Like a rough, more obscure counterpart to Syd Barrett, Alexander "Skip" Spence was one of the late-'60s most colorful acid casualties. The original Jefferson Airplane drummer, Spence left after their first album to join Moby Grape. The group ran into rough times in 1968, and Spence had the roughest, flipping out and running amok in a record studio with a fire axe; he ended up being committed to New York's Bellevue Hospital. Upon his release, Spence cut an acid-charred classic, Oar, in 1969. He died April 16, 1999, just two days short of his 53rd birthday. The tribute album, More Oar: A Tribute to Alexander "Skip" Spence, featuring performances by Robert Plant, Beck, and Tom Waits, appeared just a few weeks later. ~ Richie Unterberger