Jefferson Airplane drummer Joey Covington killed in car crash

Jefferson Airplane drummer Joey Covington was killed in a single-car crash in Palm Springs on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

Covington, 67, a Palm Springs resident, was driving alone when his coupe left the road at a curve in South Belardo Road and crashed head-on into a retaining wall. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the Riverside County coroner.

The Desert Sun newspaper in Palm Springs reported that a guest at a nearby motel tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate Covington. He was pronounced dead at 5:10 p.m. Police don’t believe alcohol or drugs were involved.

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A friend of the drummer -- Keith McCormick, owner of McCormick’s Classic Car Auctions -- told the Desert Sun that Covington’s wife suspects he suffered a stroke or heart attack prior to the crash.

Jefferson Airplane was an influential band from the psychedelic 1960s known for songs such as “Somebody to Love� and “White Rabbit.� He was also a member of Jefferson Airplane successor Jefferson Starship and a member of the rock-blues band Hot Tuna.

[For the record, 4:25 p.m. June 6: An earlier version of this post incorrectly described Covington as a founding member of Hot Tuna. He joined the group after it was formed.]

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