Grateful Dead singer Donna Jean Godchaux dies aged 78 after long illness

Donna Jean Godchaux, famed for her work with the Grateful Dead and Elvis Presley, has died aged 78

Nashville, November 3 2025 — Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, best known for her time as vocalist with the Grateful Dead during the 1970s and for her work as a session singer on major Sixties hits, has died aged 78.

Her representative, Dennis McNally, confirmed that she passed away on November 2 at a hospice facility in Nashville following “a lengthy struggle with cancer.”

“She was a sweet and warmly beautiful spirit, and all those who knew her are united in loss,” McNally said in a statement. “In the words of Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, ‘May the four winds blow her safely home.’”

Born Donna Jean Thatcher in Florence, Alabama, she began her career in Muscle Shoals, contributing vocals to classics including Percy Sledge’s When a Man Loves a Woman and Elvis Presley’s Suspicious Minds. Godchaux also worked with artists such as Duane Allman, Cher, and Neil Diamond.

In 1971, she joined the Grateful Dead with her husband, keyboardist Keith Godchaux, performing on landmark albums including Europe ’72 and Terrapin Station. The pair later formed the Heart of Gold Band before Keith’s death in 1980.

Godchaux went on to front her own groups and released her final studio album, Back Around, in 2014 with musician Jeff Mattson. Reflecting on her career, she told Rolling Stone that the album represented her journey and coming full circle.