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The 1980s hit Grace Slick thought she was too old to sing: “Damn near 50”
Grace Slick felt uncomfortable singing Starship’s 1987 hit “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”, saying she was “damn near 50” and did not believe the song’s broad romantic lyrics. The US and UK chart-topper highlighted her growing distance from the band’s mainstream pop direction and preceded her departure from Starship.
Slick had become a counterculture figure with Jefferson Airplane in the 1960s, then joined the commercially successful Starship. She left the group shortly after the hit and retired from music in 1990, aged 50, saying rock was tied to youth; she later focused on painting.
In short
- Slick questioned singing a love song as she neared 50.
- “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” topped charts in the US and UK.
- She left Starship and retired from music in 1990.
Explained simply
Grace Slick first became known as the singer of Jefferson Airplane, a San Francisco band associated with the 1960s counterculture. The group later evolved into Jefferson Starship and then Starship, which pursued a more polished pop sound and found a large mainstream audience.
The shift brought Starship commercial success but put Slick at odds with some of its material and direction. Her departure and later retirement marked the end of her music career; she went on to concentrate on painting.