Darby Slick
{{short description|American guitarist and songwriter}}
{{use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{use American English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Darby Slick
| image = 2011-Darby-Slick-2011.jpg
| image_size =
| image_upright =
| alt = Head shot of Darby Slick
| caption = Slick in 2011
| birth_name = Dabney Roger Slick
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1944|2|26}}
| birth_place = Dallas, Texas, U.S.
| origin =
| genre =
| occupation =
| instrument = Guitar
| years_active = 1965–present
| label =
| past_member_of = The Great Society
| website =
}}
Dabney Roger "Darby" Slick (born February 26, 1944){{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/darby-slick-mn0000572384/biography |title=Darby Slick Biography |last=Unterberger |first=Richie |website=AllMusic |access-date=2023-01-11}} is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known as a former member of the Great Society and the writer of the Jefferson Airplane song "Somebody to Love".
Early life
Slick was born in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Hawaii before his family settled in Palo Alto, California.{{cite book |last=Slick |first=Darby |date=1991 |title=Don't You Want Somebody to Love: Reflections on the San Francisco Sound |location=Berkeley, California |publisher=SLG Books |pages=15–16 |isbn=0-943389-08-9}}
The Great Society
In 1965, Slick co-founded the Great Society with his brother Jerry Slick, sister-in-law Grace Slick, and Jenn Piersol (David Miner and Bard DuPont joined shortly afterward). Darby played lead guitar and occasionally sang backup vocals. Slick wrote "Someone to Love"—originally titled "Mind Full of Bread"{{cite web |url=http://www.jambands.com/news/2014/03/26/darby-slick-puts-original-lyric-page-to-somebody-to-love-up-for-sale|title=Original Lyrics For Sale|work=jambands.com|date=March 26, 2014 |access-date=February 26, 2015}}—in the process of writing a novel, which he started in 1962. Slick's literary aspirations tapered off as he concentrated more on guitar, and he finished the song in 1965 after a breakup. He intended the song to address giving love instead of the cliché of wanting it.{{cite web |url=http://www.famousinterview.ca/interviews/darby_slick.htm|title=Darby Slick Interview|work=famousinterview.com|access-date=February 26, 2015}}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B0Fo36f3WkYC
|title=Somebody to Love?: A Rock-and-Roll Memoir|author-link2=Andrea Cagan|first2=Andrea |last2=Cagan|author-link1=Grace Slick|first1=Grace|last1=Slick|publisher=Grand Central Publishing|date=December 14, 2008|isbn=9780446554428 |access-date=February 26, 2015}}
"Someone to Love" was issued as a Great Society single by North Beach Records with "Free Advice" as its B-side. The single saw limited distribution and made little impact at the time. The Great Society dissolved when Grace Slick joined Jefferson Airplane, who recorded the song—retitled "Somebody to Love"—and scored a top 10 hit on the national charts in 1967.
Slick composed other Great Society songs such as "Darkly Smiling," and "Free Advice," which displayed his budding interest in Indian music.{{r|Allmusic}}{{cite web |url=http://www.bay-area-bands.com/bab00090.htm|title=Bay Area, Darby Slick|work=bay-area-bands.com|access-date=February 26, 2015}}
Later work
After Slick's time in the Great Society, he took an interest in Indian music.{{Cite web|last=Zickos|first=Coco|date=2013-05-01|title=One Guitar, Two Different Styles|url=http://www.midweekkauai.com/newsmaker/darby-slick/|access-date=2020-07-09|website=MidWeek Kaua'i|language=en-US}} He took several trips to India to learn more about the genre. He published an autobiography in 1991 titled Don't You Want Somebody to Love: Reflections on the San Francisco Sound detailing his time with the band and lessons while on trips to India.{{cite web|url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p125982/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Biography: Darby Slick|last=Unterberger|first=Richie|publisher=Allmusic|access-date=6 May 2010}}
Discography
=The Great Society=
- Grace Slick and the Great Society: Conspicuous Only in Its Absence (Columbia, 1968)
- Grace Slick and the Great Society, Vol. 2: Collector's Item (How It Was) (Columbia, 1968)
=Solo=
- Sandoland (Taxim, 1995)
- King of the Fretless Guitar (Taxim, 1998)
- Following Yonder Stars (Self-released, 2019)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Discogs artist|Darby Slick}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slick, Darby}}
Category:American male songwriters
Category:Guitarists from California
Category:American male guitarists