Country Joe McDonald
(January 1, 1942 – March 7, 2026)
Band Affiliation: Country Joe & the Fish
Primary Hits: “Fish Cheer,” “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag”
Cause of Death: Complications from Parkinson’s Disease
It is with reverence and appreciation for his desire to make the world a better and more peaceful place that we enter Country Joe McDonald as number #433 on “The Dead list”, the memorial companion to our rock ‘n’ roll’ fantasy novel, John Lennon’s Glasses. Country Joe was a songwriter, a political activist and one hell of a nice guy who genuinely cared about working people. We were lucky enough to help break a world record with him, but more on that in a minute.
Joe was descended from lefties. In their younger years, his parents were card carrying communists who named their new babe after Joe Stalin, whom they later renounced. (That would be Stalin, not the babe.) The nickname “Country Joe” was coined by a band member who discovered that Joseph Stalin’s nickname was “Country Joe” and began referring to his bandmate as such.
Joe started his musical journey busking for tips on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley. He was a regular on KPFA’s radio program The Midnight Special. He performed at the Jabberwock Folk Music Club on Telegraph where he met Barry (the fish) Melton after which forming the “Instant Action Jug Band,” that later morphed into “Country Joe & the Fish.”
Now for our personal connection.
In July of 2008, the city of Concord, CA successfully broke the world record for the largest number of guitarists to gather and play a song together. We had hired Country Joe McDonald, who was 66 at the time, as that night’s headliner where he was to lead the 2,052 registered guitar players at Todos Santos Park in the singing of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.” The channel 5 news anchors were there getting ready to do a simulcast with CNN on the last chorus.
When the time came for the world record attempt, Country Joe set out to perform the long version of the song; that’s six verses and six choruses in 95 degree summer heat. Jim was strapped to his own guitar and also stage managing while waiting for the news guys to hit the button on the simulcast. But there was a problem with the link, so Jim kept saying, “Play another chorus Joe! We’re almost there!” With cheeks turning apple-red from the heat, Joe never wavered. Finally, after at least 5 rounds of the “final” chorus, we were given the thumbs up and went live internationally with 60’s hero and Woodstock legend Country Joe McDonald along with 4,000 people in the park, over half of which were playing along, on a Tuesday night in Concord!
As Joe came off the stage, Jim greeted him with a bottle of cold water as well as a cold towel for his face. And then in the close quarters and confusion of so many folks walking around with guitars, Jim accidentally bonked Joe on the head with his guitar. Jim was mortified, but Joe just smiled at said cheerfully, “Shit happens! I like the way your brain works, Jim.” We have used that sweet quote ever since. Thank you Joe!
Fast forwarding to current world events, it’s evident that Country Joe McDonald’s music is still in step with the times: “And it’s one, two, three. What are we fightin’ for. Don’t ask me cuz I don’t give a damn. Next stop is Vietnam.” Or maybe Iran? Weird how it rhymes, huh?
Country Joe & the Fish: “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag” (1969)
