'Country Joe' McDonald dead at 84

He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Kathy McDonald; children Seven McDonald, Devin McDonald, Tara Taylor McDonald, Emily McDonald Primus, and Ryan McDonald; and grandchildren, Celia, Reuben, Kepler, and Marcus.

Born on Jan. 1, 1942 in Washington, D.C., Joseph Allen McDonald grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of El Monte. 

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy while still a teenager, and was stationed in Japan for three years.

Founded in 1965 by McDonald and Barry "The Fish" Melton, the group's lead guitarist, Country Joe and the Fish heavily influenced the San Francisco music scene in the '60s with counterculture anthems, including "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag."

While the group disbanded in 1970, Country Joe continued his activism work with groups including Vietnam Veterans Against War and Swords to Plowshares, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to "helping veterans as they navigate the challenges of post-military life so that they can achieve health, housing, wellness, and stability."