This is a Tribute Blog to my childhood music hero, Country Joe McDonald. Years ago, as an impressionable teenager, I was drawn to all things psychedelic, protests, and hippie counter-culture. No drugs though, I liked to be in control of my faculties even back then.
Joseph Allen “Country Joe” McDonald (1942-2026) was an American singer, songwriter, musician and film composer, who was the lead singer and co-founder of the 1960’s psychedelic folk-rock band, Country Joe and the Fish.
Country Joe And His Yamaha FG-150 Acoustic Guitar With The Hastily Tied Rope Guitar Strap (above image).
I regarded the high point of the three-day Woodstock festival to be Country Joe McDonald’s “The FISH Cheer”. A close second was, of course, Jimi Hendrix’s “Star Spangled Banner”. Third is Santana’s “Soul Sacrifice” and fourth is John Sebastian’s “I Had A Dream” performance.
Country Joe McDonald’s 15 seconds long “The FISH Cheer” is the infamous “Gimme a F, gimme a U”, gimme a C”, gimme a “*” ( you fill in the blank). Then he delivers the death punch, “What’s that spell?!” The audience happily responds. He repeats the chant five times. Do check out this sequence on YouTube. You can see from the film footage, when Country Joe started the chant, the audience was dozing off in boredom. By the end of the fifth “What’s that spell?!” chant, the audience were electrified. “The FISH Cheer” took all of 15 seconds long but music mythology was forged right there and then.
From a happenstance performer with an acoustic guitar, after the FISH Cheer, he was commandeering half a million crowd. After the rousing 15 seconds long cheer, he went on to sing “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixing-To-Die-Rag” anti-Vietnam War protest song.
When the impressionable me first saw that, I was into all things Country Joe (what a cool name and dig those cool apparel and shades) and Woodstock, including collecting psychedelic posters, the triple Woodstock album as well as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Santana albums. And not forgetting the Easy Rider movie and soundtrack album.
Country Joe McDonald’s solo performance on the second day (16 August 1969, Saturday) at Woodstock, as Life always is, pure happenstance. In the Acoustic Guitar magazine interview, Country Joe provides a vivid account of the historical moment (image below).
Country Joe McDonald Electrifies The 500,000 Woodstock Crowd (above image). The gorgeous picture taken by my rock photographer shifu Jim Marshall.
After “The FISH Cheer”, Country Joe instantly became a respected counter-culture icon and national treasure.
Country Joe McDonald, The Coolest Counter-Culture Fashion Icon (above image). Dig the hastily tied rope guitar strap. Fly that Freak Flag high, Joe!
My Country Joe & The Fish CD Collection (above image). “Electric Music For The Mind And Body” and “The Life And Times Of Country Joe & The Fish: from Haight-Ashbury to Woodstock”.
Over the years, I had the supreme honour of meeting my legendary heroes from the mythical Woodstock festival; Michael Lange (concert organiser), Carlos Santana (performer), John Sebastian (performer), Jim Marshall (official concert photographer) and Henry Diltz (official concert photographer).
My buddy Michael Lange, legendary Woodstock festival organiser (above image).
My buddy Carlos Santana (above image). I loved his “Soul Sacrifice” performance at Woodstock where he admitted he was stoned out of his mind on.
My buddy John Sebastian (above image). I loved his “I Had A Dream” performance at Woodstock.
My buddy Jim Marshall (above image). Official Woodstock photographer.
My buddy Henry Diltz (above image). Official Woodstock photographer.
My Woodstock Lithograph with Original Three Day Tickets (above image). Please treat the word “Original’ with a little grain of salt.
My Limited Edition Cotilion Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Woodstock Serial #04372 CD (above image).
On 7 March 2026, Country Joe ascended up to the Astral Woodstock to jam with Jimi, Janis and Jim.
Gimme A F! Farewell and R.I.P. Country Joe McDonald!
