Joseph Allen McDonald (January 1, 1942 – March 7, 2026), known as Country Joe McDonald, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and film composer. He was the lead singer and co-founder of the psychedelic folk-rock group Country Joe and the Fish. He wrote several of the group's best-known songs, including "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine" and "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag", the latter becoming associated with protests against United States involvement in the Vietnam War.
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Joseph Allen McDonald (January 1, 1942 – March 7, 2026), known as Country Joe McDonald, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and film composer. He was the lead singer and co-founder of the psychedelic folk-rock group Country Joe and the Fish. He wrote several of the group's best-known songs, including "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine" and "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag", the latter becoming associated with protests against United States involvement in the Vietnam War. After the group disbanded in 1971, McDonald continued performing as a solo artist and recorded numerous albums. McDonald was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in El Monte, California. His father, Worden McDonald, was born in Oklahoma and worked for a telephone company, while his mother, Florence Plotnick, the daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants, served as the city auditor of Berkeley, California. Both parents had previously been members of the Communist Party and named their son after Joseph Stalin, although they later renounced the affiliation. In high school, McDonald served as conductor and president of the marching band. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the United States Navy and spent three years stationed in Japan. After completing his service, he attended California State University, Los Angeles, for a year. During this time he began publishing a small magazine titled "Et Tu". He later moved to Berkeley, California, where he pursued a career in folk music, performing on Telegraph Avenue and working at Lundberg Fretted Instruments. He also appeared on the radio program "Midnight Special" on KPFA and performed with groups including the Berkeley String Quartet and the Instant Action Jug Band. In 1965, McDonald became involved in the Free Speech Movement and anti-war demonstrations at the University of California, Berkeley. Together with Ed Denson, he launched the magazine "Rag Baby", which focused on the San Francisco folk music scene. Audio supplements released with the magazine led to the formation of Country Joe and the Fish with Barry Melton. Early songs such as "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag", "Superbird", "Bass Strings", "Thing Called Love", and "Section 43" were distributed through these releases. The group performed their first concert under the name Country Joe and the Fish on November 5, 1965, at the University of California, Berkeley. Country Joe and the Fish signed with Vanguard Records in 1966 and released several albums produced by Sam Charters. Their debut album, "Electric Music for the Mind and Body" (1967), remained on the Billboard charts for 38 weeks and was followed by "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die" (1967). The band became associated with the San Francisco music scene of the late 1960s and performed at venues such as the Avalon Ballroom and the Fillmore Auditorium. They also appeared at events including the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival and the 1969 Woodstock Festival. Their album "Together" (1968), which included the song "Rock & Soul Music", reached number 23 on the Billboard charts. Another album, "Here We Are Again" (1969), featured guest appearances by musicians associated with Jefferson Airplane and Big Brother and the Holding Company. Their final Vanguard album, "CJ Fish" (1970), was produced by Tom Wilson, after which the group disbanded. McDonald's best-known composition, "The Fish Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag", became widely recognized during the Vietnam War era. The performance often included an audience participation segment known as the "Fish Cheer". In some performances, the cheer was modified to spell a profane word, which led to controversy and the cancellation of certain television appearances. McDonald was once arrested and fined for obscenity during a performance in Worcester, Massachusetts. Despite limited radio airplay, the song later appeared in films and television programs including "Hamburger Hill", "More American Graffiti", and the television series "Generation Kill". McDonald's first solo albums were "Thinking of Woody Guthrie" (1969) and "Tonight, I'm Singing Just For You" (1970), recorded in Nashville with producer Sam Charters and members of the Nashville A-Team. The album "Thinking of Woody Guthrie" was among the early tribute recordings dedicated to Woody Guthrie and led to McDonald's participation in the 1970 Woody Guthrie All-Star Tribute at the Hollywood Bowl alongside artists including Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Odetta, and Ramblin' Jack Elliott. For the event, McDonald set Guthrie's lyrics "Woman at Home" to music at the request of Guthrie's family. He continued his solo career with albums such as "War, War, War" (1971), which set poems by Robert W. Service to music, the live album "Incredible Live!" (1972), recorded at the Bitter End, and "Paris Sessions" (1973). Over the course of his career, McDonald recorded more than 30 albums and wrote or co-wrote hundreds of songs. Studio albums Thinking of Woody Guthrie (1969) Tonight I'm Singing Just for You (1970) Hold On It's Coming (1971) War War War (1971) Incredible! Live! (1972) Paris Sessions (1973) Country Joe (1974) Paradise with an Ocean View (1975) Love Is a Fire (1976) Goodbye Blues (1977) Rock N Roll from Planet Earth (1978) Leisure Suite (1980) On My Own (1981) Child's Play (1983) Peace on Earth (1984) Vietnam Experience (1988) Superstitious Blues (1991) Carry On (1994) Time Flies By (2012) 50 (2017)
