Grace Slick is a well-known American singer-songwriter and musician who rose to fame as Jefferson Airplane’s lead vocalist. Slick’s music has inspired generations of listeners thanks to her strong voice and captivating performances throughout the counterculture era of the 1960s.

Through her music and other business endeavors, Slick has amassed a considerable fortune over the course of her career. In this post, we’ll take a look at Grace Slick’s wealth, discussing the various causes that have led to her success financially.

The Early Life of Grace Slick

The Early Life of Grace Slick

Grace Slick was born Grace Barnett Wing on October 30th, 1939 in Highland Park, Illinois. Her parents’ heritage included both Scandinavian countries. She spent her early years in the wealthy Chicago suburb of Highland Park with her younger brother.

However, her father was an investment banker who was frequently transferred between corporate branches, so the family moved around a lot while she was growing up. She had previously called the Los Angeles region, San Francisco, and the greater Chicago area home before enrolling in high school.

She attended Palo Alto Senior High for a semester before transferring to the private, all-girls Castilleja School when the family relocated to California.

She moved to New York after finishing high school and attended Finch University. In 1958, she left Finch for Coral Gables, Florida, where she spent a year studying at the University of Miami. In 1961, she wed Gerald Slick, an ambitious director, and the pair settled in San Francisco. She started writing music and modeling in California for I. Magnin & Company stores.

What Is Grace Slick’s Net Worth?

Grace Slick’s net worth is estimated to be around $20 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. However, other sources such as The Richest estimate her net worth to be as high as $30 million. Much of her wealth has come from her successful music career, particularly her time as the lead singer of Jefferson Airplane and its later incarnation, Jefferson Starship.

Slick also made money through her songwriting royalties, as many of her compositions have been covered by other artists over the years. In addition to her music career, Slick has also been involved in various business ventures, such as selling her artwork and investing in real estate.

Despite being retired from the music industry, Slick’s net worth continues to grow thanks to the ongoing popularity of her music and her iconic status as a counterculture icon.

Grace Slick’s Music Career

Grace Slick's Music Career

In 1965, after reading an article about the formation of the band Jefferson Airplane, Grace Slick contemplated a career in the music industry. Soon after, she and her husband, who played drums, their brother Darby Slick (who also played guitar), and David Miner (who played bass) created a band they called The Great Society.

Shortly after the group’s debut performance, she composed the trippy song “White Rabbit.” It’s been said that she spent about half an hour writing the lyrics, which describe a hallucinatory experience she had while high on drugs. Slick admits that “Alice in Wonderland” was an influential work because she read it frequently as a child.

The group wrote the song “Somebody to Love,” which Jefferson Airplane later made famous. Grace joined Jerry Slick and the rest of the band as they explored the raga style of music that was influenced by India, staying with them until a better chance presented itself.

After a vocalist left Jefferson Airplane in the fall of 1996, Jack Casady approached Slick about becoming the new lead singer. Later that year, she began recording with The Great Society despite her dissatisfaction with the band’s management.

Jefferson Airplane’s “Surrealistic Pillow” Album Overview

Jefferson Airplane's "Surrealistic Pillow" Album Overview

Jefferson Airplane’s “Surrealistic Pillow” was their second studio album, released in February of 1967, and it featured new members Grace Slick and drummer Spencer Dryden. Both “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit” were number-one singles, and the album itself was a critical and commercial success.

The former reached the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the latter reached the top 8 there. The record is still considered a landmark of the psychedelic rock movement.

Critics at the time hailed their combination of folk and psychedelic funk as groundbreaking. On Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, it debuted at #471 in 2020.

Grace Slick’s Personal Life: Relationships, Marriage, and Divorce

Grace Slick's Personal Life

Slick left the music industry when the Jefferson Airplane reunion tour was over. Later, she claimed that the reason was that she felt simply too old to lead the lifestyle. Her first marriage, which lasted from 1967 to 1961, was to filmmaker and later musician Jerry Slick.

She had a relationship with her Jefferson Airplane bandmate Paul Kantner during her first and second marriage at which time they had a daughter in 1971. Later, in 1967, she wed lighting director Skip Johnson; the two later divorced in 1994.

She has spoken openly about her background and prior issues with substance misuse. Her drinking caused problems while she was on tour, especially with Jefferson Starship. She gave her approval for a biography about her to be written in 1980, titled “Grace Slick: The Biography.”

Grace Slick’s Lavish Malibu Estate: A Look Inside

Grace Slick has been a long-time resident of Mill Valley, in Marin County north of San Francisco. Her childhood house was destroyed by fire in September 1993. It was eventually revealed that county personnel were conducting a controlled burn that got out of hand and started the fire.

She sued the county and received a settlement that allowed her to purchase a home in Malibu. In 1996, she forked over $960,000 to purchase the 2-acre Malibu estate. The current value of the home is between $4 and $5 million. In 1995, she made a $650,000 profit from the sale of her Mill Valley home.

The Rise and Success of Jefferson Starship

Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen both departed in 1970. The surviving band members quickly came together to form Jefferson Starship. In the fall of 1974, Jefferson Starship released their first album, titled “Dragon Fly.” That album really took off. It reached number eleven on the Billboard 200 album chart and was certified gold three months after its initial release.

The Rise and Success of Jefferson Starship

In the summer of 1975, the band unveiled their second album, titled “Red Octopus.” The album hit the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart. From this album came the hit single “Miracles,” which reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the moderately successful “Play on Love,” which reached #49. The album “Spitfire,” which they released in 1976, reached position three on the Billboard charts.

After the success of “Spitfire,” they opted not to go on tour and instead released their fourth album, “Earth,” in 1978. It fared as well commercially and critically as the others. After an absence of three years, Slick returned to the band for the 1981 release of “Modern Times,” their fifth studio album.

She stayed with the band for two more albums. Two singles from 1982’s “Winds of Change” album reached the Top 40. They split up after 1984’s “Nuclear Furniture” album release, though guitarist Earl Slick and two others continued under the moniker Starship.

After Slick’s departure from Starship in 1988, Jefferson Airplane reunited the following year for a tour. She released a number of solo recordings in addition to her work with Jefferson Airplane and its offshoots. She first published “Manhole” in 1974, then “Dreams” in 1980, and “Welcome to the Wrecking Ball!” the following year.

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Conclusion

Grace Slick, the lead vocalist of Jefferson Airplane, has a net worth estimated to be around $20-30 million, earned through her music career, songwriting royalties, and business ventures.

Her iconic status as a counterculture icon has contributed to her ongoing popularity, and her music continues to inspire generations. Slick’s personal life included two marriages, a daughter with bandmate Paul Kantner, and struggles with substance misuse. She currently lives in Mill Valley and owns a lavish Malibu estate.

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