Country Joe McDonald, Whose Antiwar Song Became an Anthem, Dies at 84

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Country Joe McDonald, Whose Antiwar Song Became an Anthem, Dies at 84

One of the starring acts at Woodstock, he and his band, the Fish, came out of the Bay Area’s psychedelic rock scene. He went on to a long career as a solo artist.


Country Joe McDonald in 1981. The tone of the politics and social commentary in his songs could range from whimsical to snarky. United Archives, via Getty Images

By Jim Farber
March 8, 2026
Updated 6:16 p.m. ET

Country Joe McDonald, whose performance at Woodstock — in which he led a crowd of 400,000 through a subversive cheer before starting his satirical antiwar song “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag” — struck a chord so deep, it often obscured the variety and scope of his career, died on Saturday at his home in Berkeley, Calif. He was 84.

His death was announced by his wife, Kathy McDonald. The cause was complications from Parkinson’s disease.

In his breakthrough years, Mr. McDonald led Country Joe and the Fish, one of the first and most adventurous bands to rise from the Bay Area psychedelic rock scene of the 1960s. After the band’s main run ended in 1970, he released scores of solo albums in a number of styles over many decades.

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Alex Train contributed reporting.