R.I.P. - Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay passed away on November 2, 2025

Originally a studio singer, she lent her voice to tracks such as John Presley's "In The Ghetto" and "Suspicious Mind," as well as Percy Sledge's "When A Man Loves A Woman." A few years later, and married to Keith Godchaux, she joined the US jam band Grateful Dead with her husband.

Primarily to support the ailing keyboardist and organist Ron "Pigpen" McKernan on their major 1972 European tour, they first appeared together on the magnificent live album "Europe '72." From 1971 (Keith) and 1972 (Donna), they played together with Jerry Garcia's band until 1979.

The two were instrumental in shaping the band's sound during this period, partly because Keith, as a jazz pianist, played very differently from McKernan on the heavy Hammond organ, and partly because Donna was the only woman ever to play with the Grateful Dead. It should be noted that the name Godchaux didn't exactly inspire enthusiasm among many Deadheads.

As the Keith and Donna Band, the couple released a solo album in 1975 and were also members of Jerry Garcia's band in the late 1970s. By 1979, the internal conflicts had escalated to the point that they left the group and pursued other musical directions. Keith died in 1980, and Donna married bassist David McKay, becoming Donna Jean Godchaux-McKay.

In 1994, Donna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Grateful Dead. In the late 1990s, she formed the Donna Jean Band and performed several times with former Grateful Dead musicians (Phil Lesh & Friends). She revived her old group, the Heart of Gold Band, which she had founded in the 1980s with her first husband, Keith, and disbanded after his death, in 2004, assembling it almost entirely with family members (Godchaux and McKay). Afterward, she was a member of the Grateful Dead cover band Zen Tricksters. The band later changed its name first to Donna Jean and the Tricksters, then to the Donna Jean Godchaux Band.

On November 2, 2025, Donna Jean Thatcher, her birth name, died in a hospice in Nashville after a long battle with cancer. She was 78 years old.

In addition to the aforementioned live disc "Europe '72′", classics such as Wake Of The Flood (1973), From The Mars Hotel (1974), Blues For Allah (1976), Steal Your Face (1976), Terrapin Station (1977) and Shakedown Street (1978) remain unforgettable and stars on every well-stocked record shelf.

» …In tomorrow morning’s light
I will find you
When I awoke, the stars were out and shining
Shining for you and me
All I ever want to be is safe and warm in your arms
All I have, from the heart of me..."
[Grateful Dead: "From the Heart of Me" from "Shakedown Street." Lyrics & Music by Donna Godschaux]

R.I.P. Donna

Donna Jean Thatcher Godchaux MacKay

Keith and Donna - Sweet Baby - 10/4/1975

Dead & Co. @ Fenway "The Music Never Stopped" W/ Donna (7/15/16)