Country Joe McDonald
b. 1 January 1942, El Monte, California, USA. Named Joe in honour of Joseph Stalin by his politically active parents, McDonald became immersed in Berkeley's folk and protest movement during the early '60s. In 1964, he made a low-key album with fellow performer Blair Hardman, and later founded the radical pamphlet, RAG BABY. An early copy included a four-track record which featured the original version of the singer's celebrated anti-Vietnam War song, I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag. In 1965, he formed the Instant Action Jug band, which later evolved into Country Joe & The Fish. This influential acid-rock band was one of the era's finest, but by 1969, McDonald had resumed his solo career. Two tribute albums, THINKING OF WOODY GUTHRIE and TONIGHT I'M SINGING JUST FOR YOU (a selection of C&W favourites) presaged his first original set, HOLD ON IT'S COMING, which was recorded in London with several British musicians. This was followed by QUIET DAYS IN CLICHY, the soundtrack to a film of Henry Miller's novel, and WAR WAR WAR, an evocative adaptation of the work of poet Robert Service. The acclaimed PARIS SESSIONS was a critical success, but subsequent releases lacked the artist's early purpose. He has remained a popular live attraction and his commitment to political and environmental causes is undiminished, as exemplified on a 1989 release, VIETNAM EXPERIENCE.