Jefferson Airplane member's journey from San Fran to Meigs

by Chas J. Hartman
THE POST

Jorma Kaukonen achieved rock 'n roll stardom with Jefferson Airplane in the 1960s, but he now resides in nearby Meigs County.

Kaukonen was born and raised in Washington, D.C., and his family cherished music. For a while, Kaukonen took piano lessons, but by the time he graduated high school in 1959, things had changed. After being exposed to gospel, rockabilly and country music, Kaukonen settled on blues guitar.

"My father had a secretary in the department of labor, and one weekend, we all went camping," Kaukonen said. "She pulled out an acoustic guitar and I flipped. Eventually, I found a guy in high school that taught me basic guitar playing."

The beatnik generation attracted Kaukonen to California, but his journey to San Francisco took a while.

"My parents moved to the Philippines and I went to Atneo College for a while, but dropped out," Kaukonen said. "I applied to the University of San Francisco, but got into Santa Clara University. Within weeks of moving to California, I met Jerry Garcia and Janis Joplin at a hootenanny."

Joplin provided Kaukonen with an excellent chance to establish himself as a local guitarist.

"Every now and then, she would need a backup and give me a call," Kaukonen said. "I got my first solo date at The Tangent in Palo Alto, because Janis backed out of the gig."

Kaukonen moved to San Francisco in 1965, and guitarist Paul Kantner asked him to join the fledgling band Jefferson Airplane. At the time, there was a great music revolution taking place in Southern California. Kantner's invitation became a grand opportunity for Kaukonen to learn the ins and outs of the music industry.

"I learned the electric guitar on the job," Kaukonen said. "We all wanted to be stars in some way, but could have never foreseen what happened in San Francisco."

When Jefferson Airplane signed a major label contract in 1965, it was one of the first bands in San Francisco to get a deal. The band went through a number of auditions, including one at Phil Spector's house, but eventually received a $20,000 advance with the record deal. Overnight, Jefferson Airplane went from being a local bar band to a major label act.

Along with the music of the time, many musicians of the psychedelic era became dependent on drugs and alcohol.

"I don't drink or do drugs anymore, but I certainly did my share," Kaukonen said. "You have to understand that there was a huge cultural revolution going on at the time. It gave the identity of an us against them kind of thing."

Jefferson Airplane's first album with mysterious lead singer Grace Slick, ••Surrealistic Pillow••, gave the band an enormous hit with "Somebody To Love." That song, along with "White Rabbit," helped propel Jefferson Airplane into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Two years after the release of ••Surrealistic Pillow••, the band played at the 1969 Woodstock festival.

In 1972, Kaukonen quit Jefferson Airplane and made the band Hot Tuna his full-time project. Jefferson Airplane became Jefferson Starship, then finally just Starship during the 1980s. Starship's poppy hit "We Built This City" featured a stark contrast to the more experimental, soulful rock 'n roll of Jefferson Airplane.

When asked if could have ever seen himself playing something as commercial and keyboard-driven as "We Built This City," Kaukonen simply replied "No, I don't."

Nowadays, Kaukonen occasionally partakes in solo tours and short jaunts with Hot Tuna. The main focus of his efforts in Southeast Ohio is The Fur Peace Ranch, which he established in 1998. The Fur Peace Ranch (www.furpeaceranch.com) represents the culmination of his desires to foster the development of beginner musicians.

"I like to give back what was so freely given to me over the years," Kaukonen said.

Directions to The Fur Peace Ranch can be found at the official Web site. Also, be on the lookout for advertisements about upcoming guitar clinics and performances from Kaukonen and other accomplished musicians. In the future, Kaukonen plans to build a 250-seat theater at the ranch.