the Mamas and the Papas

the Mamas and the Papas, American vocal quartet whose intricate harmonies brought them to the forefront of the folk-rock movement of the 1960s. The original members were John Phillips (b. August 30, 1935, Parris Island, South Carolina, U.S.—d. March 18, 2001, Los Angeles, California), Michelle Phillips (original name Holly Michelle Gilliam; b. April 6, 1944, Long Beach, California, U.S.), (“Mama”) Cass Elliot (original name Ellen Naomi Cohen; b. September 19, 1943, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.—d. July 29, 1974, London, England), and Dennis Doherty (b. November 29, 1941, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada—d. January 19, 2007, Mississauga, Ontario).

Veterans of New York City’s Greenwich Village folk scene (Doherty and Elliot performed in the Mugwumps with future members of the Lovin’ Spoonful), the Mamas and the Papas moved to Los Angeles in 1965. At Dunhill Records, with producer Lou Adler, they tallied a series of hits with well-written songs, mostly by John Phillips, that proved perfect vehicles for the group’s cascading harmonies, among them “California Dreamin’”  (1965), “Monday, Monday” (1966), and “Creeque Alley” (1967). In sound and look the Mamas and the Papas typified the groovy optimism of the emerging hippie movement (John Phillips wrote “San Francisco [Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair]” for Scott McKenzie).

One year after 1967’s Monterey Pop Festival, masterminded largely by John Phillips and Adler, the group disbanded, re-forming briefly in 1971. Elliot, who became a soloist, died prematurely. The Phillipses divorced; Michelle became an actress, John eventually triumphed over drug addiction, and both wrote autobiographies, California Dreamin’ (1986) and Papa John (1986), respectively. The group, which re-formed again with some new members in the 1980s, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.