During the apex of The Musical Revolution, two names were the dominant factors of the era, i.e., Grace Slick & Janis Joplin. Others were soon to follow into the early seventies that would be inclusive of Joan Baez, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Tracy Nelson, Maria Muldaur, Sandy Denny, Bonnie Bramlett, Judy Collins and assorted others of abbreviated fame. A few have somehow managed to transcend into the new millennium and defy the odds as they battle the airways with neoteric names of contemporary music, i.e., Stefani, Simpson, and Stone.

An abbreviated list of other aging "rockers' from assorted genres are also still weathering the road such as Patty Smith who continues to appeal to the masses and Kim Gordon who has exceeded the life expectancy of a female "punk rocker", a reputation that manifested during the glory days of CBGB"S during the whirlwind of leather & lace in NYC.

The question often arises as to who will ascend the throne as the "diva" of contemporary rock n' roll and subsequent genre. Who could exude the visual allure, grace and charisma of Grace Slick?, who could evoke the dynamics of the strained vocals and three octave range of a youthful Janis Joplin?, and who could culminate all of these traits and still manage to forge a personality/identity that is unlike all others and still covey the essence of chosen lyrics?

Amidst all the grandeur of the current rage and bands of the day, dispelling comparisons of an era now becoming a distant memory, Diana Mangano seems to be the chosen one in terms of "royalty in rock". She has been the intangible element for over a decade with legendary Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship cohorts, Paul Kantner & Marty Balin, easily ascending the echelons as the preeminent "diva" of her peers. A myriad of comparisons seem to pass while in conversation about the odyssey of the band and the songs that were synonymous with The Counter Culture and the days of political unrest during the Vietnam era but Diana is not a clone for Grace, she is merely the voice of the current alignment and chosen by Paul Kantner to help perpetuate the legacy that started back in 1965.

It always strikes me as unfortunate that there is no way that we could ever know nor could we define how great Diana would have been during the Golden Age of "rock n roll," i.e., 1967-1977, but I'm convinced that the qualities needed to assume the roll in the pantheons of supremacy are attributes shown now on a consistent basis and perhaps not exploited as much by the media as during those turbulent years when music was thought to be the universal elixir.

As the granules of sand pass through the proverbial hourglass, only those who are staunch followers of Jefferson Starship know of her vibrant aura, camaraderie, her demeanor with fans and the ability to make tunes that have languished in virtual obscurity for years and convert into a Jefferson Starship standard. It's a unique skill, a gift not only to the fans across the globe but to Paul Kantner & Marty Balin as well. Without Diana, I doubt that the legendary configuration of JA/JS could continue with the integrity and skill level that has been enhanced by Diana. I've been a fan of Paul Kantner's since I was a boy coming back home from the military but without the brilliance of Diana, the band as we know it would become nothing more than fodder for musical trivia. As she rocks, the band rocks, so in hopes of another decade of sixties classics, cheers to both.