The Heart of Gold Band was formed in early 1980, shortly after Keith and Donna Godchaux had left the Grateful Dead in 1979.
Other founding members of the group were guitarist Steve Kimock, drummer Greg Anton, bassist Dexter LaBlanc, and vocalist Greta Rose.
The band continued on for another year, adding keyboardist Mark Adler and replacing Dexter LaBlanc with Donna Godchaux's future husband, David MacKay, before disbanding.
[3][4] A self-titled CD was released in 1998, containing 13 tracks recorded by the original band, 11 of them prior to Keith Godchaux's death.
On August 1, 2016 in celebration of Jerry Garcia's birthday the band reunited for a performance at Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, CA.