Jefferson Starship without Kantner?

In the past couple of months Paul Kantner has been sidelined due to a heart ailment and Jefferson Starship has continued to tour without him (with his blessing of course). This leave David Frieberg as the only member of Jefferson Airplane and the original incarnation of Jefferson Starship in the lineup for the current tour. Donnie Baldwin is on the tour and he is a JS member who joined in 1982 and was also in Starship in the late eighties.
It has got me wondering what happens when PK finally gets to the point he can no longer tour or passes away. Will the younger members continue to tour as JS (and will they be allowed to) or will the Mickey Thomas's Starship group then become the "most legit" version of the old band still active? Of course Kantner says he will be rejoining the group later this year after a rest period so maybe this isn't an imminent worry but at his age I know his job of captaining this group is nearing it's end.

 

Well if Mickey is literally the last person playing, then yeah, MT's 'Starship' will become the "most legit".
Tho the "Jefferson Starship" was formed as an aftermath of the 'Airplane' sooooo... who ever is left as the 'Starship' is the 'Starship'.

Everyone, especially the band members, are going too make their own judgment tho on whether the 'Starship' can still 'fly' or not.

 

Yeah

Yeah, Even WITH Kantner out of the tour the current JS still has Frieberg and Baldwin which is twice what Mickey's group has

 

There's no one left from the original airplane in either version after kantner stops playing. at least frieberg was in the airplane in their later days. I saw them with him in 1972. I never thought mickey had any place with starship. In the first tour with him in 1979 we walked out early due to him at a show in ny.

 

Yeah Mick really changed the dynamic of the band but Freedom at Ground Zero was still a really good album imo.
Frieberg has earned my respect and I consider him a JA member even though he joined at the very end of the band but PK to me is, was and always will be the spirit of both groups. I do hope he is able to return in good health soon.

 

I love the band, either way. Red Octopus, on.

 

Given that "Starship" and Jefferson Airplane released separate albums during the same year, I think it's safe to say they are different groups. I know the changes were evolutionary, but by that time it was like Yes and Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman Howe.

 

Yeah 1989 they sure did. I always consider Kantner's group the "real deal" when it comes to JS. It would be nice if he and Mickey made up at some point while both are still with us but I reckon that is highly unlikely.

 

I am sure this is just temporary until he recovers. Many time tours are booked many months in advance so perhaps they are just honoring those until PK is back in the fold.

 

It ain't the true Jefferson without Paul.

 

After a band goes through that many incarnations I doubt the lineup even matters.
They are a rock era act, and old. It isn't like they are going to be churning out albums, rock era music just doesn't have the mass appeal it once did.
So I am thinking, like many rock acts, they still exist more for the nostalgic experience and to do music that has stood the test of time. Not for doing new things.

 

Sadly the topic of this thread has came to pass
Jefferson Starship said on their FB page they plan to continue to "Carry the fire" and actually performed a couple shows in Minnesota following Paul's death. Strange situation the group is now in. They are left with one late Jefferson Airplane/original Jefferson Starship member in David Freiberg The drummer from their early eighties incarnation in Donnie Baldwin, Chris Smith on bass and keys, One hell of a guitarist in Jude Gold and a brand new young female singer in Rachel Rose. Should they keep their word and carry on as JS now might be the time to move forward and record new music for the first time since 2008. A new album would have to rely heavily on Rachel's magnificent vocals. Whether this will ever happen or not is all up in the air but a good thing for fans like myself to daydream about.

 

It's often a tough call when a band is still touring and playing hits they had decades ago. Sure, many of the members that were on those hits are no longer in the band but some of the current members may have been with the band much longer than the original members. What rights do they have? I saw Starship and Boston this past summer and both bands sounded great.

 

Never considered Starship a real Kantner band. A little too polished power pop...

 

What rights do they have is the sticker I believe. As I understand it Kantner had the rights to the group name for "the remainder of his life" with Grace Slick also holding rights. Where they will go from here on I have no idea.

 

I caught them two years ago while Kantner was sidelined due to illness and they put on a great show. I think the key was that they had Cathy Richardson on vocals and she was an excellent singer who could also play Paul's parts on rhythm guitar.

I have no idea how Rachel Rose sounds or how she fits in.

 

Who owns the name?

 

Wow I had no idea that any version of the band still toured.

 

Two version still tour and occasionally record. Jefferson Starship formerly led by Paul Kantner and now by David Freiberg and Starship Featuring Mickey Thomas.

 

I did find a recent clip from last weekend. Freiberg on vocals for Jane. It looks like Cathy is guesting, with a new rhythm guitar player and female vocalist.

 

When Paul left Starship in the 1984 period he filed suit to keep 'Jefferson' off the name on Starship's We Built This City. I think the out-of-court settlement was something like no band can tour as Jefferson Auirplane without Grace and Paul, and Paul had to be in - or give his blessing to - any band called Jefferson Starship

 

Another one. Now I'm not sure if Cathy is in the band or not. She announced she was leaving on Facebook a few months ago.

 

Most folks aren't looking for high art or authenticity, all they want is nice night out with a many headed jukebox that also sells t-shirts. Commerce rolls on.

 

Marty Balin owns the name Jefferson Airplane. Paul Kantner owns Jefferson Starship. Mickey Thomas owns Starship.

 

She has gone solo but with the passing of PK she is back for now to help her bandmates out. Her replacement is a 25 year old singer named Rachel Rose who has a killer voice.