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Grateful Dead's Donna Jean Godchaux dead at 78

Donna Jean Godchaux, who sang with the Grateful Dead throughout the 1970s, has died at the age of 78.

The news was confirmed in a statement by the band on their Threads account.

"It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of Donna Jean Godchaux.

"Her unmistakable voice and radiant spirit touched the lives of countless fans and immeasurably enriched the Grateful Dead family.

"Her contributions will forever remain part of the tapestry that continues to be woven. We send our deepest condolences to her loved ones and ask for privacy for her family during this time."

Her representative Dennis McNally told Rolling Stone that she passed away on Sunday at a hospice facility in Nashville after a "lengthy struggle with cancer".

"She was a sweet and warmly beautiful spirit, and all those who knew her are united in loss," McNally shared. "In the words of Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, 'May the four winds blow her safely home.'"

Godchaux joined the Grateful Dead in 1971 at the same time as her husband, Keith, who played keyboards.

The pair left the band in 1979 and formed the Heart of Gold Band, but that came to an end with the sudden death of Keith in a car accident the following year.

Godchaux's final album, Back Around, was recorded with the Donna Jean Godchaux Band alongside Jeff Mattson in 2014.

Her death follows the passing of founding Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh last October at the age of 84.

Photo: Cover Media
Source: Cover Media
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