John Barbata, historic session drummer in the '60s and '70s, has died at the age of 79. Jefferson Starship's social networks broke the news: «We are sad to learn of the death of the great John Barbata, the drummer of the original Jefferson Starship lineup. Our thoughts go out to his family, friends and fans.”
Barbata, in addition to being a member of Jefferson Starship from 1974 to 1979, was part of the Sentinals (from '61 to '65), the Turtles (from '66 to '69), becoming a session player for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (from '70 to '72) and Jefferson Airplane (in the two-year period '72-'73). Barbata retired from the stage at 33, after a period with Jefferson Starship, to dedicate himself to studio life.
Jefferson Airplane also paid tribute to the drummer: «Known for his exceptional talent, John left his mark on the world of music playing with projects such as the Turtles, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship. In '72, during a break in Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, David Crosby introduced John to the Airplane who immediately took him into the band. You can hear John's drumming skills on the band's latest album, Long Live John Silverand on the live album Thirty Seconds Over Winterland».
As told by the musician himself in a 2014 interview, Barbata rejected the proposal to join the Eagles: «David Geffen came to me and said: “There is a new group that is forming and they would like you with them. They are called Eagles.” And I replied: “But who are the Eagles? I've never heard of them.” In 2005 Barbata published a memoir entitled, The Legendary Life of a Rock Star Drummer.