Signe Toly Anderson

Signe Toly Anderson ( ; born Signe Toly; September 15, 1941 – January 28, 2016) was an American singer who was one of the founding members of the American rock band Jefferson Airplane.

Early life Signe Toly was born in Seattle, Washington on September 15, 1941. Toly sang in a band with three male musicians she had known in high school, under the name Three Guys and a Gal. The group performed at a campaign event for John F. Kennedy in November 1959.

Jefferson Airplane Toly was a locally known and well-respected jazz and folk singer in San Francisco, where Marty Balin heard her perform and invited her to join his band, soon named Jefferson Airplane.

Soon after joining the Airplane, Signe married one of the Merry Pranksters, Jerry Anderson; the marriage lasted from 1965 to 1974. She sang on the first Jefferson Airplane album Jefferson Airplane Takes Off, most notably on the song "Chauffeur Blues".

In July 1966, Anderson informed Bill Graham that she was quitting the band after a series of shows they were playing in Chicago; she had given birth to her and Jerry's first child and realized that taking a newborn on the road was not feasible. However, Graham asked her to stay with the band through the October shows at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, to which she agreed.

Anderson's last live performances with Jefferson Airplane were two sets on October 15, 1966, at The Fillmore. Both performances were recorded (as were most Fillmore shows) and have surfaced on some bootleg albums. At what seemed to be the end of the second set, Marty Balin announced that Anderson was leaving the group. Her farewell to the audience was: "I want you all to wear smiles and daisies and box balloons. I love you all. Thank you and goodbye." At several fans' requests, Anderson and the band performed her signature number "Chauffeur Blues". They finished the night with "High Flying Bird". In August 2010, Collector's Choice music in cooperation with Sony released this show as Live at The Fillmore Auditorium 10/15/66: Late Show – Signe's Farewell.

Later life After leaving the Airplane, Anderson returned to Oregon, where she sang for nine years with Carl Smith and the Natural Gas Company. In the mid-1970s, she recovered from cancer.

In the mid-1990s, Anderson suffered more health problems, including a broken neck and bypass surgery, which led to serious financial problems for her family.