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Joey Covington, former drummer with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, has died in a car accident in Palm Springs, California.

CBS News has reported that the 67-year-old drummer died after his Sedan hit a wall on the side of the road. Police have said that he was not wearing a seatbelt.

Covington was born in East Conemaugh, Pennsylvania on June 27, 1945 and began playing drums aged 10. He joined Hot Tuna in 1969, which was a side project begun by Jefferson Airplane members Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen while Jefferson Airplane singer Grace Slick was undergoing surgery. Later that year, Covington appeared on Jefferson Airplane’s album “Volunteers,” and then took over from Spencer Dryden as the band’s full-time drummer.

Covington appeared on the Jefferson Airplane album “Bark” in 1971, and also wrote “Thunk” and co-wrote “Pretty as You Feel” for that album. He left the band the following year during the sessions for the “Long John Silver” album, after recording his parts for the tracks “Twilight Double Leader” and “The Son of Jesus”.

After leaving Jefferson Airplane, Covington recorded the little heard “Joe E. Covington’s Fat Fandango” album and also toured with the Fat Fandango band. He briefly reunited with Jefferson Airplane members in 1975 as part of their new band Jefferson Starship, appearing on the tracks “Mau Mau” and “Hijack” on the “Blows Against the Empire” album, and co-writing “With Your Love,” which reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976 and also featured on the album “Spitfire”.

Covington spent the 1980s and 1990s touring as a member of the San Francisco Allstars.

These Jefferson Airplane performances from 1970 feature Covington on drums.

“Somebody To Love” – Jefferson Airplane

“We Can Be Together” – Jefferson Airplane