Joey Covington, the former Jefferson Airplane drummer, has died in a car crash. He was 67-years-old.
The car accident took place in Palm Springs, California Tuesday afternoon. His sedan smashed head on into a wall, reports KESQ. Riverside County Coroner's Office confirmed Wednesday morning that the man was Joseph "Joey" Edward Covington.
Stephen Wallace of Vancouver, Canada was staying at a nearby hotel when he saw the crash. “He looked deceased to me. I tried to do CPR, but to no avail,” he told KESQ. "Heard no screech marks, no braking. It was quite surprising.”
Covington was declared dead at the scene and police closed the street for a short time. Officials would not reveal the cause of the crash, saying that the investigation is ongoing. They noted that the drummer was not wearing his seatbelt.
Keith McCormick, owner of McCormick’s Classic Car Auctions and a close friend, told MyDesert.com that Covington’s wife beleived that he suffered a heart attack or stroke.
According to Billboard, Covington played with Jefferson Airplane on their Volunteers album, but left in 1972. He co-wrote Jefferson Starship’s 1976 hit “With Your Love.”