Donna Jean Godchaux, Grateful Dead Singer, Dies

Donna Jean Godchaux, who sang with the Grateful Dead from 1972 to 1979, has died.

Godchaux died on Nov. 2 at a Nashville hospice. According to a statement, Godchaux had a “lengthy struggle with cancer.”

“She was a sweet and warmly beautiful spirit, and all those who knew her are united in loss,” the statement noted. “The family requests privacy at this time of grieving. In the words of Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, ‘May the four winds blow her safely home.'”

READ MORE: Grateful Dead Albums Ranked

Born in Florence, Alabama, Godchaux was a backing singer on recording sessions from the state’s famous Muscle Shoals music scene.

She sang backup for artists like Cher, Boz Scaggs and Joe Tex, including two No. 1 hits from the 1960s: Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman” and Elvis Presley‘s “Suspicious Minds.”

In 1970, she married keyboardist Keith Godchaux after moving to California, and within a couple of years, both were members of the Grateful Dead.

What Grateful Dead Recordings Did Donna Jean Godchaux Perform On?

Donna Jean Godchaux first appeared on the Dead’s classic live album, Europe ’72, and continued to perform in concert and in the studio with the band until the end of the decade.

Her run with the group includes the Grateful Dead studio records Wake of the Flood, From the Mars Hotel, Blues for Allah, Terrapin Station and Shakedown Street.

Godchaux and her husband also made the 1975 album, Keith & Donna, which featured Grateful Dead bandmate Jerry Garcia. The duo also appeared on Garcia’s solo albums during this time.

What Did Donna Jean Godchaux Do After the Grateful Dead?

After leaving the Grateful Dead, the Godchauxs formed the Heart of Gold Band, but Keith died from injuries sustained in a car accident not long after the group’s first concert in 1980.

Since then, Godchaux has recorded music as a solo artist and with other bands, often appearing onstage with her former Grateful Dead bandmates.

Godchaux continued to be active into this decade, releasing a single titled “Shelter” as Donna Jean and the Tricksters in 2021.