Born Joseph McDonald on January 1, 1942, in Washington, D.C., the singer,
songwriter, and musician is better known as Country Joe McDonald, who first came
to prominence as the leader of iconic psychedelic rock band Country Joe and the
Fish. Joe McDonald grew up in El Monte, California and played in his high school
marching band. He enlisted in the US Navy at the age of 17 and spent most of his
time stationed in Japan. Once he left the Navy, he attended Los Angeles City
College before relocating to Berkeley, California and busking on Telegraph
Avenue. In 1965, he co-founded psych ...