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donna jean godchaux passes away at 78
Posted on 11/3/25 at 12:06 pm
Posted on 11/3/25 at 12:06 pm
quote:
Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, the feminine force and vocal powerhouse behind the Grateful Dead from 1971 to 1979, passed away yesterday, Sunday, November 2, 2025, after a battle with cancer. Read the official statement below. “Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, former vocalist with the Grateful Dead, passed away surrounded by her family on November 2, 2025, at Alive Hospice in Nashville after a lengthy struggle with cancer. She is survived by her husband David MacKay, her son Kinsman MacKay and his wife Molly, her son Zion Godchaux and his son Delta, her sister Gogi Clark, and her brother Ivan Thatcher.
quote:bummer
Born Donna Jean Thatcher in Florence, Alabama, she became a session singer in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and sang on two #1 songs: Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman” and Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds. Moving to California, she met and married pianist Keith Godchaux. She met the Dead’s Jerry Garcia, and introduced herself to him. Soon after, first Keith and then Donna Jean were part of the band. From 1971 to 1979 they toured America, Europe, and even Egypt.
i know she wasnt every deadhead's cup of tea, but she was for me. GD vocal harmonies were never better 72-73 and 76-79 with donna (74 was a shitshow, due to the terrible vocal situation with the wall of sound)
here's donna and jerry harmonizing, at their best
4
Posted on 11/3/25 at 12:08 pm to cgrand
donna and bobby, 1978
Posted on 11/3/25 at 12:15 pm to cgrand
Wow, I really liked her as she added a layer to them that was really needed at times. It had to be fun for her to be up there with them all those years. You are right that some's of their best eras were when she was in the band.
RIP DJG
RIP DJG
Posted on 11/3/25 at 12:32 pm to Crow Pie
She's taken too much shite over time. Rest in peace. Always liked what she added.
Posted on 11/3/25 at 1:29 pm to Prosecuted Collins
Was never a hater, and never really had a problem with DJG as her vocals and harmonies complimented BW's on many songs including Looks Like Rain. At times her voice was easily "recognizable" as I'd usually FF'd to the next song if I had to much. She was part of the Grateful Dead during their peak years .... Europe '72, Wake of the Flood '73, Mars Hotel '74, Blues For Allah '75, Terrapin Station '77, Cornell 5/8/77, Shakedown Street '78, and the Pyramids in Egypt '78. She also sang backup vocals for ELVIS on Suspicious Minds and The Ghetto, and Percy Sledge on When a Man Loves a Woman. RIP sista ... May the four winds blow you safely home.
This post was edited on 11/3/25 at 1:43 pm
Posted on 11/3/25 at 1:33 pm to Got Blaze
We all can agree that she wasn't the best voice and that she had her moments and place within the band. Sad to see her pass.
Posted on 11/3/25 at 3:24 pm to cgrand
That Sing Me Back Home is one of the best moments in all of GD history.
RIP Donna
RIP Donna
Posted on 11/3/25 at 4:01 pm to Motorboat
quote:
We all can agree that she wasn't the best voice
She had an amazing voice and sang backup vocals at muscle shoals.
Her problem in the dead was lack of monitors and being able to hear herself.
Shes a pretty polarizing member of the band, I enjoyed most of her contributions but at the same time, some of her wails could be shocking to the system.
Posted on 11/3/25 at 4:22 pm to cgrand
RIP
I met her years ago in Muscle Shoals. Very nice woman.
I met her years ago in Muscle Shoals. Very nice woman.
Posted on 11/3/25 at 4:27 pm to hogcard1964
quote:we have debated for years spending a week in muscle shoals hoping to run in to her, just to tell her how much she's appreciated. it makes me sad when people shite on her
I met her years ago in Muscle Shoals. Very nice woman.
Posted on 11/3/25 at 4:56 pm to cgrand
Posted on 11/3/25 at 5:09 pm to Motorboat
Posted on 11/3/25 at 5:13 pm to cgrand
jerry and donna, tomorrow is forever
Posted on 11/3/25 at 5:19 pm to cgrand
Posted on 11/3/25 at 5:44 pm to cgrand
Posted on 11/5/25 at 5:25 pm to cgrand
XM 23 ran an hour long tribute to Donna this afternoon; she was a member of the rock and roll HOF for the Grateful Dead and the Alabama music HOF for that and her studio work in muscle shoals.
She composed and arranged two original songs with the dead…”sunrise” on terrapin station and “from the heart of me” on shakedown street, both of which are miles better than any of the dreck written by mydland or welnick. Her third original song contribution was the best, “rain” on the JGB studio album cats under the stars
She composed and arranged two original songs with the dead…”sunrise” on terrapin station and “from the heart of me” on shakedown street, both of which are miles better than any of the dreck written by mydland or welnick. Her third original song contribution was the best, “rain” on the JGB studio album cats under the stars
Posted on 11/5/25 at 6:37 pm to cgrand
quote:
we have debated for years spending a week in muscle shoals hoping to run in to her, just to tell her how much she's appreciated. it makes me sad when people shite on her
I loved her voice.
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