Paul Kantner, guitarist for the Jefferson Airplane and other bands, .

In the science fiction world, he's notable for a not-quite-Airplane 1970 concept album, Blows against the Empire. The gang of musicians Kantner recruited he billed, logically enough, Jefferson Starship. They sang several songs about starships. Including one entitled "Starship." I loved this album.

So did a bunch of other SF fans. In 1971, Blows against the Empire was nominated for a Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation; sadly, it was beaten out by No Award.

The (very faint) relevance to Heinlein lies in Kantner's correspondence with him. Blows describes a plot by opressed people to hijack a government-built starship, much like the one in Methuselah's Children. Heinlein wrote back thanking him for the courtesy to ask permission, rather than just appropriating the story's ideas. in the second volume of Bill Patterson's biography.

(Eventually, the name Jefferson Starship was recycled and the band met with considerable success.)

Age 74: much too young!

Thanks, beamjockey, for the reminder about Blows against the Empire. I'd completely forgotten about that album. It's now on my Amazon list.