Country Joe McDonald, the protest singer and Woodstock Festival legend, has died at 84. He passed away on March 7, 2026, at his home in Berkeley, California, from complications of Parkinson’s disease, his family confirmed.
Born Joseph Allen McDonald in Washington, D.C., he became a key voice of the 1960s counterculture after moving to Berkeley and forming Country Joe and the Fish. The band became known for politically charged psychedelic rock and anti-war messages during the Vietnam War.
Their famous protest anthem I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag became one of the defining songs of the era and a memorable moment of Woodstock in 1969.
McDonald continued writing music and supporting social causes throughout his life. He is survived by his wife, five children, grandchildren, and his brother.