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El Monte Today
By the People, for the People
Woodstock Icon 'Country Joe' McDonald Dies at 84
The counterculture figure and singer-songwriter known for his anti-war anthem "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" passed away from Parkinson's complications.
Published on Mar. 9, 2026
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Country Joe McDonald, the hippie rock star of the 1960s whose "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" became an anthem for Vietnam War protesters, died on Sunday at the age of 84. McDonald, who performed with his band Country Joe and the Fish, died in Berkeley, California from complications of Parkinson's disease.
Why it matters
McDonald was a key figure in the counterculture movement of the 1960s, and his iconic anti-war song "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" was a defining moment at the Woodstock music festival. His death marks the passing of an era and the loss of a prominent voice that challenged the status quo during a turbulent time in American history.
The details
McDonald wrote or co-wrote hundreds of songs, from psychedelic jams to soul-influenced rockers, and released dozens of albums. But he was best known for "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag," a talking blues song he completed in less than an hour in 1965 that became a rebuke to the Vietnam War. The song featured a chant that concertgoers would learn by heart, and its performance at Woodstock in 1969 was a defining moment captured in the festival's documentary.
- McDonald died on Sunday, March 9, 2026.
- "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" was written in 1965, the same year President Lyndon Johnson began sending ground forces to Vietnam.
- Country Joe and the Fish performed the song at Woodstock in 1969.
The players
Country Joe McDonald
A hippie rock star of the 1960s whose "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" became an anthem for Vietnam War protesters. He performed with his band Country Joe and the Fish.
Kathy McDonald
Country Joe McDonald's wife of 43 years, who reported his death from Parkinson's disease complications.
Woody Guthrie
Country Joe McDonald's hero, whose deadpan style inspired the delivery of "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag."
Abbie Hoffman
A political radical that Country Joe McDonald was friends with, leading to him being called as a witness in the "Chicago Eight (or Seven)" trial.
Jerry Rubin
Another political radical that Country Joe McDonald was friends with, leading to him being called as a witness in the "Chicago Eight (or Seven)" trial.
What they’re saying
“Some people alluded to peace and stuff (at Woodstock), but I was talking about Vietnam. I was talking about the war that was killing us, literally killing us.”
— Country Joe McDonald (Associated Press)
“No singing is permitted in the courtroom.”
— The judge (Courtroom proceedings)
What’s next
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Berkeley that Country Joe McDonald helped organize the construction of in the 1990s will hold a special ceremony to honor his memory.
The takeaway
Country Joe McDonald's legacy as a counterculture icon and his iconic anti-war anthem "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" cemented his place in the history of the 1960s protest movement. His death marks the passing of a generation that challenged the status quo and used music as a powerful tool for social change.
