music
March 9, 2026
Country Joe McDonald, Woodstock star and anti-war singer, dies aged 84
Musician behind Vietnam war protest hit I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag dead from Parkinson’s complications, his wife confirms
TL;DR
- Country Joe McDonald, a 1960s rock star, died at 84.
- He was famous for his anti-Vietnam War song "I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag," a highlight of Woodstock.
- The song's provocative chant led to legal and professional consequences for McDonald and his band, Country Joe and the Fish.
- Born in Washington D.C. and raised in California, McDonald was a fixture in the Bay Area music scene.
- He continued to record and tour for decades, also writing protest songs like "Save the Whales."
- McDonald had complex feelings about the Vietnam War, having served in the Navy and later helping organize a Vietnam veterans memorial.
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