Grateful Dead’s Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay Passes Away at 78

Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, a gifted mezzo-soprano known for her powerful backing vocals in iconic 1960s songs like “Suspicious Minds” and “When A Man Loves A Woman,” has passed away at the age of 78. A representative for Godchaux-MacKay announced her death on Sunday, November 2, at Alive Hospice in Nashville following a battle with cancer. She was honored alongside her bandmates in the Grateful Dead with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Born Donna Jean Thatcher in Florence, Alabama, she became a session vocalist before her 20th birthday in Muscle Shoals, a hub for soul and rhythm and blues music production. She also contributed to several sessions at Memphis’ American Sound Studio. Her illustrious career includes credits on tracks by Elvis Presley, Percy Sledge, Neil Diamond, Boz Scaggs, and Cher.

In the early 1970s, she and her then-husband, pianist Keith Godchaux, joined the Grateful Dead. They took part in multiple tours and contributed to albums such as “Terrapin Station,” “Shakedown Street,” and “From The Mars Hotel.” Godchaux showcased her talents on many tracks, collaborating with Jerry Garcia on “Scarlet Begonias” and taking the lead on her own song, “From The Heart Of Me.”

The couple departed from the Grateful Dead in 1979, intending to establish their own musical group. Tragically, Keith Godchaux passed away in a car accident the following year. Donna later married bassist David MacKay in 1981 and continued her musical journey, touring and recording throughout the decades.

Her discography includes “Back Around” and “Donna Jean And The Tricksters,” as well as a collaborative album with Keith titled “Keith & Donna.”

Surviving Donna are her husband David MacKay, along with her sons Kinsman MacKay and Zion Godchaux, and siblings Gogi Clark and Ivan Thatcher.