Profile of Keith Godchaux on Famous Like Me

Keith Godchaux (July 19, 1948 - 23 July 1980) (piano) and Donna Jean Thatcher Godchaux Mackay (born August 22, 1947) (singer) are best known for having been members of the Grateful Dead.

Keith was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in Concord, California. Donna was born in Sheffield, Alabama. The couple met and married in 1970. Prior to 1970, Donna Godchaux had worked as a back-up singer in Muscle Shoals, appearing on songs by Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding.

They introduced themselves at a Jerry Garcia concert in October 1971. At the time, Donna was not working as a musician and Keith had been appearing with Dave Mason (formerly of Traffic). He was also known to Betty Cantor-Jackson, a Grateful Dead sound engineer. They joined the band shortly afterwards, remaining members until February 1979. The precise circumstances of their leaving is disputed, although it is agreed that heavy drug use on both sides of the rift triggered the departure.

During their membership of the Grateful Dead, the couple issued the largely self-written Keith and 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. Keith also appeared with the New Riders of the Purple Sage. Subsequently, Keith co-wrote songs with Lowell George (of Little Feat) and Robert Hunter. Their son Zion was born in 1974.

After the Grateful Dead, the couple played in the group Ghosts, which became The Heart of Gold Band. Keith died in a car accident in Marin County, California, in 1980. Donna did not perform again with any Grateful Dead band members until after the death of Jerry Garcia. Donna went to on remarry Dave Mackay, a bass player. The couple moved back to work at the Muscle Shoals studios. They presently form part of the Donna Jean Band.

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