“Country Joe” McDonald, the frontman of the band Country Joe and the Fish and a well-known Woodstock performer, passed away over the weekend. He was 84 years old.
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According to Variety, the singer, whose real name is Joseph Allen McDonald, died following a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
Born on Jan. 1, 1942, in Washington, D.C., McDonald started his music career in the late 1950s. He is best known for his songs “Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine” and “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die-Rag.”
In 1965, he founded Country Joe and the Fish alongside Barry “The Fish” Melton. The group also included Gary “Chicken” Hirsh, David Bennett Cohen, and Bruce Barthol.
Country Joe and the Fish performed at numerous events, including the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival and the original 1969 Woodstock Festival.
The group stayed together until its disbandment in 1971. Each bandmate continued in the music industry and would often reunite.
During his music career, McDonald recorded 33 albums and wrote hundreds of songs. His career spanned over six decades. He even performed at the Woodstock Reunion in 1979.
Although he was scheduled to play at Woodstock’s 50th Anniversary festival, the event was canceled after negotiations fell through.
McDonald is survived by his five children.
McDonald Revealed the One Moment That ‘Ruined’ His Music Career
During his final interview last summer, McDonald spoke about the moment that “ruined” his music career.
While speaking about the “f— cheer” aka the “Fish Cheer” that McDonald was famously known for.
“I have to accept the fact that the d— cheer really ruined my career,” McDonald admitted. “But I know people love that. But you know, people love the f— cheer. They really do.”
However, the musician did acknowledge that his fans loved the cheer. “I guess I’m kind of responsible,” he noted. “I should get a royalty from [that].”
He did note that he and his bandmates tha had “actually trademarked” the “f— cheer.”
“But it has to be the cheer,” McDonald pointed out. “Not just the word f—.”
McDonald then admitted his one regret as a musician. “I was kind of disappointed that I never got an opportunity to do something like that on a theatrical level.”