# Marty Balin > American singer, songwriter, and musician (1942–2018) **Wikidata**: [Q504658](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q504658) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marty_Balin) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/marty-balin ## Summary Marty Balin (born Martyn J. Buchwald) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician whose career spanned from 1962 to 2018. He is best known as a founding member and vocalist of Jefferson Airplane, the pioneering psychedelic rock band formed in 1965, and later as a member of Jefferson Starship, established in 1974. His work helped define the sound of psychedelic rock, acid rock, folk rock, pop rock, and soft rock across more than five decades of performance and recording. ## Biography - **Born:** 1942 (United States) - **Died:** 2018 - **Nationality:** United States - **Aliases:** Martyn J. Buchwald - **Known for:** Singer-songwriter and guitarist; founding member of Jefferson Airplane and member of Jefferson Starship - **Field(s):** Psychedelic rock, acid rock, folk rock, pop rock, soft rock - **Work Period:** 1962–2018 - **Website:** http://www.martybalin.net ## Contributions Marty Balin contributed to the American rock music landscape as both a performer and songwriter across multiple influential genres. As a singer-songwriter and guitarist, he helped build the sonic identity of Jefferson Airplane starting in 1965, a band that became synonymous with the psychedelic rock and acid rock movements that emerged from the mid-1960s counterculture. Jefferson Airplane is recognized as a major American rock band with significant cultural reach, as reflected by its extensive documentation across knowledge platforms. Following his work with Jefferson Airplane, Balin continued his career with Jefferson Starship, an American rock band established in 1974. His genre contributions span folk rock (emerging around 1964), psychedelic rock and acid rock (emerging around 1965), pop rock (emerging around 1965), and soft rock (emerging around 1960), positioning him as a versatile figure across the evolution of modern rock music. His active work period began in 1962 and continued until 2018. ## FAQs **What bands was Marty Balin a member of?** Marty Balin was a founding member of Jefferson Airplane, formed in 1965, and later performed with Jefferson Starship, which was established in 1974. Both are recognized American rock bands. **What genres of music is Marty Balin associated with?** Balin's work spans psychedelic rock, acid rock, folk rock, pop rock, and soft rock. These genres collectively represent the major shifts in American and British rock music during the 1960s and beyond. **What instruments did Marty Balin play?** He was known as a guitarist in addition to being a singer and songwriter. **How long was Marty Balin active in music?** His documented work period extends from 1962 to 2018, covering more than five decades of musical activity. **What was Marty Balin's birth name?** He was born Martyn J. Buchwald. ## Why They Matter Marty Balin occupies a significant place in the history of American rock music as a creative force during one of its most transformative eras. As a founding member of Jefferson Airplane in 1965, he was present at the inception of psychedelic rock and acid rock, genres that reshaped popular music and became the soundtrack of the 1960s counterculture. The band's emergence coincided with the rise of folk rock in 1964 and the broader evolution of rock music into new experimental territories. His transition to Jefferson Starship in 1974 demonstrated adaptability, carrying elements of the psychedelic and folk rock legacy into the soft rock and pop rock landscape of the 1970s and 1980s. Without contributors like Balin, the bridge between the socially conscious folk rock tradition and the experimental spirit of psychedelic rock might have developed very differently. His work as both a singer-songwriter and guitarist across multiple genre boundaries makes him a connective figure in the narrative of American popular music. ## Notable For - Founding member of Jefferson Airplane, one of the most prominent American rock bands of the psychedelic era - Member of Jefferson Starship, the successor American rock band established in 1974 - Career spanning 56 years of active musical work (1962–2018) - Contributions to five major rock genres: psychedelic rock, acid rock, folk rock, pop rock, and soft rock - Dual role as singer-songwriter and guitarist - Active during the formative years of psychedelic rock (emerging 1965) and acid rock (emerging 1965) - Presence during the inception of folk rock as a recognized fusion genre (emerging 1964) - Association with two of the most documented American rock bands in knowledge databases ## Body ### Early Identity and Background Marty Balin was born Martyn J. Buchwald in 1942 in the United States. He adopted the stage name Marty Balin early in his career and maintained his official website at http://www.martybalin.net. As a human creative figure documented across numerous knowledge platforms, his biographical footprint reflects significant cultural impact within American music. ### Musical Career Beginnings Balin's documented work period begins in 1962, predating the major genre movements he would become associated with. During this early period, he developed his skills as a singer-songwriter and guitarist, the twin professional identities that would define his career. The term singer-songwriter refers to a musician who writes, composes, and sings their own songs, and Balin embodied this multifaceted creative role throughout his career. ### Jefferson Airplane and the Psychedelic Era In 1965, Balin co-founded Jefferson Airplane, an American rock band that would become one of the defining acts of the psychedelic rock movement. This timing aligned with the broader emergence of psychedelic rock as a genre, which is dated to approximately 1965. The band also became closely associated with acid rock, a subgenre of psychedelic rock that emerged in the same period. Jefferson Airplane's inception in 1965 placed it at the forefront of a wave of musical experimentation that characterized the mid-1960s. The band is extensively documented, with a sitelink count of 59 across knowledge platforms, indicating substantial cultural recognition and scholarly interest. ### Folk Rock and Genre Crossover Balin's work with Jefferson Airplane also intersected with the folk rock movement, a fusion genre of folk and rock music that emerged around 1964. This genre crossover positioned the band and Balin at a unique intersection of traditions — the narrative and acoustic heritage of folk music meeting the amplified energy of rock. His contributions also extended into pop rock (emerging around 1965) and soft rock (emerging around 1960), demonstrating a breadth of musical engagement that few artists of the era could claim. ### Jefferson Starship and Later Career In 1974, Jefferson Starship was established as an American rock band, with Balin continuing his musical journey as a member. Jefferson Starship, documented with a sitelink count of 25, represented an evolution of the Jefferson Airplane legacy into new musical territory. The band is associated with the United States and carried forward elements of the psychedelic and folk rock traditions into the softer, more pop-oriented rock landscape of the 1970s and beyond. ### Genre Legacy Balin's career intersected with five distinct but related rock genres: - **Soft rock** — a music genre derived from popular and rock music, emerging around 1960 - **Folk rock** — a fusion genre of folk and rock music, emerging around 1964 - **Psychedelic rock** — a genre of rock music, emerging around 1965 - **Pop rock** — a music genre, emerging around 1965 - **Acid rock** — a subgenre of psychedelic rock music, emerging around 1965 His ability to operate across these genres reflects both the fluidity of rock music during this era and his own versatility as a musician. ### End of Career and Death Marty Balin's work period concluded in 2018, the year of his death. His passing marked the end of a career that had begun in 1962 and spanned over five and a half decades of continuous musical contribution. He is remembered as an American singer, songwriter, and musician whose work helped shape the sound and direction of multiple rock genres during one of popular music's most creative and transformative periods. ## References 1. [Source](https://nytimes.com/2018/09/29/obituaries/marty-balin-dead.html) 2. Virtual International Authority File 3. BnF authorities 4. International Standard Name Identifier 5. MusicBrainz 6. SNAC 7. [Source](https://lemonde.fr/disparitions/article/2018/09/29/marty-balin-co-fondateur-du-groupe-jefferson-airplane-est-mort_5361912_3382.html) 8. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013 9. [Source](https://jerrygladstonesuccessblog.wordpress.com/2014/10/15/rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-inductee-marty-balin/) 10. [Source](https://iswcnet.cisac.org/) 11. ISWC Network 12. Genius API 13. The Movie Database