• 1965-1968, 1971-1972

  John Phillips

  Michelle Phillips

  Denny Doherty

  "Mama" Cass Elliot
• The Mamas & the Papas had a rare configuration of two male and two female singers, which gave them a distinctive sound. John Phillips, the leader of the group, originally wanted them to be a trio with his wife Michelle as the focal point and their friend Denny Doherty the third member, but that changed when Cass Elliot convince him to let her join.
• They came up with the name for the group when they were watching a talk show called the Les Crane Show. The guest was a member of the Hell's Angels biker gang, who responded to a question about the women in the gang by saying they're affectionately known as their "mamas." Cass Elliot decided on the spot that she and Michelle were the Mamas, which made John and Denny the Papas. John agreed that they should be The Papas & the Mamas, which Cass quickly corrected to The Mamas & the Papas.
  
  John often made up outlandish stories about how they got the name to amuse himself in interviews, but Michelle set the record straight in her autobiography California Dreamin'.
• The Mamas & the Papas had an impressive run of six Top 5 hits starting with "California Dreamin'" in 1965 and ending with "Creeque Alley" in 1967, but they fell apart in 1968 due to a schism in John and Michelle's marriage and a dispute with their record label. They released a reunion album in 1971 that got little attention, so they again disbanded.
  
  In 1982, John and Denny re-formed the group with two new Mamas: John's daughter Mackenzie Phillips and Spanky McFarlane of the group Spanky and Our Gang. They played the oldies circuit with various lineups until about 2000.
• John and Michelle Phillips were married when The Mamas & the Papas formed in 1965 - he was nine years older. Their marriage suffered from infidelity, including an affair between Michelle and Denny Doherty.
• John Phillips has five children: Jeffrey and Mackenzie from his first marriage, Chynna from his marriage to Michelle Phillips, and Tamberlane and Bijou from his third marriage to South African model Genevieve Waite. Mackenzie is an actress who was on the TV series One Day At A Time and the movie American Graffiti; Chynna is a member of the pop group Wilson Phillips.
• Mama Cass was just 32 when she died on July 29, 1974 in Harry Nilsson's London apartment. She died of a heart attack, but her obituary in The Hollywood Reporter said she died from choking on a ham sandwich, a story that was often repeated but not true. Decades later, the writer of that obit, Sue Cameron, explained that she printed it at the urging of Allan Carr, Cass' manager, who thought she died of a drug overdose and didn't want that story to get out.
• They were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1998.
• On their first album, If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears (1966), the group name is rendered with grammatically incorrect apostrophes: The Mama's And The Papa's.
• Michelle Phillips is the only surviving member of the group. John Phillips died from heart failure in 2001; Denny Doherty died of kidney failure in 2007.
• Michelle Phillips was married to the actor Dennis Hopper for eight days in 1970.
• John Phillips battled substance abuse and spent time in jail for cocaine possession in 1981. He described his struggles and his failings as a father in his 1986 autobiography Papa John.
• John's oldest daughter, Mackenzie, is named after his songwriting partner Scott McKenzie. The two co-wrote the songs "San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair)," "Kokomo" and "Someone To Talk My Troubles With."
• Michelle got the name "Chynna" from a snide remark made by John at the time of Chynna's conception. When Michelle suggested they name the baby "India," John retorted, "You might as well name her North Vietnam or China." >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Michelle - Houston, TX

Comments: 7

• Eduardo from GeorgiaEveryone has seen Monterey Pop, right? (Which I think Mamas and Papas had a big hand in organizing.) One of the doubly awesome-est moments was watching Cass as she watched Janis Joplin do Ball and Chain. Cass was open-mouthed, and obviously awestruck.
• Bruce from CaliformiaOne of the best all time by anyone. True the vocals are soaring and flawless but no one should overlook the arrangement and the Wrecking Crew rhythm section. Can someone tell me if that was Hal Blaine back there?
• Ken from Louisville, KyIn an interview a few years before his death, Denny said that right after their early success, John asked him "What do we do now?" Denny said he handed John a Beatles album and said "Write songs like these." Denny said "And sure enough, he DID!"
  
  
• Lester from New York City, NyHas anyone else heard the story about Mama Cass being rejected by John Phillips as a singer, and Cass getting hit in the head with a pipe and her voice being altered enough that John then found her voice acceptable?
• Michelle from Maplewood, MnMama cass died from a heart atttack it was so sad when all of her fans heard that she was dead and they were not to glad about that when they lost a good lady
• Michelle from Houston, TxThey were an excellent band. One of the greatest. It's a shame, however, that Mama Cass died so young.
• Sara Mackenzie from Middle Of Nowhere, Flnice '60s bands. miss them though!!! i saw michelle phillips on tv a few years ago and she looked GREAT!! mama cass, gonna miss her...:(

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