Donna Jean Godchaux made her musical mark as the lead singer of Grateful Dead. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee married her bandmate and pianist Keith Godchaux, with whom she shared one child named Zion. On November 3, 2025, she passed away from her battle with cancer in Nashville. Her family shared in a moving statement: "She was a sweet and warmly beautiful spirit, and all those who knew her are united in loss. The family requests privacy at this time of grieving. In the words of Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, 'May the four winds blow her safely home.'" Learn more about her love life below.
How did Donna meet Keith and when did they get married?
Donna met Keith, who was a pianist, in 1970 in California. They immediately hit it off and got married and became bandmates in the Grateful Dead, shortly after.
When were they in the Grateful Dead together and who were the other members?
After the duo got married, Donna introduced Keith to her Grateful Dead bandmate Jerry Garcia during a concert, who then invited Keith to join them in the group. They all began collaborating in 1971, and the other bandmates changed over the years. The list of talented musicians and singers who were more members included Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, Mickey Hart, Tom Constanten, Brent Mydland, and Vince Welnick. Donna and Keith left the group in 1979 to begin their own group called the Heart of Gold Band, which they debuted a year later.
Donna and Keith welcomed their son Zion into the world in 1974. Zion, now 51, was musically gifted and began playing the drums at only two years old, as well as performing onstage with his mom at the young age of seven. During a brief period of time, he played rhythm guitar for his parents' new band the Heart of Gold Band. Shortly after that he began performing as a vocalist and producer as he toured San Francisco in the 1990s. As he was working with his mom on an album in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, he met sound engineer Russ Randolph. The two had a similar take on music and created the band BoomBox together. Co-founder Russ is no longer involved, but Zion continues to be a one-man-band.
Shortly after the Heart of Gold Band's first concert, Keith was in a car accident and passed away in 1980. He was only 32 years old and had celebrated his birthday only four days prior.
When did Donna remarry and who was her second husband?
Donna remarried David MacKay a year after Keith's death. David was a bassist in the Muscle Shoals-based band called Fiddleworms. They began a new group together called The Donna Jean Godchaux Band.
Donna was born in Alabama in 1947 and went on to be a session singer in Muscle Shoals before she began singing in a group called Southern Comfort. She was also featured as a backup singer on Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman" in 1966, as well as Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds," in 1969. A year later she moved to California, where she kicked off her successful career being a member of Grateful Dead. Since then, she has gone on to form multiple new bands including the Heart of Gold Band and The Donna Jean Godchaux Band. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, as well as the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2016.
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