Country Joe McDonald, whose subversive antiwar anthem at Woodstock became a defining moment of the 1960s counterculture, has died at 84. The singer-songwriter, known for leading 400,000 concertgoers through a profanity-laced cheer before performing "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag," passed away Saturday from complications of Parkinson's disease, his band announced.

Born Joseph Allen McDonald in 1942 to Communist Party members who named him after Joseph Stalin, he rose from the Bay Area psychedelic scene with Country Joe and the Fish. The band's experimental sound blended guitar distortions with ragtime, old-time folk, and avant-garde influences. Their songs ranged from whimsical social commentary to pointed political satire, including "Superbird," which imagined President Lyndon Johnson as a cartoon lunatic.

While never achieving mainstream commercial success, McDonald's career spanned five decades of solo work exploring feminism, war's legacy, and American folk traditions. His 1986 album "Vietnam Experience" and 2017's "50" marked his enduring commitment to provocative, topical songwriting. The Woodstock performance that immortalized him reflected both the era's free speech battles and his willingness to challenge authority through music.