Now buckle up, today I feel for a long one here 
Paul Kantner and Signe Toly Anderson, two of the co-founders of the iconic US band Jefferson Airplane, were both born in 1941, respectively in March and September. As fate would have it, they passed away on the same day, nine years ago today. Signe passed just a few hous after Paul. They were both 75 years old.
About Singe Anderson, she was only part of the band for their debut album Jefferson Airplane Takes Off (1966), which is a little more folky sounding than the psychedelia Airplane is best known for. After having a child she quit the band in late 1966.
After Airplane Signe Anderson did a bit of singing through the years, then in more local bands. Unfortunately she she also faced some health problems in the mid-1970’s (cancer) and then again in the 90’s (broken neck and bypass surgery). This did not stop her from guest appearances with various incarnations of the musicians she started out with, including Jefferson Starship and KCB Band.
To Signe Anderson’s memory, I’ll let Jorma Kaukonen have the last word. When she passed, he wrote this: “Signe was one of the strongest people I have ever met. She was our den mother in the early days of the Airplane…a voice of reason on more occasions than one… an important member of our dysfunctional little family.”
Jefferson Airplane - Chauffeur Blues (live 1966)
Paul Kantner is a whole other story. He was active all along, first as secondary guitarist and singer, and one of the songwriters in Airplane. When they fell apart in the early 70’s, he got involved in various collaborations, among others the excellent album Sunfighter (1971) with Grace Slick. Then the band was revived in the mid-70’s as Jefferson Starship.
After Paul Kantner quit the band (who went on as Starship) in 1984, he formed the short lived KCB Band, along with Marty Balin and Jack Casady. There was even a full reunion of Jefferson Airplane around 1990, which resulted in an album and a tour. In 1992 Paul Kantner revived Jefferson Starship, and performed there more or less up until his death.
To Paul Kantner’s memory I’ve found one of his songs from Jefferson Starship’s fine 1975 album Red Octopus. Here’s to Paul Kantner - I Want To See Another World.
Jefferson Starship - I Want To See Another World
While we’re at it, here’s Signe and Paul together in 1993. For a short while Signe Anderson was actually the female singer in the revived Jefferson Airplane, before her health got the best of her.
Jefferson Starship - High Flyin’ Bird
If anyone did read all this, you are my friend 
I’ll close this post with a quote from Signe, taken from her farewell concert with Airplane back in October 1966 - “I want you all to wear smiles and daisies and box balloons. I love you all. Thank you and goodbye.”
