Donna Jean Godchaux, Grateful Dead singer, has died

WASHINGTON — Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, a singer known for working with the Grateful Dead, has died. She was 78.

The singer died on Sunday following a "lengthy struggle with cancer," according to Rolling Stones. She died at a hospice facility in Nashville, Tennessee.

“She was a sweet and warmly beautiful spirit, and all those who knew her are united in loss. The family requests privacy at this time of grieving. In the words of Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, "May the four winds blow her safely home," a statement shared to the Rolling Stones.

Godchaux-MacKay, born in Alabama on Aug. 22, 1947, joined the Grateful Dead in 1971 alongside her husband, Keith Godchaux.

Godchaux-MacKay, who was born Donna Jean Thatcher, began her career as a backing singer. She sang on recordings by Cher, Neil