Donna Jean Thatcher Godchaux-MacKay (born August 22, 1947) is an American

singer Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

who was a member of the Grateful Dead from 1972 until 1979.

Biography

Donna Jean Thatcher was born in Florence, Alabama. Prior to 1970, she had worked as a

session singer Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a t ...

in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, eventually singing with a group called Southern Comfort and appearing as a backup singer on at least two #1 hit songs: " When a Man Loves a Woman" by

Percy Sledge Percy Tyrone Sledge (November 25, 1940 – April 14, 2015) was an American R&B, soul and gospel singer. He is best known for the song " When a Man Loves a Woman", a No. 1 hit on both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and R&B singles charts in 196 ...

in 1966 and "

Suspicious Minds "Suspicious Minds" is a 1968 song written and first recorded by American songwriter Mark James. After this recording failed commercially, it was cut by Elvis Presley with producer Chips Moman, becoming a No. 1 song in 1969, and one of the most ...

" by

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

in 1969. Her vocals were featured on other classic recordings by Boz Scaggs and

Duane Allman Howard Duane Allman (November 20, 1946 – October 29, 1971) was an American rock guitarist, session musician, and the founder and original leader of the Allman Brothers Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame i ...

, Cher,

Joe Tex Yusuf Hazziez (born Joseph Arrington Jr.; August 8, 1935 – August 13, 1982), known professionally as Joe Tex, was an American singer and musician who gained success in the 1960s and 1970s with his brand of Southern soul, which mixed the styl ...

, Neil Diamond and many others. She then moved to California and met future fellow Grateful Dead member

Keith Godchaux Keith Richard Godchaux (July 19, 1948 – July 23, 1980) was a pianist best known for his tenure in the rock group the Grateful Dead from 1971 to 1979. Biography Godchaux was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up in Concord, California ...

, whom she married in 1970. Donna introduced Keith to Jerry Garcia after Garcia's performance at San Francisco's

Keystone Korner Keystone Korner was a jazz club in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, which opened in 1972 and continued operation until 1983. Many live recordings were made at the club. Jessica Williams was the house pianist for a number of years. ...

in September 1971. At the time, Donna Jean was not working as a musician. She joined the band shortly afterwards, remaining a member until February 1979. Donna Jean provided backing and lead vocals in the group's music. During their membership in the Grateful Dead, the couple also issued the mostly self-written '' Keith & Donna'' album in 1975 with Jerry Garcia as a Keith and Donna Band member. In turn, they performed as part of the

Jerry Garcia Band The Jerry Garcia Band was a San Francisco Bay Area rock band led by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. Garcia founded the band in 1975; it remained the most important of his various side projects until his death in 1995. The band regularly tour ...

. Godchaux possesses a mezzo-soprano

vocal range Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of st ...

. Keith and Donna's son, Zion "Rock" Godchaux of BoomBox, was born in 1974. After the Grateful Dead, the couple started the

Heart of Gold Band The Heart of Gold Band is an American rock band formed by Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux in 1980 following their departure from the Grateful Dead. The band took its name from a line in the Dead song " Scarlet Begonias". Original Run The Heart o ...

. Donna did not perform again with any Grateful Dead band members until after the death of Jerry Garcia. Shortly after her husband's death in 1980, she married bassist David MacKay (former Fiddleworms member and bassist for the Donna Jean Godchaux Band) and the couple moved to her childhood town of Florence, Alabama, to record at the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. In 2009, Donna Jean formed a brand new band, the Donna Jean Godchaux Band, with Jeff Mattson (of

Phil Lesh and Friends Phil Lesh and Friends is an American rock band formed and led by Phil Lesh, former bassist of the Grateful Dead. Phil & Friends is not a traditional group in that several different lineups of musicians have played under the name, including gr ...

, Zen Tricksters, and Dark Star Orchestra), after re-entering the music scene with Mattson and Mookie Siegel (of

David Nelson Band David Nelson (born June 12, 1943, in Seattle, Washington, U.S.) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He is perhaps best known as a co-founder and longtime member of the New Riders of the Purple Sage. Career Nelson started his musi ...

, and

Ratdog RatDog is an American rock band. The group began in 1995 as a side project for Grateful Dead guitarist and singer Bob Weir. After the Dead disbanded later that year, RatDog became Weir's primary band. They performed some Grateful Dead songs, a mix ...

) to form Kettle Joe's Psychedelic Swamp Revue, later known as Donna Jean & the Tricksters. She occasionally makes guest appearances with Bob Weir & RatDog, Zero & Steve Kimock, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Dark Star Orchestra and

Dead & Company Dead & Company is an American rock band consisting of former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir (guitar and vocals), Mickey Hart (drums), and Bill Kreutzmann (drums), along with John Mayer (guitar and vocals), Oteil Burbridge (bass, percussion, and ...

. She also continues to be involved in archival Grateful Dead projects. In 1994, Donna Jean was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Grateful Dead. She resides in

Killen, Alabama Killen is a town in Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States. It's part of the Florence - Muscle Shoals Metropolitan Statistical Area known as "The Shoals". It was incorporated in 1957. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town is 1,034 ...

, and remains an active member of the Muscle Shoals music scene when not touring with the Donna Jean Godchaux Band with Jeff Mattson.

Discography

As group leader or co-leader

* '' Keith & Donna'' – Keith and Donna Godchaux – 1975 * ''Playing in the Heart of Gold Band'' – The Ghosts – 1984 * ''The Heart of Gold Band'' – The Heart of Gold Band – 1986 * ''Donna Jean'' – The Donna Jean Band – 1998 * ''At the Table'' – The Heart of Gold Band – 2004 * '' Donna Jean and the Tricksters'' – Donna Jean and the Tricksters – 2008 * ''

Back Around ''Back Around'' is an album by the Donna Jean Godchaux Band with Jeff Mattson. Band leader and vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux was formerly a member of the Grateful Dead. Lead guitarist Jeff Mattson, who also sings on several of the tracks, is a m ...

'' –

Donna Jean Godchaux Band The Donna Jean Godchaux Band (sometimes known as the Donna Jean Godchaux Band with Jeff Mattson) is an American rock music group. Originally named Kettle Joe's Psychedelic Swamp Revue, and later Donna Jean and the Tricksters, the band was origina ...

with Jeff Mattson – 2014

With the Grateful Dead

Donna Godchaux was a member of the Grateful Dead from 1972 to 1979 and appears on many of the band's albums.

With other artists

Donna Godchaux (née Donna Thatcher) has contributed background or lead vocals on many albums by different artists.Donna Jean Godchaux — With Others
at the Grateful Dead Family discography. ;Singles * "When a Man Loves a Woman" / "Love Me Like You Mean It" –

– 1966 * "Suspicious Minds" / "You'll Think of Me" –

– 1969 ;Videos * ''

Muscle Shoals Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located along the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 census, the population of Muscle Shoals was 13,146. The estimated popu ...

'' – various artists – 2013 * '' Move Me Brightly'' – various artists – 2013 ;Albums * ''

From Elvis in Memphis ''From Elvis in Memphis'' is the tenth studio album by American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley. It was released by RCA Records on June 17, 1969. It was recorded at American Sound Studio in Memphis in January and February 1969 under the direc ...

'' –

– 1969 * '' From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis'' – Elvis Presley – 1969 * ''

3614 Jackson Highway ''3614 Jackson Highway'' is the sixth album by American singer-actress Cher, released on June 20, 1969 by ATCO. This album was a commercial failure, peaking at 160, although it received praise and positive reviews from the music critics. 3614 Jac ...

'' – Cher – 1969 * '' Boz Scaggs'' – Boz Scaggs – 1969 * ''

Ton-Ton Macoute! ''Ton-Ton Macoute!'' is the 1970 debut solo album of American blues musician Johnny Jenkins. Jenkins had previously led The Pinetoppers, a band which at one time featured Otis Redding. Jenkins then appeared on two Redding albums, playing guitar ...

'' – Johnny Jenkins – 1970 * ''

Ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...

'' – Bob Weir – 1972 * '' Demon in Disguise'' –

David Bromberg David Bromberg (born September 19, 1945) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. David Bromberg biographyat Billboard.com An eclectic artist, Bromberg plays bluegrass, blues, folk, jazz, country and western, and rock a ...

– 1972 * '' Gypsy Cowboy'' – New Riders of the Purple Sage – 1972 * '' The Adventures of Panama Red'' – New Riders of the Purple Sage – 1973 * ''Tales of the Great Rum Runners'' – Robert Hunter – 1974 * ''Tiger Rose'' – Robert Hunter – 1975 * '' Reflections'' – Jerry Garcia – 1976 * '' Cats Under the Stars'' –

– 1977 * ''Here Goes Nothing'' –

Zero 0 (zero) is a number representing an empty quantity. In place-value notation such as the Hindu–Arabic numeral system, 0 also serves as a placeholder numerical digit, which works by multiplying digits to the left of 0 by the radix, usual ...

– 1987 * ''

Laughing Water ''Laughing Water'' is a live album by the instrumental Grateful Dead cover band Jazz Is Dead. Subtitled ''Wake of the Flood Revisited'', it is a reinterpretation of the Grateful Dead's 1973 album. It was JID's second release, and was recorded in A ...

'' – Jazz Is Dead – 1999 *'' Don't Let Go'' – Jerry Garcia Band – 2001 * '' Worcester, MA, 4/4/73'' – New Riders of the Purple Sage – 2003 * '' Pure Jerry: Theatre 1839, San Francisco, July 29 & 30, 1977'' – Jerry Garcia Band – 2004 * '' Pure Jerry: Warner Theatre, March 18, 1978'' – Jerry Garcia Band – 2005 * ''For Rex: The Black Tie Dye Ball'' – The Zen Tricksters and various artists – 2006 * '' Pure Jerry: Bay Area 1978'' – Jerry Garcia Band – 2009 * ''

Garcia Live Volume Four ''Garcia Live Volume Four'' is a two-CD live album by the Jerry Garcia Band. It contains the complete concert recorded at Veteran's Hall in Sebastopol, California on March 22, 1978. It was released by ATO Records on July 8, 2014. At the time o ...

'' – Jerry Garcia Band – 2014 * '' Garcia Live Volume Seven'' – Jerry Garcia Band – 2016 * '' Garcia Live Volume 17'' – Jerry Garcia Band – 2021

References

External links

Donna Jean Godchaux Band with Jeff Mattson official website

Grateful Dead official website

The Music Never Stopped: The Musical Journey of Donna Jean Godcheaux-McKay
From honesttune.com.
Donna Jean Godchaux Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2017) {{DEFAULTSORT:Godchaux, Donna Jean 1947 births Living people American women rock singers American mezzo-sopranos Grateful Dead members Singers from Alabama Musicians from Florence, Alabama Heart of Gold Band members 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers Jerry Garcia Band members