RIP Donna Jean Godchaux.
I have no idea how many Dead concerts I saw in the 70s. A lot. I knew a bunch of Deadheads who didn’t think a girl had any right to be in the Dead. And they said they didn’t like her singing. But to me, she was always part of the band.
RIP.
If you perform you are a member....................
Bands hit a phase when wives and girlfriends push their way in to caterwaul on stage. John Lennon, The Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac, even Skynyrd...
It’s sad, but there is very few ways to avoid it.
At least Led Zeppelin never caved.
Dead keyboardists were like Lieutenants in Vietnam, don’t even learn their name. The Dead needed a keyboard and his wife was part of the deal...
RIP Donna. She admitted she got a little “ Pitchy “ sometimes on stage. But it’s pretty amazing how many great songs she sang backup on at Muscle Shoals.
I’m sorry to hear of Donna’s passing. I’m Johnny Come lately to the Deadhead party. Oh, I loved the Working Man’s Dead and American Beauty albums When they came out. But I wasn’t in on the concerts or some of the other stuff they did.
Only lately when I subscribed to Sirius XM Have I come to admire their whole body of work. Whenever I hear a female voice on their recordings I’ve often wondered who she was. Now I know. RIP donna.
I am a Dead Head. Went to many concerts 70s 80’s She was just great. She was nice. And a very good voice. RIP
I can’t remember which album it is, but one has an original song of hers that’s surprisingly good. I never skipped it.
In my humble opinion, the Grateful Dead started going down hill in the early 70s, and sounded as if they caught the disco virus and never recovered.
As far as I am concerned, the Dead died when Pigpen died.
more than anyone could wanna know about rock bands of that era, smiles smiles, the Dead included:
https://rockprosopography101.blogspot.com/2022/09/palo-alto-rock-concerts-1970-73-palo.html
Not a Deadhead, but went to one concert at SPAC in 1983 when I was stationed at the Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit in upstate New York. Wasn’t impressed. Darn near got me kicked out of the Navy. I knew better than to partake of the “refreshments”, so I didn’t blow a piss test, but I spent days trying to get the odor out of my clothes. Ended up burning them instead. Wasn’t worth my time.
and HERE is pretty much the whole story about the GD:
https://www.paloaltohistory.org/the-grateful-dead.php#:~:text=Along%20the%20way%20the%20Dead,%5B%5D
How many dead heads does it take to change a light bulb?
None. They just let it burn out and follow it around for 40 years.
I’ll be here all week.
I am a Dead fan (not a proper Deadhead, as I never followed them around, but I like the music) but let’s face it - neither Jerry nor Bobby nor any of the others were any great shakes as vocalists. Donna Jean at least could sing - she should have been more than backing vocals during her time with the band. And she was nice looking for a hippie chick.
I wonder, is she now grateful?
I’m a Deadhead, but not a fan of Donna Jean’s wailing. RIP regardless.