Country Joe and the Fish

Country Joe McDonald, born in 1942 in Washington D.C., began his musical journey as a folk guitarist and political activist in the early 1960s, performing at local coffeehouses and contributing to the underground magazine Rag Baby. In 1965 he formed Country Joe & The Fish with Barry “The Fish” Melton, and the duo released the self‑produced EP Rag Baby Talking Issue No. 1, which introduced their protest‑oriented style. The band signed with Vanguard Records in December 1966 and released their debut album Electric Music for the Mind and Body in May 1967, reaching number 39 on the Billboard 200; the single "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine" peaked at number 98 on the Hot 100. In November 1967 the group issued I‑Feel‑Like‑I’m‑Fixin′‑to‑Die, whose title track became a defining anti‑war anthem. Subsequent releases Together (August 1968, number 23 U.S.) and Here We Are Again (July 1969, number 48 U.S.) marked a shift toward a pop‑oriented sound, while the band appeared at Woodstock in August 1969, where Joe McDonald’s rendition of "The Fuck Cheer" entered mainstream consciousness and was featured in the 1970 film Woodstock. The group disbanded in 1970 after the release of C.J. Fish (May 1970). Country Joe McDonald continued a prolific solo career and anti‑war advocacy until his death on March 7 2026 at age 84.

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