The Grateful Dead celebrated Donna Jean Godchaux’s “unmistakable voice and radiant spirit” in a tribute posted following the singer’s death at the age of 78.
In a post shared on the Dead’s official Instagram page, the band wrote, “It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of Donna Jean Godchaux. Her unmistakable voice and radiant spirit touched the lives of countless fans and immeasurably enriched the Grateful Dead family.”
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Godchaux died on Sunday at a hospice facility in Nashville following a “lengthy struggle with cancer,” according to a statement. She spent the Seventies singing with the Dead, appearing on classic albums like Europe ’72, Wake of the Flood, and Terrapin Station, not to mention countless legendary live recordings (including the famed Cornell ’77 gig and the Dead’s 1978 shows at the Giza pyramid in Egypt).
In their statement, the Dead said Godchaux’s “contributions will forever remain part of the tapestry that continues to be woven. We send our deepest condolences to her loved ones and ask for privacy for her family during this time.”
Grateful Dead founding member Bob Weir paid tribute on his own Instagram page as well. “Well OK, Donna’s moved on,” he wrote. “She blazed a path in music many aspire to follow. In her quiet, unassuming way she’ll be goin’ for it, even though there may not even be words for what 𝘪𝘵 is – how she always was…”
Before joining the Grateful Dead, Godchaux worked as a backup singer in Memphis and Muscle Shoals, Alabama, performing on albums and songs by Duane Allman, Cher, Neil Diamond, and Boz Scaggs. She also sang on two Number One hits: Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman” and Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds.”
Godchaux joined the Dead in 1971 alongside her husband, Keith, who played keyboards. After the pair left in 1979, they formed a group of their own, the Heart of Gold Band, though Keith died in a car crash in 1980, not long after their first show. While Godchaux stepped away from music for long stretches, she eventually returned, releasing several solo albums and touring frequently with her husband, the bassist David MacKay.
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