC Band]], [[Jefferson Starship]]
| label = [[Challenge Records (1950s)|Challenge]], [[EMI Records|EMI]], [[RCA Victor]], [[Grunt Records]], [[GWE Records|GWE]]
|URL =
| associated_acts = [[Jefferson Airplane]], [[KBC Band]], [[Jefferson Starship]], Bodacious D.F.
|Notable_instruments =
| website =
}}
}}
[[File:MartyBalinPerforming.jpg|thumb|right|Balin performing at a concert in Hallandale, Florida]]
'''Marty Balin''' (born '''Martyn Jerel Buchwald''', January 30, 1942, [[Cincinnati, Ohio]]) is an [[United States|American]] [[musician]]. He is best known as the founder and one of the [[lead singers]] (along with [[Grace Slick]]) of [[Jefferson Airplane]], the pioneering [[psychedelic rock]] band from [[San Francisco]].


'''Martyn Jerel Buchwald''' (January 30, 1942 – September 27, 2018), known as '''Marty Balin''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|æ|l|ᵻ|n}}), was an American singer, songwriter, and musician best known as a member of [[Jefferson Airplane]] and [[Jefferson Starship]].<ref name = pareles>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/obituaries/marty-balin-dead.html |title=Marty Balin, a Founder of Jefferson Airplane, Dies at 76 |author=Pareles, Jon |work=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 29, 2018 |access-date=September 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930012346/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/obituaries/marty-balin-dead.html |archive-date=September 30, 2018 |language=en-US|url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref>
Born and raised in Ohio, Balin was mildly autistic as a child, and he struggled with this while growing up and it affected him into his adulthood.<ref>[http://www.wordjourneys.com/articlessinterviews/balin/balin2.htm Interview: Marty Balin] ''wordjourneys.com''</ref>


==Early life==
As of 2008, Balin continues to perform part-time with [[Jefferson Starship]] and had intended to record lead vocals for two tracks for their latest album, ''[[Jefferson's Tree of Liberty]]''. However, his art touring schedule conflicted with studio sessions and instead the track "Maybe for You"<ref>[http://top40-charts.com/news/Rock/New-Jefferson-Starship-Album-Of-Formative-Folk-Treasures-Jeffersons-Tree-Of-Liberty/42167.html New Jefferson Starship Album Of Formative Folk Treasures: Jefferson's Tree Of Liberty] ''top40-charts.com''</ref> from the German release of ''[[Windows of Heaven (album)|Windows of Heaven]]'' was included.
Balin was born Martyn Jerel Buchwald in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of Catherine Eugenia "Jean" (née Talbot) and Joseph Buchwald.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |url=http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-marty-balin-obit-20180928-story.html |title=Marty Balin, co-founder of Jefferson Airplane, dies at 76 |last=Lewis |first=Randy |date=September 28, 2018 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US|access-date=September 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929030356/http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-marty-balin-obit-20180928-story.html |archive-date=September 29, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> His paternal grandparents emigrated from Eastern Europe. His father was [[Jews|Jewish]] and his mother was [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 23, 2015 |title=Jefferson Airplane and The Jews |url=https://www.abqjew.net/2015/04/jefferson-airplane-and-jews.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929180454/https://www.abqjew.net/2015/04/jefferson-airplane-and-jews.html |archive-date=September 29, 2023 |access-date=2024-03-18 |language=en}}</ref> Buchwald attended [[George Washington High School (San Francisco)|Washington High School]] in [[San Francisco|San Francisco, California]].<ref name=":1" /> As a child, Balin was diagnosed with [[autism]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gladstone |first1=Jerry |title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Marty Balin |url=https://jerrygladstonesuccessblog.wordpress.com/2014/10/15/rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-inductee-marty-balin/ |website=Jerry Gladstone Success Blog |access-date=8 May 2021 |date=15 October 2014 |quote=First of all, I was diagnosed with autism as a child and struggled with it while growing up}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Marty Balin's Crusade of Love |url=http://www.wordjourneys.com/articlessinterviews/balin/balin2.htm |website=Word Journeys |access-date=8 May 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105141426/http://www.wordjourneys.com/articlessinterviews/balin/balin2.htm |archive-date=5 January 2013}}</ref>


==Career==
On July 2, 2007, music publishing firm Bicycle Music, Inc. announced that it acquired an interest in more than 70 songs written or performed by Balin, including hits from his days with Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship.<ref>[http://www.bicyclemusic.com/catalog.html Bicycle Music: Music Publishing - Catalog]</ref>
===Early musical work===
In 1962, Buchwald changed his name to Marty Balin,<ref name=":1" /> and began recording with [[Challenge Records (1950's-60's label)|Challenge Records]] in Los Angeles, releasing the singles "Nobody but You" and "I Specialize in Love".<ref name=GotA>{{cite book |last=Tamarakin |first=Jeff |year=2003 |title=Got a Revolution: The Turbulent Flight of Jefferson Airplane |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |isbn=0-671-03403-0}}</ref> By 1964, Balin was leading a folk music quartet named The Town Criers.<ref name=":1" />


===Jefferson Airplane===
His wife, Karen T. Deal, died on November 19, 2010, in [[Temple Terrace, Florida]], after [[choking]] on food. She was 57 years old.<ref>[http://www.thedeadrockstarsclub.com/2010b.html Thedeadrockstarsclub.com] - accessed November 2010</ref>

[[File:Jefferson Airplane circa 1970.JPG|thumb|Balin (far right) with Jefferson Airplane]]
Balin was the primary founder of Jefferson Airplane, which he "launched" from a restaurant-turned-club he created and named [[The Matrix (club)|The Matrix]],<ref name=":1" /> and was also one of its lead vocalists and songwriters from 1965 to 1971. Balin was one of four Jewish members of the band, including bass player [[Jack Casady]], drummer [[Spencer Dryden]] and guitarist [[Jorma Kaukonen]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://forward.com/culture/208150/10-facts-about-jewish-california/ |title=10 Facts About Jewish California |last=Friedman |first=Gabe |date=November 4, 2014 |newspaper=[[The Forward]] |access-date=December 5, 2022}}</ref> In the group's 1966–1971 iteration, Balin served as co-lead vocalist alongside [[Grace Slick]]. Balin's songwriting output diminished after ''[[Surrealistic Pillow]]'' (1967) as Slick, [[Paul Kantner]], and Kaukonen matured as songwriters, a process compounded by personality clashes. Balin's most enduring songwriting contributions were often imbued with a romantic, pop-oriented lilt that was atypical of the band's characteristic forays into [[psychedelic rock]]. Among Balin's most notable songs were "[[Comin' Back to Me]]" (a [[folk rock]] ballad later covered by [[Ritchie Havens]] and [[Rickie Lee Jones]]), "[[Today (Jefferson Airplane song)|Today]]" (a collaboration with Kantner initially written on spec for [[Tony Bennett]] that was prominently covered by [[Tom Scott (saxophonist)|Tom Scott]]), and, again with Kantner, the topical 1969 top-100 hit "[[Volunteers (song)|Volunteers]]". Although uncharacteristic of his oeuvre, the uptempo "3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds" and "Plastic Fantastic Lover" (both written for ''Surrealistic Pillow'') remained integral components of the Airplane's live set throughout the late 1960s.<ref name=GotA /><ref name="JA site bio">{{cite web |url=http://www.jeffersonairplane.com/the-jefferson-airplane-chronicles-part-six-marty-balin/|title=The Jefferson Airplane Chronicles: Part Six, Marty Balin |website=Jeffersonairplane.com |last=Tamarkin|first=Jeff|date=April 1993 |language=en-US|access-date=December 13, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222121724/http://www.jeffersonairplane.com/the-jefferson-airplane-chronicles-part-six-marty-balin/|archive-date=December 22, 2015 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Balin played with Jefferson Airplane at the [[Monterey Pop Festival]] in 1967 and at the [[Woodstock Festival]] in 1969.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/28/entertainment/jefferson-airplane-starship-singer-marty-balin-dies/index.html|title=Jefferson Airplane singer, co-founder Marty Balin dies|last1=Gast|first1=Phil|work=CNN|language=en-US|access-date=September 29, 2018|last2=Berlinger|first2=Joshua|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929020831/https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/28/entertainment/jefferson-airplane-starship-singer-marty-balin-dies/index.html|archive-date=September 29, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In December 1969, Balin was knocked unconscious by members of the [[Hells Angels]] motorcycle club while performing during the infamous [[Altamont Free Concert]], as seen in the 1970 documentary film ''[[Gimme Shelter (1970 film)|Gimme Shelter]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/article/Marty-Balin-founder-of-Jefferson-Airplane-dead-13267332.php |title=Marty Balin, founder of Jefferson Airplane, dies at 76 |author=Italie, Hillel |date=September 29, 2018 |website=MySanAntonio.com |access-date=September 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001031401/https://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/article/Marty-Balin-founder-of-Jefferson-Airplane-dead-13267332.php |archive-date=October 1, 2018 |url-status=dead |language=en-US|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In April 1971, he formally departed Jefferson Airplane<ref name = pareles/> after breaking off all communication with his bandmates following the completion of their autumn 1970 American tour. He elaborated upon this decision in a 1993 interview with Jeff Tamarkin of ''[[Relix]]:''<ref name="JA site bio" />

{{blockquote|text=I don't know, just [[Janis Joplin|Janis]]'s death. That struck me. It was dark times. Everybody was doing so much drugs and I couldn't even talk to the band. I was into [[yoga]] at the time. I'd given up drinking and I was into totally different area, health foods and getting back to the streets, working with the [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indians]]. It was getting strange for me. [[Cocaine]] was a big deal in those days and I wasn't a cokie and I couldn't talk with everybody who had an answer for every goddamn thing, rationalizing everything that happened. I thought it made the music really tight and constrictive and ruined it. So after Janis died, I thought, I'm not gonna go onstage and play that kind of music; I don't like cocaine.}}

Balin remained active in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] rock scene, managing and producing an album for the [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]]-based sextet Grootna<ref>Columbia 31033</ref> before briefly joining [[funk]]-inflected [[hard rock]] ensemble Bodacious DF as lead vocalist on [[Bodacious DF|their eponymous 1973 debut album]].<ref>APL1-0206</ref> The following year, Kantner asked Balin to write a song for his new Airplane offshoot group, [[Jefferson Starship]]. Together, they wrote the early [[power ballad]] "Caroline", which appeared on the album ''[[Dragon Fly (album)|Dragon Fly]]'' with Balin as guest lead vocalist.<ref name="GotA" />

===Jefferson Starship===
Rejoining the team he had helped to establish, Balin became a permanent member of Jefferson Starship in 1975; over the next three years, he contributed to and sang lead on four top-20 hits,<ref name = pareles/> including "[[Miracles (Jefferson Starship song)|Miracles]]" (No. 3, a Balin original), "[[With Your Love]]" (No. 12, a collaboration between Balin, former Jefferson Airplane drummer [[Joey Covington]], and former Grootna/Bodacious DF lead guitarist Vic Smith), [[Jesse Barish]]'s "[[Count On Me (Jefferson Starship song)|Count on Me]]" (No. 8), and N. Q. Dewey's "[[Runaway (Jefferson Starship song)|Runaway]]" (No. 12).<ref>''[[Billboard Magazine]]'' Charts</ref><ref name=GotA /> Ultimately, Balin's relationship with the band was beleaguered by interpersonal problems and his own reluctance toward live performances. He abruptly left the group in October 1978 shortly after Slick's departure from the band.<ref name=GotA />

===Solo work, and reunion projects===
In 1979, Balin produced a rock opera titled ''Rock Justice'',<ref>EMI America SWAK-17036</ref> about a rock star who was put in jail for failing to produce a hit for his record company, based on his experiences with the lawsuits fought for years with former Jefferson Airplane manager [[Matthew Katz]].<ref name=GotA /> The cast recording was produced by Balin, but it did not feature him in performance.
[[File:MartyBalinPerforming.jpg|thumb|right|Balin performing at a concert in [[Hallandale, Florida]]]]

Balin continued with EMI as a solo artist and in 1981, he released his first solo album, ''[[Balin (album)|Balin]]'', featuring two Jesse Barish songs that became top-40 hits, "[[Hearts (song)|Hearts]]" (#8) and "[[Atlanta Lady (Something About Your Love)]]" (#27). In 1983, Balin released a second solo album, ''[[Lucky (Marty Balin album)|Lucky]]'', along with a Japan-only EP produced by EMI called ''There's No Shoulder''. Balin's contract with EMI ended shortly thereafter.<ref name=GotA />

In 1985, he teamed with former Jefferson Airplane members Paul Kantner and [[Jack Casady]] to form the [[KBC Band]].<ref name=GotA /> After the breakup of the KBC band, a 1989 [[Jefferson Airplane (album)|reunion album]] and tour with Jefferson Airplane followed.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

Balin continued recording solo albums in the years following the reunion, and reunited with Kantner in the latest incarnation of Jefferson Starship.<ref name=GotA />

Balin had intended to record lead vocals for two tracks for Jefferson Starship's album ''[[Jefferson's Tree of Liberty]]''. However, his art touring schedule conflicted with studio sessions, and instead, the track "Maybe for You", from the German release of ''[[Windows of Heaven]]'', was included.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Jefferson's Tree of Liberty |others=Jefferson Starship |year=2008 |type=CD booklet |publisher=The Lab Records |id=3020617382 }}</ref><ref>[http://top40-charts.com/news/Rock/New-Jefferson-Starship-Album-Of-Formative-Folk-Treasures-Jeffersons-Tree-Of-Liberty/42167.html New Jefferson Starship Album Of Formative Folk Treasures: Jefferson's Tree Of Liberty] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605045355/http://top40-charts.com/news/Rock/New-Jefferson-Starship-Album-Of-Formative-Folk-Treasures-Jeffersons-Tree-Of-Liberty/42167.html |language=en-US|date=June 5, 2011|df=mdy-all}}, top40-charts.com</ref>

On July 2, 2007, the music-publishing firm Bicycle Music, Inc. announced that it had acquired an interest in songs written or performed by Balin, including hits from his days with Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bicyclemusic.com/catalog.html |title=Catalog of Bicycle Music |website=Bicyclemusic.com |url-status=unfit |language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503022228/http://www.bicyclemusic.com/catalog.html |archive-date=May 3, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

==Honors==
Balin, along with the other members of the 1966–1970 line-up of Jefferson Airplane, was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1996.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/jefferson-airplane |title=Jefferson Airplane |website=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame |language=en-US|access-date=September 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919120024/https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/jefferson-airplane |archive-date=September 19, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> As a member of Jefferson Airplane, he was honored with a [[Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award]] in 2016.<ref name=":0" />

==Personal life==
Balin enjoyed painting all his life. He painted many of the most influential musicians of the last half of the 20th century. Marty Balin's Atelier was located at 130 King Fine Art in Saint Augustine, Florida, Balin's permanent signature collection gallery.<ref>{{cite web |last=Balin |first=Marty |title=Marty Balin-Bio |url=http://martybalin.net |work=Marty Balin |language=en-US|access-date=December 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419173534/http://martybalin.net/ |archive-date=April 19, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Balin resided in Florida and San Francisco with his wife, Susan Joy Balin, formerly Susan Joy Finkelstein. Balin and Finkelstein had two daughters; Susan had previously had two other daughters.

Balin married [[Karen Deal]] in 1989. Karen died in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/pg/martybalinmusic/about/?ref=page_interna |title=Marty Balin |website=Facebook.com |language=en-US|access-date=September 28, 2018 |archive-date=November 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116040135/https://www.facebook.com/martybalinmusic/about/?ref=page_interna |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

==Health and death==
While on tour in March 2016, Balin was taken to [[Mount Sinai Beth Israel|Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital]] in New York City after complaining of [[chest pain]]s. After undergoing [[cardiac surgery|open-heart surgery]], he was transferred to an intensive-care unit to spend time recovering. In a subsequent lawsuit, Balin alleged that neglect and inadequate care facilities on the hospital's part had resulted in a paralyzed vocal cord, loss of his left thumb and half of his tongue, bedsores, and [[Kidney failure|kidney damage]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nypost.com/2018/08/17/jefferson-airplane-singer-details-hospital-nightmare-in-shocking-lawsuit/ |title=Jefferson Airplane singer details hospital nightmare in shocking lawsuit |newspaper=[[New York Post]] |last=DeGregory |first=Prescilla |date=August 17, 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=August 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818044609/https://nypost.com/2018/08/17/jefferson-airplane-singer-details-hospital-nightmare-in-shocking-lawsuit/ |archive-date=August 18, 2018 |url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Balin died at his home in Tampa on September 27, 2018, at the age of 76.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/jefferson-airplane-guitarist-marty-balin-dead-76-730912/|title=Jefferson Airplane Co-Founder Marty Balin Dead at 76|first=Andy|last=Greene|date=September 28, 2018|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=September 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930110115/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/jefferson-airplane-guitarist-marty-balin-dead-76-730912/|archive-date=September 30, 2018|url-status=live|language=en-US|df=mdy-all}}</ref>


==Discography==
==Discography==
{{See also|Jefferson Airplane discography|Jefferson Starship discography}}
;Solo albums
{{col-begin}}
* ''[[Balin (album)|Balin]]'' (1981) (includes the AM radio single, "Hearts")
{{col-break}}
* ''[[Lucky (Marty Balin album)|Lucky]]'' (1983)
*''[[Balin (album)|Balin]]'' (1981)
* ''[[There's No Shoulder|There's No Shoulder EP]]'' (1983) (Japan only)
* ''[[Better Generation (album)|Better Generation]]'' (1991)
*''[[Lucky (Marty Balin album)|Lucky]]'' (1983)
*''[[There's No Shoulder]]'' (1983) <small>([[Extended play|EP]], Japan only)</small>
* ''[[Freedom Flight (album)|Freedom Flight]]'' (1997)
* ''[[Marty Balin Greatest Hits]]'' (1999) (All New Recordings)
*''[[Better Generation]]'' (1991)
* ''Marty Balin 2003'' (2003)
*''[[Freedom Flight (Marty Balin album)|Freedom Flight]]'' (1997)
*''[[Marty Balin Greatest Hits]]'' (1999) <small>(new recordings)</small>
* ''Nashville Sessions'' (2008)
* ''Nothin' 2 Lose'' (2009)
*''Marty Balin'' (2003)
* ''Time For Every Season'' (2009)
*''Nashville Sessions'' (2008)
*''Time for Every Season'' (2009)
;Compilation albums
* ''[[Balince]]'' (1990)
*''Blue Highway'' (2010)
*''The Witcher'' (2011)
* ''[[Wish I were]]'' (1995) (German - Beverly Records/ammc international)
* ''The Aviator - Lost Treasures'' (2005)
*''Good Memories'' (2015)
*''The Greatest Love'' (2016)
;with [[Jefferson Airplane]]
{{col-break}}
* ''[[Jefferson Airplane Takes Off]]'' (1966)
;with Bodacious DF
* ''[[Surrealistic Pillow]]'' (1967)
* ''[[After Bathing at Baxter's]]'' (1967)
*''[[Bodacious DF]]'' (1973)

* ''[[Crown of Creation]]'' (1968)
* ''[[Bless Its Pointed Little Head]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Volunteers (Jefferson Airplane album)|Volunteers]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Early Flight]]'' (1974)
* ''[[Jefferson Airplane (album)|Jefferson Airplane]]'' (1989)
;with [[Bodacious DF]]
* ''[[Bodacious DF (album)|Bodacious DF]]'' (1973)
;with [[Jefferson Starship]]
* ''[[Dragon Fly (album)|Dragon Fly]]'' (1974)
* ''[[Red Octopus]]'' (1975)
* ''[[Spitfire (Jefferson Starship album)|Spitfire]]'' (1976)
* ''[[Earth (Jefferson Starship album)|Earth]]'' (1978)
* ''[[Deep Space / Virgin Sky]]'' (1995)
* ''[[Windows of Heaven (album)|Windows of Heaven]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Across the Sea of Suns (album)|Across the Sea of Suns]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Jefferson's Tree of Liberty]]'' (2008)
;with [[KBC Band]]
;with [[KBC Band]]
* ''[[KBC Band (album)|KBC Band]]'' (1986)
*''[[KBC Band (album)|KBC Band]]'' (1986)

;compilations
*''[[Balince]]'' (1990)
*''Wish I Were'' (1995) <small>(Europe only)</small>
*''Mercy of the Moon: The Best of Marty Balin'' (2009)
*''Nothin' 2 Lose: The Lost Studio Recordings'' (2009)
*''415 Music: Rare Studio & Live Recordings 1980–82'' (2011)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.agreatertown.com/san_francisco_ca/marty_balin_415_music_album_promo_video_mp3_000399195|title=Marty Balin – 415 Music – Album Promo & Video [mp3] – Musicians – San Francisco, CA|website=Agreatertown.com|language=en-US|access-date=September 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110507005502/http://www.agreatertown.com/san_francisco_ca/marty_balin_415_music_album_promo_video_mp3_000399195|archive-date=May 7, 2011|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
{{col-end}}

===Solo singles===
{| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center;
|-
!rowspan="2"|Year
!rowspan="2"|Title
!colspan="3"|Peak chart<br />positions
!rowspan="2"|Record Label
!rowspan="2"|[[A-side and B-side|B-side]]
!rowspan="2"|Album
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
!align=centre| [[Billboard Hot 100|US]]
!align=centre| [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|AC]]
!align=centre| [[Mainstream Rock (chart)|Rock]]
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1962
|align=left| "Nobody but You"
| —
| —
| —
|rowspan="2"| [[Challenge Records (1950s)|Challenge Records]]
| "You Made Me Fall"
|rowspan="1"|
|-
|align=left| "You Are the One"
| —
| —
| —
| "I Specialize in Love"
|rowspan="1"|
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1981
|align=left| "[[Hearts (song)|Hearts]]"
| 8
| 9
| 20
|rowspan="4"| [[EMI America Records]]
| "Freeway"
|rowspan="2"| ''[[Balin (album)|Balin]]''
|-
|align=left| "[[Atlanta Lady (Something About Your Love)]]"
| 27
| 11
| —
| "Lydia!"
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1983
|align=left| "What Love Is"
| 63
| —
| —
| "Heart of Stone"
|rowspan="2"| ''[[Lucky (Marty Balin album)|Lucky]]''
|-
|align=left| "[[Do It for Love (Marty Balin song)|Do It for Love]]"
| 102
| 17
| —
| "Will You Forever"
|-
|}

;Other appearances
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!style="width:3em"|Year
!style="width:12em"|Album/single
!style="width:12em"|Artist
!class="unsortable"|Comment
|-
|1972
|''Grootna''
|Grootna
|producer
|-
|1977
|''Goodbye Blues''
|[[Country Joe McDonald]]
|vocals on "Blood on the Ice"
|-
|1978
|''Jesse Barish''
|rowspan="2"|Jesse Barish
|rowspan="2"|producer, vocals
|-
|rowspan="2"|1980
|''Mercury Shoes''
|-
|''Rock Justice''
|Various artists
|producer, co-writer
|-
|1993
|''Ships in the Forest''
|Kerry Kearney
|vocals on "Love Me Slow"
|-
|rowspan="2"|1994
|''Then And Now, Vol. 1''
|rowspan="2"|Various artists
|vocals on "It's No Secret" & "Summer of Love"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Various-Then-And-Now-Vol-1/release/1770267|title=Various – Then And Now Vol 1|website=Discogs|language=en-US|access-date=September 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027151722/https://www.discogs.com/Various-Then-And-Now-Vol-1/release/1770267|archive-date=October 27, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
|-
|''Then And Now, Vol. 2''
|vocals & guitar on "Always Tomorrow" & "Summer of Love"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Various-Then-And-Now-Vol-2/release/1784776|title=Various – Then And Now Vol 2|website=Discogs|language=en-US|access-date=September 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027151725/https://www.discogs.com/Various-Then-And-Now-Vol-2/release/1784776|archive-date=October 27, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
|-
|2010
|"Summer Rain"
|Brian Chris Band
|cameo in music video<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XtO4G48eS4|title=Brian Chris Band – Summer Rain (feat. Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane)|date=November 20, 2010 |publisher=YouTube|language=en-US|access-date=June 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013173211/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XtO4G48eS4|archive-date=October 13, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan="2"|2011
|"In the Sun"
|rowspan="2"|The Producers Heart and Soul
|rowspan="2"|vocals
|-
|"Let's Go"
|}


==References==
==References==
Line 71: Line 228:


==External links==
==External links==
{{sisterlinks|d=Q504658|c=Category:Marty Balin|n=no|m=no|mw=no|wikt=no|s=no|q=no|v=no|voy=no|b=no|species=no}}
*[http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:41t67ub0h0jf~T00 Allmusic: Marty Balin]
*{{Official website|http://martybalinmusic.com/}}
*[http://www.gotarevolution.com/ Got a Revolution: Jefferson Airplane biography by Jeff Tamarkin]
*{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p3620}}
*[http://www.takemetoacircustent.net Take Me To A Circus Tent: Jefferson Airplane Flight Manual by Craig Fenton]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071015043742/http://jeffersonairplane.com/marty.html Marty Balin] - JeffersonAirplane.com
*[http://www.famousinterview.ca/interviews/marty_balins.htm Interview with Balin]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070930155759/http://www.famousinterview.ca/interviews/marty_balins.htm Marty Balin Interview]
*[http://www.martybalin.net/ Official website]
* [https://millvalley.pastperfectonline.com/archive/B9D729F0-9776-47E4-B712-460425340549 Marty Balin] ([[Oral History]]), Mill Valley Public Library, 2017
*[http://jeffersonairplane.com/marty.html Balin at the Jefferson Airplane official website]
*Tamarkin, Jeff. [https://web.archive.org/web/20010718174622/http://www.gotarevolution.com/ Jefferson Airplane biography]
*Fenton, Craig. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070218232719/http://www.takemetoacircustent.net/index.php?pr=About_The_Book Jefferson Airplane biography]<!-- https://www.pr.com/press-release/26969 -->
*A.D. Amorosi. [https://variety.com/2018/music/news/marty-balin-jefferson-airplane-starship-songs-1202962296/ ''Marty Balin: 5 Songs''] [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] (September 29, 2018)
*{{Discogs artist}}


{{Marty Balin}}
{{Marty Balin|state=expanded}}
{{Jefferson Airplane}}
{{Jefferson Airplane}}
{{1996 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}
{{Jefferson Starship}}

{{Authority control}}


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| NAME =Balin, Marty
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| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH =January 30, 1942
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH =
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}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balin, Marty}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balin, Marty}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:American rock singers]]
[[Category:American rock singers]]
[[Category:Musicians from Cincinnati, Ohio]]
[[Category:Hot Tuna members]]
[[Category:Jefferson Airplane members]]
[[Category:Jefferson Airplane members]]
[[Category:Jefferson Starship members]]
[[Category:Jefferson Starship members]]
[[Category:Jewish American rock musicians]]
[[Category:Musicians from Cincinnati]]
[[Category:Psychedelic rock musicians]]
[[Category:Psychedelic rock musicians]]
[[Category:Songwriters from Ohio]]

[[Category:Challenge Records (1950s) artists]]
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[[de:Marty Balin]]
[[Category:American musicians with disabilities]]
[[es:Marty Balin]]
[[Category:Singers with disabilities]]
[[fr:Marty Balin]]
[[it:Marty Balin]]
[[he:מרטי באלין]]
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Latest revision as of 06:51, 22 November 2024

Marty Balin
Balin in 1976 with Jefferson Starship
Balin in 1976 with Jefferson Starship
Background information
Birth nameMartyn Jerel Buchwald
Born(1942-01-30)January 30, 1942
Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
DiedSeptember 27, 2018(2018-09-27) (aged 76)
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
GenresPsychedelic rock, folk rock, pop rock, soft rock, acid rock
Occupation(s)Musician, singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, bass guitar
Years active1962–2016
LabelsChallenge, EMI, RCA Victor, Grunt Records, GWE

Martyn Jerel Buchwald (January 30, 1942 – September 27, 2018), known as Marty Balin (/ˈbælɪn/), was an American singer, songwriter, and musician best known as a member of Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship.[1]

Early life

[edit]

Balin was born Martyn Jerel Buchwald in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of Catherine Eugenia "Jean" (née Talbot) and Joseph Buchwald.[2] His paternal grandparents emigrated from Eastern Europe. His father was Jewish and his mother was Episcopalian.[3] Buchwald attended Washington High School in San Francisco, California.[2] As a child, Balin was diagnosed with autism.[4][5]

Career

[edit]

Early musical work

[edit]

In 1962, Buchwald changed his name to Marty Balin,[2] and began recording with Challenge Records in Los Angeles, releasing the singles "Nobody but You" and "I Specialize in Love".[6] By 1964, Balin was leading a folk music quartet named The Town Criers.[2]

Jefferson Airplane

[edit]
Balin (far right) with Jefferson Airplane

Balin was the primary founder of Jefferson Airplane, which he "launched" from a restaurant-turned-club he created and named The Matrix,[2] and was also one of its lead vocalists and songwriters from 1965 to 1971. Balin was one of four Jewish members of the band, including bass player Jack Casady, drummer Spencer Dryden and guitarist Jorma Kaukonen.[7] In the group's 1966–1971 iteration, Balin served as co-lead vocalist alongside Grace Slick. Balin's songwriting output diminished after Surrealistic Pillow (1967) as Slick, Paul Kantner, and Kaukonen matured as songwriters, a process compounded by personality clashes. Balin's most enduring songwriting contributions were often imbued with a romantic, pop-oriented lilt that was atypical of the band's characteristic forays into psychedelic rock. Among Balin's most notable songs were "Comin' Back to Me" (a folk rock ballad later covered by Ritchie Havens and Rickie Lee Jones), "Today" (a collaboration with Kantner initially written on spec for Tony Bennett that was prominently covered by Tom Scott), and, again with Kantner, the topical 1969 top-100 hit "Volunteers". Although uncharacteristic of his oeuvre, the uptempo "3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds" and "Plastic Fantastic Lover" (both written for Surrealistic Pillow) remained integral components of the Airplane's live set throughout the late 1960s.[6][8]

Balin played with Jefferson Airplane at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and at the Woodstock Festival in 1969.[9]

In December 1969, Balin was knocked unconscious by members of the Hells Angels motorcycle club while performing during the infamous Altamont Free Concert, as seen in the 1970 documentary film Gimme Shelter.[10] In April 1971, he formally departed Jefferson Airplane[1] after breaking off all communication with his bandmates following the completion of their autumn 1970 American tour. He elaborated upon this decision in a 1993 interview with Jeff Tamarkin of Relix:[8]

I don't know, just Janis's death. That struck me. It was dark times. Everybody was doing so much drugs and I couldn't even talk to the band. I was into yoga at the time. I'd given up drinking and I was into totally different area, health foods and getting back to the streets, working with the American Indians. It was getting strange for me. Cocaine was a big deal in those days and I wasn't a cokie and I couldn't talk with everybody who had an answer for every goddamn thing, rationalizing everything that happened. I thought it made the music really tight and constrictive and ruined it. So after Janis died, I thought, I'm not gonna go onstage and play that kind of music; I don't like cocaine.

Balin remained active in the San Francisco Bay Area rock scene, managing and producing an album for the Berkeley-based sextet Grootna[11] before briefly joining funk-inflected hard rock ensemble Bodacious DF as lead vocalist on their eponymous 1973 debut album.[12] The following year, Kantner asked Balin to write a song for his new Airplane offshoot group, Jefferson Starship. Together, they wrote the early power ballad "Caroline", which appeared on the album Dragon Fly with Balin as guest lead vocalist.[6]

Jefferson Starship

[edit]

Rejoining the team he had helped to establish, Balin became a permanent member of Jefferson Starship in 1975; over the next three years, he contributed to and sang lead on four top-20 hits,[1] including "Miracles" (No. 3, a Balin original), "With Your Love" (No. 12, a collaboration between Balin, former Jefferson Airplane drummer Joey Covington, and former Grootna/Bodacious DF lead guitarist Vic Smith), Jesse Barish's "Count on Me" (No. 8), and N. Q. Dewey's "Runaway" (No. 12).[13][6] Ultimately, Balin's relationship with the band was beleaguered by interpersonal problems and his own reluctance toward live performances. He abruptly left the group in October 1978 shortly after Slick's departure from the band.[6]

Solo work, and reunion projects

[edit]

In 1979, Balin produced a rock opera titled Rock Justice,[14] about a rock star who was put in jail for failing to produce a hit for his record company, based on his experiences with the lawsuits fought for years with former Jefferson Airplane manager Matthew Katz.[6] The cast recording was produced by Balin, but it did not feature him in performance.

Balin performing at a concert in Hallandale, Florida

Balin continued with EMI as a solo artist and in 1981, he released his first solo album, Balin, featuring two Jesse Barish songs that became top-40 hits, "Hearts" (#8) and "Atlanta Lady (Something About Your Love)" (#27). In 1983, Balin released a second solo album, Lucky, along with a Japan-only EP produced by EMI called There's No Shoulder. Balin's contract with EMI ended shortly thereafter.[6]

In 1985, he teamed with former Jefferson Airplane members Paul Kantner and Jack Casady to form the KBC Band.[6] After the breakup of the KBC band, a 1989 reunion album and tour with Jefferson Airplane followed.[citation needed]

Balin continued recording solo albums in the years following the reunion, and reunited with Kantner in the latest incarnation of Jefferson Starship.[6]

Balin had intended to record lead vocals for two tracks for Jefferson Starship's album Jefferson's Tree of Liberty. However, his art touring schedule conflicted with studio sessions, and instead, the track "Maybe for You", from the German release of Windows of Heaven, was included.[15][16]

On July 2, 2007, the music-publishing firm Bicycle Music, Inc. announced that it had acquired an interest in songs written or performed by Balin, including hits from his days with Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship.[17]

Honors

[edit]

Balin, along with the other members of the 1966–1970 line-up of Jefferson Airplane, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.[18] As a member of Jefferson Airplane, he was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.[9]

Personal life

[edit]

Balin enjoyed painting all his life. He painted many of the most influential musicians of the last half of the 20th century. Marty Balin's Atelier was located at 130 King Fine Art in Saint Augustine, Florida, Balin's permanent signature collection gallery.[19]

Balin resided in Florida and San Francisco with his wife, Susan Joy Balin, formerly Susan Joy Finkelstein. Balin and Finkelstein had two daughters; Susan had previously had two other daughters.

Balin married Karen Deal in 1989. Karen died in 2010.[20]

Health and death

[edit]

While on tour in March 2016, Balin was taken to Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital in New York City after complaining of chest pains. After undergoing open-heart surgery, he was transferred to an intensive-care unit to spend time recovering. In a subsequent lawsuit, Balin alleged that neglect and inadequate care facilities on the hospital's part had resulted in a paralyzed vocal cord, loss of his left thumb and half of his tongue, bedsores, and kidney damage.[21]

Balin died at his home in Tampa on September 27, 2018, at the age of 76.[22]

Discography

[edit]
See also: Jefferson Airplane discography and Jefferson Starship discography

Solo singles

[edit]
Year Title Peak chart
positions 		Record Label B-side Album
US AC Rock
1962 "Nobody but You" — — — Challenge Records "You Made Me Fall"
"You Are the One" — — — "I Specialize in Love"
1981 "Hearts" 8 9 20 EMI America Records "Freeway" Balin
"Atlanta Lady (Something About Your Love)" 27 11 — "Lydia!"
1983 "What Love Is" 63 — — "Heart of Stone" Lucky
"Do It for Love" 102 17 — "Will You Forever"
Other appearances
Year Album/single Artist Comment
1972 Grootna Grootna producer
1977 Goodbye Blues Country Joe McDonald vocals on "Blood on the Ice"
1978 Jesse Barish Jesse Barish producer, vocals
1980 Mercury Shoes
Rock Justice Various artists producer, co-writer
1993 Ships in the Forest Kerry Kearney vocals on "Love Me Slow"
1994 Then And Now, Vol. 1 Various artists vocals on "It's No Secret" & "Summer of Love"[24]
Then And Now, Vol. 2 vocals & guitar on "Always Tomorrow" & "Summer of Love"[25]
2010 "Summer Rain" Brian Chris Band cameo in music video[26]
2011 "In the Sun" The Producers Heart and Soul vocals
"Let's Go"

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Pareles, Jon (September 29, 2018). "Marty Balin, a Founder of Jefferson Airplane, Dies at 76". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 30, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Randy (September 28, 2018). "Marty Balin, co-founder of Jefferson Airplane, dies at 76". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 29, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  3. ^ "Jefferson Airplane and The Jews". April 23, 2015. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  4. ^ Gladstone, Jerry (October 15, 2014). "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Marty Balin". Jerry Gladstone Success Blog. Retrieved May 8, 2021. First of all, I was diagnosed with autism as a child and struggled with it while growing up
  5. ^ "Marty Balin's Crusade of Love". Word Journeys. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Tamarakin, Jeff (2003). Got a Revolution: The Turbulent Flight of Jefferson Airplane. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-03403-0.
  7. ^ Friedman, Gabe (November 4, 2014). "10 Facts About Jewish California". The Forward. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Tamarkin, Jeff (April 1993). "The Jefferson Airplane Chronicles: Part Six, Marty Balin". Jeffersonairplane.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
  9. ^ a b Gast, Phil; Berlinger, Joshua. "Jefferson Airplane singer, co-founder Marty Balin dies". CNN. Archived from the original on September 29, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  10. ^ Italie, Hillel (September 29, 2018). "Marty Balin, founder of Jefferson Airplane, dies at 76". MySanAntonio.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  11. ^ Columbia 31033
  12. ^ APL1-0206
  13. ^ Billboard Magazine Charts
  14. ^ EMI America SWAK-17036
  15. ^ Jefferson's Tree of Liberty (CD booklet). Jefferson Starship. The Lab Records. 2008. 3020617382.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ New Jefferson Starship Album Of Formative Folk Treasures: Jefferson's Tree Of Liberty Archived June 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, top40-charts.com
  17. ^ "Catalog of Bicycle Music". Bicyclemusic.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2012.
  18. ^ "Jefferson Airplane". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
  19. ^ Balin, Marty. "Marty Balin-Bio". Marty Balin. Archived from the original on April 19, 2013. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  20. ^ "Marty Balin". Facebook.com. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  21. ^ DeGregory, Prescilla (August 17, 2018). "Jefferson Airplane singer details hospital nightmare in shocking lawsuit". New York Post. Archived from the original on August 18, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  22. ^ Greene, Andy (September 28, 2018). "Jefferson Airplane Co-Founder Marty Balin Dead at 76". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 30, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
  23. ^ "Marty Balin – 415 Music – Album Promo & Video [mp3] – Musicians – San Francisco, CA". Agreatertown.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2011. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  24. ^ "Various – Then And Now Vol 1". Discogs. Archived from the original on October 27, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  25. ^ "Various – Then And Now Vol 2". Discogs. Archived from the original on October 27, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  26. ^ "Brian Chris Band – Summer Rain (feat. Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane)". YouTube. November 20, 2010. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
[edit]
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