Singer/songwriter Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane first saw him in the crowd from the stage at The Matrix in San Francisco back in 1965. The Airplane was in the midst of dismissing their present drummer and he needed someone to fill the spot and keep time for his band, who had yet to take flight. To Balin, he had such an unusual look, moddish-shag haircut and mutton chop sideburns. Spence, who had very little drumming experience but had jammed with The Quicksilver Messenger Service previously, was sent home with a pair of drumsticks and told to practice. The Airplane needed someone to play drums on their upcoming first album, Jefferson Airplane Takes Off. The sessions went swimmingly and the band’s path was seemingly set.

After the sessions were complete, RCA booked the band to tour and promote the album. Unannounced, Spence split to Mexico with a couple of girlfriends. Members of the Airplane searched for him, but alas he wasn’t around. He wasn’t even in the country. Needless to say, a replacement came in the form of Spencer Dryden and he went on to fill the role. This was a sign of things to come in the unfortunate and bizarre story of Alexander “Skip” Spence. READ ON for more about Skip Spence…

Deaths always come in threes, don’t they? This was certainly the case with three of the most prominent blues-rock artists of the ’60s. Janis Joplin, 27, had just been found in her hotel room at the Landmark Motor Hotel; her Southern Comfort-soaked voice silenced. Jimi Hendrix – also 27 – whose timeless electro-blues licks were already legendary, had suspiciously choked to death two weeks prior. Sadly, beating both to the great beyond was another 27-year-old blues-rock musician, Alan “The Blind Owl” Wilson of the band Canned Heat who died exactly two weeks before Jimi on September 3.

You may ask, who is the this person I deign categorize with these two legends? “The Blind Owl” was a different breed altogether. He wasn’t the showman that the other two were, nor did he strive to be, but his dedication, love and commitment to the blues was every bit as strong. Time hasn’t been as kind to him as it has been to others of the era who passed before their time. In this day and age he’s largely forgotten.

READ ON to find out more about “The Blind Owl”…