Jefferson Airplane drummer homeless

[Rictor]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...DG3A6NRB91.DTL

Former Airplane drummer struggles with hard times

Joel Selvin, Chronicle Senior Pop Music Critic Thursday, May 20, 2004


Spencer Dryden didn't feel the heat, but he heard what he thought sounded like kids shooting BBs at the house. Cooking a late lunch in his kitchen in September, he turned and looked down the hallway of his Petaluma home and saw the fire.

"The bedroom door from floor to ceiling was solid orange," he said. "I knew this was no wastebasket fire. This sucker was going up. That was it."

The BBs he thought he heard turned out to be his ammunition going off. Wrapped in a blanket on the tilted kitchen floor of the funky Sonoma County cottage where he now lives are the remains of two charred, cherished rifles, the barrels clotted and scorched, the stocks all but burned off.

"God knows what can be done with those," he said. "I imagine they're a total waste."

The onetime drummer for the Jefferson Airplane lost virtually everything he owned -- his gold albums, his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame award, all the posters he saved, his extensive photo and film archive including all the Super 8 home movies he took during the early days of the Airplane, his audio and video equipment, five computers, and all kinds of one-of-a-kind items like the huge painting done by Airplane vocalist Marty Balin that was a gift to Dryden from the band's original drummer, the late Skip Spence, or the Jefferson Airplane metal sculpture that used to hang above the entrance to the Fillmore Auditorium. There was no insurance. The Red Cross found him a hotel room.

"I'm not one of those boo-hoo kinds of people," said Dryden. "But you do realize, when all is said and done and you're sitting in a hotel room with nothing to do, you realize, well, I don't have much anymore."

Dryden, 66, also is dealing with some serious health problems. He underwent one hip replacement surgery and is awaiting a second. He hobbles around slowly with the aid of a cane. Hearing loss has left him nearly deaf. Doctors recently put Dryden in the hospital for heart trouble (a valve was discovered to be pumping backward) and he needs to have an operation for that, too. "The heart surgery is what scares me," he said.

He gets by on Social Security, disability payments and an occasional feeble royalty check. He hasn't really worked since he officially retired in 1995, although, truth be told, he wasn't working that much before then either.

"I'm gone," he said. "I'm out of it. I've left the building."

His friends have organized a benefit for Dryden on Saturday at Slim's. They're calling it a Barn Raiser, and it will include Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead; Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule, appearing with the Flying Other Brothers; Nick Gravenites and Friends; and David Nelson and Friends (Nelson used to play with Dryden in the New Riders of the Purple Sage after the drummer left the Airplane in 1970). A number of other associates -- including his bandmates from the Airplane -- have donated material for an EBay auction.

Dryden was playing rim shots behind comics and strippers at the Pink Pussycat on the Sunset Strip in 1966 when he received a call from the Jefferson Airplane's manager inviting him to audition. He joined the band in time to back the group's new vocalist, Grace Slick, on the Airplane's second album, "Surrealistic Pillow," which produced two Top 10 hits -- "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love" -- that vaulted the Airplane into the front ranks of the new rock bands of the day. The bolero beat he played underneath "White Rabbit" was novel for rock music. As a member of the Airplane, Dryden played the Monterey Pop Festival, Woodstock and Altamont, where he dropped LSD, got lost looking for the band after performing and ended up hitching a ride home from some concertgoers.

Sitting at his kitchen table covered with notepads, laptop and cell phones, he freshened his cranberry juice from a pint of vodka in the freezer without rising from his chair, and lit another cigarette. His eyes brimmed with tears as he talked about the benefit.

"I'm trying to think of what I'm going to say. I'll probably just be my sarcastic self. The last thing I want to do is turn all sentimental. But I've got to steel myself. I mean, my ex is coming out from Texas. Warren Haynes, Harvey Mandel and Bobby Weir -- I haven't talked to Bobby in 15 years -- I'm just blown away."

[stevecore]

He built his shelter on rock n' roll.

[tony286]

No excuse not to have insurance its not that expensive.

[dig420]

Sitting at his kitchen table covered with notepads, laptop and cell phones, he freshened his cranberry juice from a pint of vodka in the freezer without rising from his chair, and lit another cigarette. His eyes brimmed with tears as he talked about the benefit.
---------------

drunk, fuck him

[EviLGuY]

That sucks.. I dont have one of a kind irreplaceable items, but still I'd hate to see my place go up in flames, unless I needed the insurance money.

[fudpuck]

Why don't more people build insulated concrete houses?

[DreamCumTrue]

herm...

[DR_PHIL]

thats fucked up

[progex]

Another drunkard... Serves him right.

[LoriAnderson]

sad

[corvette]

Originally posted by stevecore
He built his shelter on rock n' roll.

HAHAHAHAHAHA

[Shoehorn!]

Damn, that really sucks. The Jefferson Airplane was one of the innovators of psychedelic rock.

[freeadultcontent]

Originally posted by tony404
No excuse not to have insurance its not that expensive.

You obviously have not seen how little social security and dissability pay, oh and those royalty checks would be deducted from the SSI checks at a 1.00 for every 2.00 recieved ratio.

Most people on SSI/dissability recieve less than 800.00 a month in California.

[basschick]

are you fucking serious?

insurance for someone his age with his health history would probably be more than his entire social security check each month.

i just ran a quote at kaiser. for insurance for his age, "Your quote is $799.00 a month for $1500 Deductible Plan". and that's if they'd insure someone with his hip and heart problems - which they probably would not. if they did, they might exclude those problems from his policy. and with no money at all, he'd have to pay $1500 as well.

Originally posted by tony404
No excuse not to have insurance its not that expensive.

[freeadultcontent]

Originally posted by basschick
are you fucking serious?

insurance for someone his age with his health history would probably be more than his entire social security check each month.

i just ran a quote at kaiser. for insurance for his age, "Your quote is $799.00 a month for $1500 Deductible Plan". and that's if they'd insure someone with his hip and heart problems - which they probably would not. if they did, they might exclude those problems from his policy. and with no money at all, he'd have to pay $1500 as well.

He would get medicare and medical so health insurance isnt to big of an issue.

Original poster was speaking about renters or homeowners insurance which often is still way to expensive for those on SS. Considering the value of the objects he owned he would be paying out the ass.

[freeadultcontent]

Oh forgot to mention that this bennifit will come out of his social security. Fucking nice eh?

So if they raise say 20,000.00 for him social security will stop his checks for some time and he could loose his medical.

Originally posted by basschick
are you fucking serious?

insurance for someone his age with his health history would probably be more than his entire social security check each month.

i just ran a quote at kaiser. for insurance for his age, "Your quote is $799.00 a month for $1500 Deductible Plan". and that's if they'd insure someone with his hip and heart problems - which they probably would not. if they did, they might exclude those problems from his policy. and with no money at all, he'd have to pay $1500 as well.

He needed fire insurance more than he needed health insurance. Fire insurance around here is like $30 a month. He's an idiot.

[Doc911]

I can't believe the people that are laughing and condeming this mans misfortune.

I hope when you home and life are destroyed the police and fire department say

" he built his life on porn. he deserved it "


Thats fucking sad. my prayers go out to him

Originally posted by Doc911
I can't believe the people that are laughing and condeming this mans misfortune.

I hope when you home and life are destroyed the police and fire department say

" he built his life on porn. he deserved it "


Thats fucking sad. my prayers go out to him

Ya, it's sad, but how can anyone that owns a home even consider not putting some sort of fire insurance on it? And according to that article, the guy retired when he was around 57, and not working much before that.

So he hasn't worked for the last decade and didn't have the sense to insure his house.

Sure, I feel sorry for him, but this is all his own doing.

[basschick]

medicare? my ex father in law went in the hospital on medicare - as soon as his benefits ran out, they sent him home, a 92 year old man with a catheter the day after he had prostate surgery. and he made a high salary while he worked.

if medicare won't pay for hospitalization after routine simple surgery, i wouldn't think it would pay for heart surgery and two hip replacements :-(

i hope the guy is all right - maybe he isn't the best planner, but i'll keep my fingers crossed. i hope he'll be okay - it's going to be rough for him.

[pushpills]

someone should kick this guy in the head

[dig420]

Originally posted by Doc911
I can't believe the people that are laughing and condeming this mans misfortune.

I hope when you home and life are destroyed the police and fire department say

" he built his life on porn. he deserved it "


Thats fucking sad. my prayers go out to him

anybody pulling vodka out of their freezer to 'freshen' their drink is more likely than not a miserable drunk. He chose to buy booze instead of insurance, or got drunk and irresponsibly lit his house on fire. I have no sympathy for drunks, I detest them.

[xxxjay]

no suprise there

[TweetyBird]

Originally posted by xxxjay
no suprise there

yup i guess so

[Doc911]

Originally posted by evildick
Ya, it's sad, but how can anyone that owns a home even consider not putting some sort of fire insurance on it? And according to that article, the guy retired when he was around 57, and not working much before that.

So he hasn't worked for the last decade and didn't have the sense to insure his house.

Sure, I feel sorry for him, but this is all his own doing.

He's on welfare. He is obviously unable to work. He's old for christs sake and you still belittling him.

Can't you you have a little compassion?

[HAPPYPEEKERS]

Originally posted by stevecore
He built his shelter on rock n' roll.

[Doc911]

Originally posted by dig420
anybody pulling vodka out of their freezer to 'freshen' their drink is more likely than not a miserable drunk. He chose to buy booze instead of insurance, or got drunk and irresponsibly lit his house on fire. I have no sympathy for drunks, I detest them.

Thats probably more glamor than truth for journalistic artistry.

who's fridge did he pull it out of?

not his own his fucking house burnt down!

If my whole life was sent up in flames I might want a drink as well.

[webmaster x]

Damn, he's situation sucks big time.

[Mr. Marks]

I hope he'll get through it. He has plenty of friends he can always ask for some kind of support.

Originally posted by Doc911
He's on welfare. He is obviously unable to work. He's old for christs sake and you still belittling him.

Can't you you have a little compassion?

No, sorry.

[Firehorse]

What a waste!

[tony286]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by basschick
are you fucking serious?

insurance for someone his age with his health history would probably be more than his entire social security check each month.

i just ran a quote at kaiser. for insurance for his age, "Your quote is $799.00 a month for $1500 Deductible Plan". and that's if they'd insure someone with his hip and heart problems - which they probably would not. if they did, they might exclude those problems from his policy. and with no money at all, he'd have to pay $1500 as well. [/QUOTE

I was talking about homeowners insurance lol.

[tony286]

Originally posted by Doc911
He's on welfare. He is obviously unable to work. He's old for christs sake and you still belittling him.

Can't you you have a little compassion?

He couldnt give drum lessons?