Karen Deal

Karen Deal (October 6, 1953 – November 19, 2010) She was also a member of a local psychedelic rock band called The Mod Squad. She was married to Marty Balin, a founding member of Jefferson Airplane.

Background Karen graduated from Tampa Catholic High School in 1971. She was the daughter of Arch Deal, a newscaster with WFLA, and Margaret Lane, a church organist.

Career When she first started out, Deal often jammed in area parks. She also started a Latino band and played the local clubs in the Tampa area. That band, called Sweet Smoke,

In February 1977, Deal was in the Johnny Charro review, playing the ARP synthesizer at the Florida Citrus Festival. She became a member of The Mod Squad in 1987, a local group from Tampa, which consisted of herself on keyboards, bass and background vocals, Rodger Stephan on drums and vocals, Joey Donovan on guitar and vocals. During their time, the group either opened for or shared the stage with acts such as Marty Balin, Mark Farner, Spirit, the Spencer Davis Group, Savoy Brown, Richard Marx and others. By 1989, she had left the Mod Squad and had relocated to California with Marty Balin who would become her husband.

In 1989, Deal toured with a reunited Jefferson Airplane and videotaped the event. In 1991, Deal had a prominent role on husband Marty Balin's Better Generation album. She co produced the album as well as taking part in composing some of the material. She played keyboards and keyboard bass as well as contributing vocals and background vocals. Two female singers were brought in to the sessions. They were Ellie Marshall, who was the backup singer for the group Modern Lovers and CBS vocalist Didi Stewart. That plan didn't happen as Deal stopped it straight away preferring to have the group's musicians handling the vocal duties. During the early 90s, along with two other female musician vocalists, she was a member of Balin's band Wolfpack, who in addition to touring, played in Russia. She also played on Balin's 1995 album I Wish I Were, playing keyboards, keyboard Bass, contributing both vocals and background vocals. She co-produced the album as well.

Deal also played on some recordings by the reformed Jefferson Airplane. They were "It's No Secret" and "Always Tomorrow".

Deal didn't sing much but her father said that she had the perfect pitch. In February 1977, while as a member of the Johnny Charro Review which was appearing at the Florida Citrus Festival, photographer Charles Newton captured her during a warm-up to the event, holding a sandwich with one hand and playing the ARP synthesizer with the other.

Death Karen Deal died in the early hours on Friday, November 19, 2010, aged 57. She had been in a coma for a month after choking while at dinner with her family.

Legacy 2014 marked the fourth year of a charity concert in her name. The proceeds to go to Lifepath Hospice. The bands performing were The Lint Rollers, Coo Coo Ca Choo and Stormbringer. The following year Karen’s Deal – A Benefit for Lifepath Hospice was held at Skipper's Smokehouse. She is written about in the last chapter of Corporate Fall Guy: The Ups and Downs of a TV Anchor/Skydiver, autobiography written by her father Arch Deal.

Discography and work

+ Various artists compilation albums Artist Album title Type Label catalogue # Year Format Role Marty Balin Better Generation Album GWE Records GWE002 1991 Compact disc Producer, Session musician: keyboards, keyboard bass, vocals Marty Balin I Wish I Were Album Beverly Records BEV 013 1995Compact disc Co-producer, mixing. Keyboards, keyboard bass, vocals Jefferson Airplane Then And Now Vol 1 Various artists album San Francisco Sound SFS-03931 - ?compact disc Keyboards, vocals on "It's No Secret" Jefferson Airplane Then And Now Vol 2 Various artists album San Francisco Sound SFS-03932 ?Compact discKeyboards, bass, vocals on "Always Tomorrow