This feels incredibly sad to me, saw lots of GD and JGB shows during the "Keith and Donna" era and always loved her vibe and thought that her singing, particularly with the Jerry Garcia Band was great and added a lot. Rest in peace and tell Keith we miss him...


https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/donna-jean-dead-grateful-dead-vocalist-1235458509/

Well, crap.

Peter

She was a lot better than given credit for, so long as she could hear herself.  Loved the era of Keith on the first Yamaha electric grand I ever saw and Donna on vocals.

May the Four Winds Blow You Safely Home.

Bill, tgo

I saw Donna at live performances quite often. My most memorable Donna memory would most certainly be a Winterland show at which Jerry and her exchanged back and forth call and response during Scarlet Begonias. Her responding vocalizations to Jerry's motifs/riffs were priceless. She was certainly having fun if her shinny smile was an indication of how much she was really digging it .I shall always remember her in that moment of her life . If I am not mistaken there is a You Tube video of that as well.

Quote from: rv_bass on November 03, 2025, 04:57:26 PM

Her only lead vocal; a tribute to late roadie Rex Jackson.  I've always liked it - even with Keith Olson's overripe production......

Peter

Thanks for posting this news.  Many of my favorite Dead songs were recorded during the Keith and Donna era; and I've always appreciated, thankful, that they were a part of that time of the band.