Craig Chaquico

by Sandra BrennanDuring the '70s and '80s, guitarist/songwriter Craig Chaquico played lead guitar with the popular rock band Jefferson Starship (which later became Starship). In 1993, he released his first adult contemporary acoustic effort, Acoustic Highway. Chaquico, a musician since childhood, started professionally in nightclubs at age 14. He began his association with Jefferson Starship when he was 16. At first he began recording with a few of the members and then was formally asked to join them on tour as a lead guitarist.
Simultaneously, Chaquico also helmed his own band Steelwind. He toured with both until joining the Starship permanently. Soon afterward, he developed into one of their main songwriters. Among the songs he has penned or co-penned are "Jane," "Find Your Way Back," and "Layin' It on the Line." Since the early '90s, Chaquico has worked on diversifying his music and branching out more into new age or world music, as can be heard in his song "Just One World" and the 1994 album Acoustic Planet, his blend of guitar playing and recordings of African and Native American music. The song became part of NASA's Space Ark project and is now in permanent orbit around the Earth. His first release in the new century, 2002's Shadow and Light, was inspired by the tragedy of the terrorist attacks on New York in 2001.
When not playing music, Chaquico enjoys auto racing and riding his Harley in benefits for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He is also a graphic artist and amateur astronomer. Chaquico continued to release album throughout the latter half of the '90s, but it was his charity work that deserved the most attention as he began to play one free hospital concert a week (with obvious exceptions) for children and he encouraged many of his contemporaries and friends to perform similar shows.