Donna Jean Godchaux

As the only female officially billed using the Grateful Deceased, Donna Jean Godchaux held her own on-stage with all of those other boys. Without a founding member, nor was she using the music group for too much time, a female tone of voice belting out “Dancin’ in the Roads,” or any Deceased tune for example, was an oddity alone after almost ten years of all-male performing. However, her background as a vocalist isn’t relegated to jam music group history. Her support vocals are available on all sorts of information before and after her stint using the Deceased. Godchaux began as a program vocalist in Muscle tissue Shoals, AL, after that shifted to Memphis and Nashville and finally towards the Western Coast. She caused several backup performers (Jeannie Green and Ginger and Mary Holladay) who known as themselves Southern Comfort and it is acknowledged as Donna Thatcher on Cher’s 1969 launch 3614 Jackson Highway, aswell as on Elvis Presley’s From Elvis in Memphis and Elvis Back Memphis albums, amongst others. Using the Grateful Deceased, she sang on Stories of the fantastic Rum Joggers (1974) and Tiger Rose (1975) from Robert Hunter. Her participation with the Deceased began after her hubby, Keith Godchaux, chose he wished to sign up for the music group after viewing them at a Western world Coastline gig. It simply so happened which the Deceased were looking for a keyboard participant when their primary one, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, dropped sick. Keith was induced before Pigpen’s loss of life and immediately after, Donna was asked to become listed on as an extra vocalist. She spent seven years, from 1972 to 1979, performing with the Deceased and as back-up for the Jerry Garcia Music group as well. For Pleased Deceased information, she appears over the 1973 studio room effort Wake from the Overflow, released over the after that newly formed Pleased Deceased Records; 1974’s Pleased Deceased In the Mars Resort; and 1975’s Blues for Allah, aswell as many other compilations. Never to end up being outdone with aspect tasks, Donna and Keith released a self-titled record in 1975 with Garcia on electric guitar and many collaboratively written music. Other albums offering their work are the 1984 discharge The Ghosts Performing in the Center of Gold Music group with material documented between 1979 and 1980 by different groups relating to the two, including their edition from the Garcia/Hunter tune “Scarlet Begonias.” After getting road weary through the constant touring, both left the music group in 1979. A season later, Keith passed away in a vehicle accident and Donna provides since wedded Bay Region musician David MacKay, who founded the Tazmanian Devils. Because the Pleased Deceased disbanded in 1995, Donna plus some of the rest of the members have got together to try out in one type or another, but nothing at all formal. In the past due ’90s, she shaped the Donna Jean Music group with her boy with Keith, Zion, who has rhythm electric guitar and percussion. Filling in the rock and roll & roll music group are Will McFarlane on electric guitar and Joey Holder on piano. She and MacKay likewise have a boy, Kinsman, who has in a music group of his very own.