Donna Jean Godchaux’s Life & Music Celebrated With Heart Of Gold Band Revival
Steve Kimock, Greg Anton, David MacKay, Zion Godchaux, Maria Muldaur and more celebrated the late Grateful Dead vocalist across two nights at the Mystic Theatre.
By Scott Bernstein Aug 25, 2026 • 7:23 am PDT
Donna Jean Godchaux’s musical family gathered in Petaluma this weekend to celebrate her life through song. Over two nights at the Mystic Theatre, the Heart Of Gold Band reunited with members of Godchaux’s family and a host of musical friends for a wide-ranging tribute to the late Grateful Dead member.
The celebration took place on August 22 and 23, 2026, marking the first birthday of Donna Jean Godchaux since her death on November 2, 2025. Godchaux, who was 78, spent nearly a decade as a member of the Grateful Dead before departing the band with her husband, keyboardist Keith Godchaux, in 1979.
Steve Kimock and Greg Anton, who went on to found Zero after their time with the original Heart Of Gold Band, led the two-night revival. Donna Jean and Keith formed the Heart Of Gold Band after leaving the Grateful Dead, but Keith’s death in 1980 brought that incarnation of the group to an end. The Petaluma concerts reunited Kimock and Anton with members of Donna Jean’s family and a collection of longtime musical associates.
The lineup across the two nights included Kimock on guitar and Anton on drums alongside Donna Jean’s family, including her husband David Mackay on bass and sons Zion Rock Godchaux on guitar and vocals and Kinsman MacKay on beats. Brian Godchaux, Maria Muldaur, Mookie Siegel, Wally Ingram, Kat Walkerson, Jessica Fierro and Frank Goodman were also among performers at the tributes.
Saturday, August 22, began with “Lonesome And A Long Way From Home” before moving into the Grateful Dead’s “Sugaree” and the Jimmy Cliff classic “The Harder They Come.” The first set concluded with a run of “I’ll Be With Thee,” “Ship Of Fools” and Bob Dylan’s “Solid Rock.” The music paused at set break for a particularly poignant moment as the band and audience celebrated Donna Jean’s birthday.
The second set picked back up with “Catalina,” followed by Paul McCartney’s “Let Me Roll It,” Dylan’s “Tangled Up In Blue” and Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds.” The latter song provided a direct connection to Godchaux’s earliest musical experiences.
Born Donna Jean Thatcher in Florence, Alabama, Godchaux began singing professionally while still a teenager and performed harmonies at the legendary Muscle Shoals studios. Among the recordings on which she contributed were Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman” and Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds.”
Saturday’s second set concluded with a techno-tinged interpretation of the Grateful Dead’s “Shakedown Street,” “End Of The World Blues” and “Scarlet Begonias.”
The celebration continued on Sunday, August 23, with Frank Goodman and Kimock joining forces for three opening numbers: “Broken River,” “Where Have My Old Friends Gone” and “Till You Hit The Bottom.” The first set then moved through “Palm Sunday,” Dylan’s “If Not For You,” the Grateful Dead’s “Crazy Fingers,” which featured a brief “The Other One” jam, and George Harrison’s “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)” before closing with “Sitting In Limbo.”
Sunday’s second set opened with John Lennon’s “Imagine” and continued with “I’ll Be With Thee,” “Pity,” “Solid Rock,” “Sisters & Brothers” and “Showboat.” The Heart Of Gold Band then brought the two-night celebration to a close with “Stella Blue.”
The concerts were conceived not only as a tribute to Godchaux’s time with the Grateful Dead, but as a celebration of the breadth of her musical life, from her Muscle Shoals roots through her years with the Dead, Jerry Garcia Band and the Heart Of Gold Band. A portion of the proceeds from the shows benefited Alive Hospice and Camp Winnarainbow.
Watch more highlights from the two-show tribute to Donna Jean Godchaux:
Photos by Susan Weiand
Setlists (via Charlie Miller)
Saturday, August 22
Set One: Lonesome And A Long Way From Home, Sugaree, The Harder They Come, I’ll Be With Thee, Ship Of Fools, Solid Rock
Set Two: Catalina, Let Me Roll It, Tangled Up In Blue, Suspicious Minds, Shakedown Street (Techno Version), End Of The World Blues, Scarlet Begonias
Sunday, August 23
Set One: Broken River*, Where Have My Old Friends Gone*, Till You Hit The Bottom*, Palm Sunday, If Not For You, Crazy Fingers, Give Me Love, Sitting In Limbo
Set Two: Imagine, I’ll Be With Thee, Pity, Solid Rock, Sisters & Brothers, Showboat
Encore: Stella Blue
* – Frank Goodman & Steve Kimock duo
