The Mamas & The Papas. Biography

The Mamas & The Papas. Biography
The Mamas & The papasMembers: John Phillips (b. 1935), Michelle Phillips (b. 1944), Dennis Doherty a.k.a Denny (b. 1941), and Ellen Naomi Cohen a.k.a Cass Elliot (b. 1941-d. 1974)

The Mamas and the Papas burst onto the American pop charts in early 1966 with a 'Flower Power' anthem, "California Dreamin".

But by 1968, after a number one album and single and countless top ten hits, it was all over.Here's a brief biography on them.It all started in 1961 when John Phillips, who was in a folk band called The Journeymen, met Michelle Gilliam, an aspiring model. They soon fell in love.

While the Journeymen were on tour, John met a rich tenor named Denny Doherty. Later, Doherty would leave his group "The Halifax Three", and hook up with Cass Elliot. The two of them became life-long friends.Meanwhile, John divorced his wife, and he and Michelle moved to New York City, where EVERYONE in the folk scene hung out.

They joined up with Denny and Marshall Brickman and formed "The New Joureymen".

In 1964, Denny introduced them to Cass. In 1965, John, Michelle and Denny, in true "hippie" form, decided to leave New York for a while and went to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. Cass, who wanted to be "more than friends" with Denny soon followed.In St. Thomas, they lounged around on the sand, smoked pot, swam, and perfected their harmonies while John worked on some songs.Cass wasn't yet a part of the group because John didn't know if she could sing high enough.

Success came fast for them. Their first single "California Dreamin" broke in the top 10 in early 1966. Many top 10 hits soon followed.The Summer of Love really began with the "Monterey Pop FestivalThe Mamas and the Papas were the first band to utilize folk, rock, jazz, pop, and beautiful harmonies. They were music icons and the "spokespeople" for the counter culture. To top it all off, they were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

Their music continues to be loved and appreciated by all generations.