October 30

Grace Barnett Wing's Birthday

Grace Slick (nee Wing) was best known as the lead singer of Jefferson Airplane, and its reincarnations as Jefferson Starship, and Starship, as well as "The Acid" Queen " for her penchant for LSD and for her failed attempt to spike President Richard Nixon's tea with 600 micrograms of LSD at a White House Party to which she was invited by Nixon's daughter Patricia. Patricia invited Grace and other alumnae from Finch College. to a White House Tea/ The LSD plan might have worked if Grace didn't invite Abbie Hoffman to be her escort, Abbie was one of the notorious "Chicago Eight" who tried for conspiracy during 1968 Democratic National Convention.The FBI recognized Abbie immediately during the guest screening for the tea party and he and Grace were prevented from entering and their plan to make the event the Mad Hatter's Tea Party was foiled. Grace was immediately put on the FBI's Black List to keep company with Abbie who had been one of the more prominent members.

Grace started out as a floor model at the I. Magnin department store in San Francisco. When she went to a gig by local rock group called Jefferson Airplane, she decided to become a musician, and later explained, “I realized they made more for two hours than I made in a week, and they had a lot more fun.” Grace and her husband Jerry formed The Great Society, one of the many burgeoning Bay Area acid rock bands, and which soon became one of the most popular bands in San Francisco. However, when she was invited to join Jefferson Airplane, she left The Great Society immediately and made rock history with her powerful jackhammer vibrato contralto vocals.
Grace slept with every member of Jefferson Airplane/Starship except Marty Balin, and with many other tock band stars including Jim Morrison. She had a daughter with Jefferson Airplane guitarist Paul Kantner. and once recalled about why she had sex with Jefferson's bassist Jack Casady whom Grace remembered as."short and a bit nerdy--but moose meat down there, and amazing in bed."

Grace often appeared to be high either on drugs and/or liquor and was arrested three times for DUI and once for assault with a deadly weapon after pointing an unloaded gun at a police officer. She was nominated for a Grammy award in 1980 as Best Rock Female Vocalist for her solo album Dreams.was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 (as a member of Jefferson Airplane),and was ranked number 20 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll.

After retiring from the music scene, Grace began a somewhat notable career in art and her work is exhibited in many galleries across the United States. So to celebrate Grace's birthday, we suggest making some chicken with slick dumplings and watching her in Airplay: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio (2008) .

Chicken with Slick Dumplings

Ingredients

4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken meat
2 small carrots, sliced
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 Irish potatoes, cubed
5 small onions
5 cups water
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

1 bay leaf
3 stalks celery tops
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
4 TB rendered chicken fat

Instructions

1. Place chicken in a large pot. Add salt and pepper, a dash of cayenne, a bay leaf, and a handful of celery tops.
    Cover with water, and  cook until done. Discard bay leaf. Add vegetables, and continue cooking until vegetables
    are nearly done.
2, Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Mix together flour, 1/2 tsp salt, baking powder, chicken fat. Mix in enough
    water to make a stiff dough. Divide dough into three parts. Roll out, and cut into squares.
3. Add 1/3 dumplings to simmering chicken, and cook 5 minutes. Add another third, and cook 5 minutes more.
    Add the remaining third and cook 5 minutes longer. Serve.