Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, former lead singer of the rock band Grateful Dead, died on Sunday, November 2, 2025. She was 78. According to reports, the singer died in a hospital in Nashville after a long battle with cancer. Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay’s death was confirmed in a statement to Rolling Stone.“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,” her representative, Dennis McNally, told the news outlet.“In the words of Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, May the four winds blow her safely home,” he added.Donna was married twice. The first was to Keith Godchaux in 1970. Keith died at age 32 after a fatal car accident. She married Bay Area Bassist, David MacKay in 1981.David MacKay is a member of the American rock music group Fiddleworms. David and Donna were together for 44 years and remained married till Donna’s death. They had a son together, Kinsman Mackay.Who was Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay?Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay was a native of Alabama, born on August 22, 1947. Before she joined the Grateful Dead in 1971, Donna was a session singer in Muscle Shoals and sang with a group called Southern Comfort. She was also a backup singer on popular hit songs, including Percy Sledge’s 1966 When a Man Loves a Woman and Elvis Presley’s 1969 Suspicious Minds. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostIn a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, Donna described singing for Elvis Presley as a “very intense” experience.In 1970, Donna met her husband and future Grateful Dead member, Keith Godchaux. They married that year. In 1971, the couple joined the rock band after witnessing Jerry Garcia’s performance at San Francisco’s Keystone Corner.“I told Jerry that Keith needed to be in the band and I needed his home phone number, and I got his number!” she recalled in an interview with Rolling Stone.She admitted to the news outlet that it was pretty challenging for her to get used to singing live in a rock band, as she was more used to “having headphones and being in a controlled environment.”She added:“Everything was so loud onstage. And not to mention being inebriated. I can't defend myself very much, but I can't blame it all on that.”In 1979, Keith and Donna left the Grateful Dead.“It was sad, but it was what needed to happen. It was turning into being not profitable for anybody. We needed to go, and they needed for us to go.”She was a mother of two children- Zion from her first marriage and another son, Kinsman, with David.Read more: When did Grateful Dead make its debut? Details explored as ex-member Donna Jean Godchaux dies at 78Read more: Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, beloved Grateful Dead singer, dies at 78 following her battle with cancer