Grateful Dead Singer Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay Dies at 78
Legendary vocalist and former Dead member succumbs to cancer after long career spanning session work, psychedelia, soul and jam-band innovation.
Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, whose voice became entwined with the Grateful Dead’s adventurous sound in the 1970s, has died. She passed away on November 2, 2025, at a hospice in Nashville after a “lengthy battle with cancer,” according to her family.
Born Donna Jean Thatcher in Florence, Alabama, in 1947, she first made her mark as a session singer in the Muscle Shoals and Memphis studios, contributing backing vocals to hits such as Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman” and Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds.”
In 1970 she married keyboardist Keith Godchaux, and the two joined the Grateful Dead in 1971–72. During her tenure, she lent her soaring harmonies and occasional lead vocals to pivotal albums like Terrapin Station and From the Mars Hotel.
“lengthy battle with cancer”
Author's summary: Legendary Grateful Dead singer Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay dies at 78.
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