Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, renowned vocalist and key figure in the 1970s era of the Grateful Dead, passed away at the age of 78 on November 2, 2025, after a long battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her family at Alive Hospice in Nashville. Born Donna Jean Thatcher in Florence, Alabama, she rose to fame as a session singer in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, contributing to hits like Percy Sledge’s \