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We have sad news to report from the world of music today:

Donna Jean Godchaux, the powerhouse vocalist who has performed with such iconic acts as the Grateful Dead and Elvis Presley, has passed away.

She was 79 years old.

News of Godchaux’s death comes courtesy of a statement from her family, who explain that she passed away at a Nashville hospice facility “after a lengthy struggle with cancer.”

“She was a sweet and warmly beautiful spirit, and all those who knew her are united in loss,” the statement reads (via People ).

“The family requests privacy at this time of grieving. In the words of Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, ‘May the four winds blow her safely home.’”

Born in Alabama in 1947, Godchaux joined the Dead along with her first husband, keyboardi

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