A Woodstock legend
Country Joe" McDonald, who became a Woodstock festival legend and fronted the band Country Joe and the Fish, has died at age 84.
The singer, born Joseph Allen McDonald, died Saturday, March 7, in Berkeley, California, from complications from Parkinson's disease, according to a statement from the band posted to their official Facebook page.
The band was "saddened" to share the news of McDonald's death and adds that he was "surrounded by his family."
No further details were provided. USA TODAY has reached out to a representative for McDonald for more information.
An official obituary shared by the band read: "McDonald was widely recognized as one of the defining voices of the 1960s counterculture movement. His music blended folk, rock and political commentary, capturing the spirit of a generation deeply affected by social upheaval, civil rights struggles and the Vietnam War."
McDonald served as the lead singer and co-founder of the 1960s psychedelic folk-rock group Country Joe and the Fish, and he wrote the group's most enduring songs, including the protest song against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, titled "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag."
"Well, come on all of you big strong men / Uncle Sam needs your help again / Got himself in a terrible jam / Way down yonder in Vietnam," he sings in the satirical anti-war anthem. "Put down your books and pick up a gun / We're going to have a whole lot of fun."
That track became a battle cry and was immortalized, along with an infamous f-word cheer during his 1969 Woodstock performance.
Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2019 on the 50th anniversary of his career-defining performance at the festival, McDonald reflected on the cheer and how it also "gave me a lot of problems."
Country Joe" McDonald, who became a Woodstock festival legend and fronted the band Country Joe and the Fish, has died at age 84.
The singer, born Joseph Allen McDonald, died Saturday, March 7, in Berkeley, California, from complications from Parkinson's disease, according to a statement from the band posted to their official Facebook page.
The band was "saddened" to share the news of McDonald's death and adds that he was "surrounded by his family."
No further details were provided. USA TODAY has reached out to a representative for McDonald for more information.
An official obituary shared by the band read: "McDonald was widely recognized as one of the defining voices of the 1960s counterculture movement. His music blended folk, rock and political commentary, capturing the spirit of a generation deeply affected by social upheaval, civil rights struggles and the Vietnam War."
McDonald served as the lead singer and co-founder of the 1960s psychedelic folk-rock group Country Joe and the Fish, and he wrote the group's most enduring songs, including the protest song against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, titled "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag."
"Well, come on all of you big strong men / Uncle Sam needs your help again / Got himself in a terrible jam / Way down yonder in Vietnam," he sings in the satirical anti-war anthem. "Put down your books and pick up a gun / We're going to have a whole lot of fun."
That track became a battle cry and was immortalized, along with an infamous f-word cheer during his 1969 Woodstock performance.
Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2019 on the 50th anniversary of his career-defining performance at the festival, McDonald reflected on the cheer and how it also "gave me a lot of problems."
