Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann & Mickey Hart Share Tributes To Donna Jean Godchaux

Vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux, who was a member of the Grateful Dead alongside her late husband Keith Godchaux between 1971 and 1979, died on Sunday at age 78. Core surviving members of the Grateful Dead – drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart and guitarist Bob Weir – shared heartfelt messages honoring their former bandmate.

“She blazed a path in music many aspire to follow,” Weir wrote about Donna. “In her quiet, unassuming way she’ll be goin’ for it, even though there may not even be words for what it is – how she always was…”

“Her unmistakable voice and radiant spirit touched the lives of countless fans and immeasurably enriched the Grateful Dead family,” Hart posted, copying a message posted by the Grateful Dead social media accounts. “Her contributions will forever remain part of the tapestry that continues to be woven.”

Kreutzmann provided the most substantial elegy for Donna, attaching a lengthy message to his post reacting to her death. Kreutzmann’s touching tribute to Godchaux began in part:

“Anyone that we let into our lives must one day leave it, so we should focus on the time we have with each other in between those finite bookmarks and fill them with as many pages as possible.

“And even though we so often lose touch along the way, that doesn’t mean the end still doesn’t sting. It has to. At least, if the person meant anything to you. And Donna Jean Godchaux sure did mean something to me. She was my bandmate and she was my friend. So I loved her.

“I first met Donna in 1971 and it didn’t take long before we invited her to join the band. She was very much woven into the Dead’s tie-dyed tapestry during the ‘70s — and some of those years remain my all-time favorite of the Grateful Dead. Which means that some of my favorite music that I ever made with the Grateful Dead was made with Donna.”

The family of late Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia also responded to Godchaux’s passing. Garcia’s daughter Trixie Garcia, shared a statement on behalf of the family.

“Donna Jean was a kind and a loving soul,” Trixie Garcia wrote. “We are blessed that she shared her unique sound with the band and there isn’t another person that would’ve fit in the way that she did. Her voice brought light and will continue to be heard.”