Marty Balin

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Marty Balin
Background information
Birth name	Martyn Jerel Buchwald
Born	January 30, 1942 (age 65)
Origin	Cincinnati, Ohio
Genre(s)	rock
Occupation(s)	singer
Instrument(s)	vocals
Years active	1965-present
Associated acts	Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship

Marty Balin (born Martyn Jerel Buchwald, January 30, 1942, in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American musician. He is best known as the lead singer and founder of Jefferson Airplane, the pioneering psychedelic rock band from San Francisco.

Balin was a featured vocalist for Jefferson Airplane during the late 1960s, concurrent with the band's most popular era. He appeared with the group during their performance at Woodstock in 1969, and less successfully at the disastrous Altamont Speedway concert, where he was knocked unconscious while on stage by a biker from the Hells Angels gang (this event was captured on film in the documentary Gimme Shelter).

Balin left Jefferson Airplane twice. In 1970, he departed for three years, returning to contribute one song to Dragon Fly (by which time the band was known as Jefferson Starship). In late 1978, after several major hits (including "Miracles," "With Your Love," "Count on Me," and "Runaway") with Starship, Balin again departed.

In 1981, he released a solo album, Balin, featuring two Top 40 hits, "Hearts" and "Atlanta Lady." In 1986, he teamed up with Paul Kantner and Jack Casady to form the KBC Band. A 1989 reunion with most original members of Jefferson Airplane proved unsuccessful.

In 1991 Balin reunited with Kantner in Jefferson Starship The Next Generation.

As of 2007 Balin continues to perform with Jefferson Starship TNG, the fourth incarnation of the band. He is also an accomplished painter.^{[citation needed]}

Back in 1963-64 Balin led a folk music quartet called The Town Criers. The three other members were Larry Vargo, Jan Ellickson and Bill Collins.