Martyn Jerel Buchwald (January 30, 1942 – September 27, 2018), known as Marty Balin (), was an American singer, songwriter, and musician best known as a member of
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American Rock music, rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1965. One of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the San Francisco Bay Area, ...
and
Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1974 by a group of musicians including former members of Jefferson Airplane. Between 1974 and 1984, they released eight RIAA certification, gold or Music rec ...
.
Early life
Balin was born Martyn Jerel Buchwald in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of Catherine Eugenia "Jean" (née Talbot) and Joseph Buchwald.
His paternal grandparents emigrated from Eastern Europe. His father was
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
and his mother was
Episcopalian. Buchwald attended
Washington High School in
San Francisco, California
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
.
As a child, Balin was diagnosed with
autism
Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...
.
Career
Early musical work
In 1962, Buchwald changed his name to Marty Balin,
and began recording with
Challenge Records in Los Angeles, releasing the singles "Nobody but You" and "I Specialize in Love".
By 1964, Balin was leading a folk music quartet named The Town Criers.
Jefferson Airplane

Balin was the primary founder of Jefferson Airplane, which he "launched" from a restaurant-turned-club he created and named
The Matrix
''The Matrix'' is a 1999 science fiction film, science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the first installment in the The Matrix (franchise), ''Matrix'' film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Ca ...
,
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. 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
Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
. Among Balin's most notable songs were "
Comin' Back to Me" (a
folk rock
Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...
ballad later covered by
Ritchie Havens and
Rickie Lee Jones
Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. Over the course of a career that spans five decades and 15 studio albums, she has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, pop, soul, an ...
), "
Today" (a collaboration with Kantner initially written on spec for
Tony Bennett
Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...
that was prominently covered by
Tom Scott), and, again with Kantner, the topical 1969 top-100 hit "
Volunteers
Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergenc ...
". 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.
Balin played with Jefferson Airplane at the
Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and at the
Woodstock Festival
The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. Billed as "a ...
in 1969.
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''. In April 1971, he formally departed Jefferson Airplane
[ 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:'']
Balin remained active in the San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...
rock scene, managing and producing an album for the Berkeley-based sextet Grootna before briefly joining funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
-inflected hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
ensemble Bodacious DF as lead vocalist on their eponymous 1973 debut album. The following year, Kantner asked Balin to write a song for his new Airplane offshoot group, Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1974 by a group of musicians including former members of Jefferson Airplane. Between 1974 and 1984, they released eight RIAA certification, gold or Music rec ...
. Together, they wrote the early power ballad
A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner. Balla ...
"Caroline", which appeared on the album '' Dragon Fly'' with Balin as guest lead vocalist.
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,[ 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).] 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.
Solo work, and reunion projects
In 1979, Balin produced a rock opera titled ''Rock Justice'', 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. The cast recording was produced by Balin, but it did not feature him in performance.
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.
In 1985, he teamed with former Jefferson Airplane members Paul Kantner and Jack Casady to form the KBC Band. After the breakup of the KBC band, a 1989 reunion album and tour with Jefferson Airplane followed.
Balin continued recording solo albums in the years following the reunion, and reunited with Kantner in the latest incarnation of Jefferson Starship.
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.
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.
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
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
in 1996. As a member of Jefferson Airplane, he was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achiev ...
in 2016.
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.
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.
Health and death
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.
Balin died at his home in Tampa on September 27, 2018, at the age of 76.
Discography
*'' Balin'' (1981)
*'' Lucky'' (1983)
*'' There's No Shoulder'' (1983) ( EP, Japan only)
*'' Better Generation'' (1991)
*'' Freedom Flight'' (1997)
*'' Marty Balin Greatest Hits'' (1999) (new recordings)
*''Marty Balin'' (2003)
*''Nashville Sessions'' (2008)
*''Time for Every Season'' (2009)
*''Blue Highway'' (2010)
*''The Witcher'' (2011)
*''Good Memories'' (2015)
*''The Greatest Love'' (2016)
;with Bodacious DF
*'' Bodacious DF'' (1973)
;with KBC Band
*'' KBC Band'' (1986)
;compilations
*'' Balince'' (1990)
*''Wish I Were'' (1995) (Europe only)
*''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)
Solo singles
;Other appearances
References
External links
*
*
Marty Balin
- JeffersonAirplane.com
Marty Balin
(Oral History
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information from
people, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people who pa ...
), Mill Valley Public Library, 2017
*Tamarkin, Jeff
Jefferson Airplane biography
*Fenton, Craig
Jefferson Airplane biography
!-- https://www.pr.com/press-release/26969 -->
*A.D. Amorosi
''Marty Balin: 5 Songs''
Variety (September 29, 2018)
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balin, Marty
1942 births
2018 deaths
American male singers
American rock singers
Hot Tuna members
Jefferson Airplane members
Jefferson Starship members
Musicians from Cincinnati
Psychedelic rock musicians
Songwriters from Ohio
Challenge Records (1950s) artists
Autistic musicians
American musicians with disabilities
Singers with disabilities