 Donna
Jean Godchaux was a member of The
Grateful Dead from 1971 through 1979, together with her late husband,
piano player Keith. To me, and many other Deadheads, these were the “glory years” for
the Dead. Donna Jean was the "hippie chick" of the band – and everybody
wished that we could be with her, singing and dancing onstage with the Dead.
But we settled for singing and dancing on the floor.
Donna Jean was a vocalist on the Dead's classic recordings Europe
'72, Wake of the Flood, Mars Hotel, Blues
For Allah, Terrapin Station, Shakedown
Street, as well as Jerry Garcia's Reflections, Cats
Under the Stars, and countless CD's released from live shows. But her musical career began before this time.
A native of Alabama 's Muscle Shoals area, Donna Jean began singing as a studio
session vocalist in the late 1960's as the “Muscle
Shoals Sound” was being created.
She was a background vocalist on a number of classic records that were recorded
in Muscle Shoals and Memphis, including “Suspicious Minds” and “In the Ghetto” by
Elvis Presley, R.B. Greave's “Take a Letter Maria,” “Brother Love's Traveling
Salvation Show” by
Neil Diamond, the Percy Sledge album When a Man Loves a
Woman, as well as Boz Scaggs’ acclaimed first solo record.
As a former member of TheGrateful Dead, Donna Jean has been inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And in 2005, Donna Jean was part of an all-star cast
of Grateful Dead alumni and relatives performing at the first-ever Rex Foundation
Benefit in New York City. The
Zen Tricksters were there, serving as house band, backing up all performers.
Donna Jean and The Tricksters enjoyed playing together so much that a new band
was born!
The Zen Tricksters are into their third decade as a performing
band, and its members have participated in the Phil & Friends collective. They are well-regarded for their jamming ability, as well as their songwriting. In addition to their original compositions, the Tricksters working repertoire includes traditional bluegrass and hillbilly jazz classics, Grateful Dead, Dylan, Neil Young, and inventive interpretations of any and all songs that catch their fancy. According to their website, “This
band will rock you, psychedelicize you, make you cry,
and pick it with the best of them!”
Donna Jean and the Tricksters also includes Mookie Siegel
- an alumni of the David Nelson Band, Kingfish, Ratdog
and Phil and Friends – and a hell of a keyboardist.
It’s been nearly
30 years since I saw Donna Jean with the Dead, and I’m looking
forward to “reconnecting” with
her at the Majestic with the Tricksters. Hope to see
you there! - Mister Bill
ps Our friends in Milwaukee can catch Donna
Jean and the Tricksters at Shank Hall on April 2, 2008!
Additional photo credits: Humphrey Bannister
(1975); Greg Kessler Photography (Rex)
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