Posted on 01/19/2007 2:27:46 PM PST by COUNTrecount
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - Denny Doherty, one-quarter of the 1960s folk-rock group the Mamas and the Papas, known for their soaring harmony on hits like "California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday," died Friday at 66.
His sister Frances Arnold said the singer-songwriter died at his home in Mississauga, a city just west of Toronto, after a short illness.
The group burst on the national scene in 1966 with the top 10 smash "California Dreamin'." The Mamas and the Papas broke new ground by having women and men in one group at a time when most singing groups were unisex. John Phillips, the group's chief songwriter; his wife, Michelle; and another female vocalist, Cass Elliot, teamed with Doherty.
"Monday, Monday" hit No. 1 on the charts and won the band a Grammy for best contemporary group performance. Among the group's other songs were "I Saw Her Again Last Night," "Go Where You Wanna Go," "Dancing Bear," and versions of "I Call Your Name" and "Dedicated to the One I Love."
"What made the group special was their haunting and sumptuous harmony singing," according to "The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll."
In 1998, the Mamas and the Papas were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The group's catchy sound was a blend of '60s upbeat pop and the folk music that had surged in popularity early in the decade. The song "Creeque Alley" told the story of their formation amid the musical ferment of the folk scene; among the other stars-to-be mentioned in its lyrics were members of the Lovin' Spoonful and the Byrds.
But the group's heyday was brief and it disbanded in 1968 following John and Michelle Phillips' divorce. The members re-formed in 1971 for the album "People Like Us," but all hope for a reunion ended in 1974 when the 30-year-old Elliot choked and suffered a fatal heart attack while eating a sandwich in London.
Phillips briefly re-formed the group in 1982 with Doherty, Phillips' actress daughter, Mackenzie, and Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane. The foursome toured playing oldies and new Phillips originals.
In 2003, Doherty was co-author and performer in an off-Broadway show called "Dream a Little Dream: The Mamas and the Papas Musical," which traced the band's early years, its dizzying fame and breakup.
"There's a part of this thing that if I'm not careful, I'd be just a blob on the stage crying my guts out," Doherty told The Associated Press at the time. "Everybody knows about death and dying and sadness, so it's an exercise in staying in the moment and not getting maudlin about your friends dying."
John Phillips died in 2001 at 65.
The Halifax-born Doherty started his music career in Montreal in 1960 as the co-founder of the Colonials, which later became the Halifax Three.
Doherty made a solo album in 1974 and achieved a bit of immortality by both playing the Harbormaster and voicing all the characters for the children's TV series "Theodore Tugboat."
I heard he choked on a ham sandwich?
Each night before you go to bed my baby....
California Dreamin...
Some great creations.
OH! wow! sad day. anyone have a few tunes of theirs to listen to.
"All the leaves are brown....." RIP.
This is dedicated to the one I love...
That's not true. I think she died of heart disease. I saw a program on her on the Biography Channel and they went into it in depth. Her daughter appeared in the program. In any case the sandwich story is just a myth.
I guess the only one left of this group is Michelle Philips. So sad. They were great talents and they just squandered their abilities in their depraved lives.
BIG Mamas and Papas fan here.
RIP Denny.
the big-un was the group, period.
the rest of them were just ha-skoo level talent contest back-up
...and the sky is gray.
Wrong. I remember the day she died, and it was suddenly. This "heart disease" thing is a new one on me.
If only Mama Cass had shared her ham sandwich with Karen Carpenter, they both might be alive. (end/sick sarcasm)
Seriously though, I wish Mama Cass and Karen Carpenter had lived longer. I think their voices were truly unique.
What a shame. He was far too young.
You asked -- "anyone have a few tunes of theirs to listen to."
Try the website that the U.S. Government has been trying to shut down, by blocking Russia's entry into the WTO. It was all because of this web site --
http://www.allofmp3.com/
The Mamas and the Papas link is below --
http://music.allofmp3.com/mp3/The_Mamas_and_The_Papas/group_1287/albref_25/mcatalog.shtml
I've used the web site for several years and they are very good. Don't know how much longer that they'll be up though, since the U.S. has been trying to shut it down, on behalf of the RIAA...
Regards,
Star Traveler
No, I remember reading it when it happened and the reports came out. She choked to death eating a ham sandwich in her hotel bathtub, IIRC. She might have had a heart attack as a result of the choking, but she was a compulsive eater and apparently used to wolf her food.
Very sad, she had a lovely voice, and the whole group had a lovely sound. But they obviously all had problems that they couldn't overcome. Others had drug problems, they just had - problems.
What a combination Cass Elliot's voice in Michelle Phillips would have been.
I was watching a special on the Mamas and the Papas on PBS a couple of weeks ago. They were pioneers in multi-tracking, which is how they had such a rich sound. Their live performances were terrible. They were more of a technical feat than a singing group.
Still, the music is beautiful and has stood the test of time.
Yeah, I liked all those great songs she wrote that John Phillips took credit for. /sarc
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