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Donna Jean Godchaux Discography
Donna Jean Godchaux was a member of the Grateful Dead from 1972 to February 1979. She was also a member of the Jerry Garcia Band in the mid to late 1970's.
Before joining the Dead Donna Jean was a respected session singer firstly in the Muscle Shoals, Memphis and Nashville area and subsequently on the West Coast. This aspect of the discography has only been superficially explored to date.
Additions, corrections and comments are welcome
Major solo, group leader or co-leader albums : 
Major albums / singles / compilations
With the Grateful Dead : Major albums / singles / compilations
Playing contributions to other albums : Singles and albums | Compilations
Non-playing appearances on albums : Major albums that include covers of Donna Jean Godchaux compositions
Solo, group leader or co-leader albums, singles and compilations
Milk And Honey / Don't Take Your Sweet Love Away, Southern Comfort, 1970, Cotillion 45-44043 Keith and Donna Godchaux, Keith and Donna Godchaux, 1975 Sampler For Deadheads (#2 of 3), O&ITW / Keith and Donna, 1975 For Dead Heads, Various Artists, 1976 The Ghosts Playing In The Heart Of Gold Band, The Ghosts, 1984 Heart Of Gold Band, Heart Of Gold Band, 1986 Double Dose, Heart Of Gold Band, 1989 Relix Best Of The Blues Vol 3, Various Artists, 1997 Heart Of Gold Band, Heart Of Gold Band, 1998 Donna Jean, Donna Jean Band, 1998 The Third Annual Gathering on the Mountain, Various Artists, 1999 At The Table, The Heart Of Gold Band, 2004 Donna Jean and the Tricksters, Donna Jean and the Tricksters, 2008With the Grateful Dead
Major studio and live albums, singles and compilations
Europe '72, Grateful Dead, 1972
Single: Sugar Magnolia / Mr. Charlie, Grateful Dead, 1972
Glastonbury Fayre, Various Artists, 1972
Single: Let Me Sing Your Blues Away / Here Comes Sunshine, Grateful Dead, 1973
Wake Of The Flood, Grateful Dead, 1974
Single: Eyes Of The World / Weather Report Suite Part 1, Grateful Dead, 1973
From The Mars Hotel, Grateful Dead, 1974
Single: Truckin' / Sugar Magnolia, Grateful Dead, 1974?
Single: U. S. Blues / Loose Lucy, Grateful Dead, 1974
Skeletons From The Closet, Grateful Dead, 1974
Blues For Allah, Grateful Dead, 1975
Single: The Music Never Stopped / Help On The Way, Grateful Dead, 1975
Single: Franklin's Tower / Help On The Way, Grateful Dead, 1976
Steal Your Face, Grateful Dead, 1976
Terrapin Station, Grateful Dead, 1977
Single: Dancing In The Streets / Terrapin Station, Grateful Dead, 1977
Single: Passenger / Terrapin Station, Grateful Dead, 1977
What A Long Strange Trip It's Been, Grateful Dead, 1977
Wake Of The Flood / From The Mars Hotel, Grateful Dead, 1977?
Arista World Pop, Various Artists, 1977?
Shakedown Street, Grateful Dead, 1978
Single: Good Lovin' / Stagger Lee, Grateful Dead, 1978
Grateful Dead Sampler, Various Artists, 1978
Single: Shakedown Street / France, Grateful Dead, 1979
Single: Alabama Getaway / Far From Me, Grateful Dead, 1980
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Sampler, Various Artists, 1985
Dead Zone: The Grateful Dead CD Collection (1977-1987), Grateful Dead, 1987
Delco Electronics Music System Sampler, Various Artists, 198?
One From The Vault, Grateful Dead, 1991
Max Weinberg Presents - Let There Be Drums, Vol. 3, Various Artists, 1994
Dick's Picks, Vol. 3, Grateful Dead, 1995
Hundred Year Hall, Grateful Dead, 1995
The Arista Years, Grateful Dead, 1996
Fallout From The Phil Zone, Grateful Dead, 1997
Dick's Picks, Vol. 7, Grateful Dead, 1997
Guitars On Mars - Ocean of Sound, Vol. 4, Various Artists, 1997
Dick's Picks, Vol. 10, Grateful Dead, 1998
Dick's Picks, Vol. 11, Grateful Dead, 1998
Dick's Picks, Vol. 12, Grateful Dead, 1998
Dick's Picks, Vol. 15, Grateful Dead, 1999
So Many Roads (1965-1995), Grateful Dead, 1999
So Many Roads Sampler, Grateful Dead, 1999
SNL 25 Saturday Night Live: The Musical Performances, Vol. 1, Various Artists, 1999
Dick's Picks, Vol. 18, Grateful Dead, 2000
Best Of The Grateful Dead Hour, Grateful Dead, 2000
Dick's Picks, Vol. 19, Grateful Dead, 2000
San Francisco 49ers: Greatest Hits, Vol. 1, Various Artists, 2000
Around The Fire Soundtrack, Various Artists, 2000
Dick's Picks, Vol. 20, Grateful Dead, 2001
The Golden Road (1965-1973), Grateful Dead, 2001
Dick's Picks, Vol. 23, Grateful Dead, 2001
Dick's Picks, Vol. 24, Grateful Dead, 2002
Steppin' Out with the Grateful Dead: England '72, Grateful Dead, July 2002
Dick's Picks, Vol. 25, Grateful Dead, 2002
Dick's Picks, Vol. 28, Grateful Dead, 2003
Dick's Picks, Vol. 29, Grateful Dead, 2003
Dick's Picks, Vol. 30, Grateful Dead, 2003
The Closing of Winterland, Grateful Dead, 2003
The Very Best Of The Grateful Dead, Grateful Dead, 2003
Dick's Picks, Vol. 31, Grateful Dead, 2004
Weir Here: The Best Of Bob Weir, Bob Weir, 2004
Rockin' The Rhein, Grateful Dead, 2004
Dick's Picks, Vol. 33, Grateful Dead, 2004
Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack, Grateful Dead, 2004
Beyond Description, Grateful Dead, Oct 2004
Dick's Picks, Vol. 34, Grateful Dead, 2005
Grateful Dead Download Series Vol. 4: 6/18/76, Grateful Dead, 2005
Dick's Picks, Vol. 36, Grateful Dead, 2005
Grateful Dead Download Series Volume 10 - 7/21/72, Grateful Dead, 2006
Live at the Cow Palace: New Year's Eve 1976, Grateful Dead, 2006
Road Trips: Vol 1, Number 2: October 1977, Grateful Dead, 2008
Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings, Grateful Dead, 2008
Playing contributions to other performer recordings
Before joining the Grateful Dead Donna Jean Godchaux (Donna Jean Thatcher) worked as a backing singer on many recordings. Her first recording session was with Ray Stevens probably in early 1966. In addition to the artists listed below she also recorded with Solomon Burke, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, Joe Tex, Joe Simon, Benny King, Neil Diamond, Dionne Warwick, the Boxtops, and others. There are, no doubt, also other recordings with some of artists listed below that are not documented here. This section of the discography is far from complete. Italics indicate that it is not known if Donna contributed to the track.With others - albums and singles
Single: When A Man Loves A Woman / Love Me Like You Mean It, Percy Sledge, 1966
From Elvis In Memphis, Elvis Presley, 1969
Single: In The Ghetto / Any Day Now, Elvis Presley, 1969
Single: Suspicious Minds / You'll Think Of Me, Elvis Presley, 1969
3614 Jackson Highway, Cher, 1969
Single: I Walk On Guilded Splinters / Chastity's Song (Band Of Thieves), Cher, 1969
Single: For What It's Worth / (Just Enough To Keep Me) Hangin' On, Cher, 1969
Single: Lay Baby Lay, / (Just Enough To Keep Me) Hangin' On, Cher, 1970
Elvis Back In Memphis, Elvis Presley, 1970
Moments, Judy Mayhan, 1970
Duncan Pain, Duncan Pain, 1970
Boz Scaggs, Boz Scaggs, 1970
Ton Ton Macoute, Johnny Jenkins, 1970
Pipedream, Tim Davis, 1971
Ace, Bob Weir, 1972
Single: One More Saturday Night / Cassidy, Bob Weir, 1972
Demon In Disguise, David Bromberg, 1972
Gypsy Cowboy, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, 1972
Single: Groupie / She's No Angel, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1973
The Adventures Of Panama Red, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, 1973
Slewfoot, David Rea, 1973
Tales Of The Great Rum Runners, Robert Hunter, 1974
Single: Rum Runners / It Must Have Been The Roses, Robert Hunter, 1974
Tiger Rose, Robert Hunter, 1975
Reflections, Jerry Garcia, 1976
Cats Under The Stars, Jerry Garcia Band, 1978
Here Goes Nothing, Zero, 1987
Laughing Water, Jazz Is Dead, 1999
3614 Jackson Highway (Extended CD release), Cher, 2000?
Don't Let Go, Jerry Garcia Band, 2001
Worcester, MA, 4/4/1973, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 2003
All Good Things: Jerry Garcia Studio Sessions, Jerry Garcia / Jerry Garcia Band, 2004
Pure Jerry: Theatre 1839, July 29 & 30, 1977, Jerry Garcia Band, 2004
Pure Jerry: Warner Theatre, March 18, 1978, Jerry Garcia Band, 2005
Garcia Plays Dylan, Jerry Garcia Band / Grateful Dead, 2005
Mariaville, NY, August 12, 2005, Ratdog, 2005
The Best Of Jerry Garcia, Jerry Garcia, 2006
For Rex : The Black Tie Dye Ball, The Zen Tricksters and Special Guests, 2006
Grateful Fest 6: Friday August 19, 2005, Various Artists, 2006
With others - compilations
Some of the recordings that include Donna Thatcher on backing vocals, such as When A Man Loves A Woman and Suspicious Minds, have been included on numerous compilations. The list below is not intended to be complete but is a selection of compilations that include tracks on which she is involved.
You'll Never Walk Alone, Elvis Presley, 1971
Burbank, Various Artists, 1972
Rock's Greatest Hits, Various Artists, 1972
An Anthology, Vol. 2, Duane Allman, 1974
Sampler For Deadheads (#1 of 3), Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter, 1975
The Beat Goes On, Sonny & Cher, 1976
Out Of The Blues, David Bromberg, 1977
Arista AOR Sampler, Various Artists, 1978
Promontory Rider - A Retrospective Collection, Robert Hunter, 1982
Memphis Record, Elvis Presley, 1987
Songs from the Sacred Napkin, Various Artists, 1990
L.A. Lady, The New Riders Of The Purple Sage, 1991
It Tears Me Up: The Best Of Percy Sledge, Percy Sledge, 1992
From Nashville To Memphis, Elvis Presley, 1993
Wasted Tasters, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1998
Gypsy Cowboy/Panama Red, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 2000
Ridin' with Panama Red, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 2000
Weir Here: The Best Of Bob Weir, Bob Weir, 2004
Albums that include cover versions of Donna Jean Godchaux compositions
Compositions on albums - major albums
Here Goes Nothing, Zero, 1987
Terrapin, Joe Gallant and Illuminati, 1999
The 1000th Show, Dark Star Orchestra, 2005
