Country Joe McDonald

Few draft resistance anthems provided greater fuel for the Vietnam War protest movement than Country Joe McDonald's "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag." More importantly, he was among the first rock musicians of the 1960s to see beyond the slogans and posturing, as McDonald took an active role spotlighting the plight of returning soldiers, demanding they be treated with compassion at a time of great political and social turmoil. McDonald's most high profile moment resulted after his unscheduled solo appearance on the first day the 1969 Woodstock festival. The "Fish Cheer" (which always preceded "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" in his performances with Country Joe & the Fish) had the monumental Woodstock audience joyously replacing the F-I-S-H of the original Fish Cheer with F-U-C-K, soon to become one of the most humorous and memorable moments in the Woodstock movie, essentially launching McDonald's solo career at the dawn of the 1970s. Although his solo albums never reached the popularity of his 1960s albums with Country Joe & the Fish, McDonald remained prolific throughout the next decade, releasing numerous solo albums that continued to mix his unique brand of scathing critical sarcasm, political humor, and compassionate understanding.