Associated Press
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Denny Doherty, 66, a member of the popular 1960s folk-rock group the Mamas and the Papas, known for their soaring harmony on such hits as "California Dreamin' " and "Monday, Monday," died Jan. 19 at his home in Mississauga, near Toronto. He had suffered kidney problems after surgery last month and been put on dialysis.
The Mamas and the Papas burst onto the national scene in 1966 with the Top 10 smash "California Dreamin'." The group broke ground by having women and men performing together. Besides Mr. Doherty, the other members were John Phillips, the group's chief songwriter; his then-wife, singer Michelle Phillips; and another female vocalist, "Mama" Cass Elliot.
"Monday, Monday" hit No. 1 in 1966 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," "I Call Your Name" and "Dedicated to the One I Love."
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.
The group's heyday was brief, and the Mamas and the Papas disbanded in 1968 after John and Michelle Phillips divorced. The group reunited in 1971 for the album "People Like Us," but all hope for a reunion ended in 1974 when the 32-year-old Elliot suffered a fatal heart attack in London.
John Phillips briefly formed a new version of the group in 1982 with Mr. Doherty, Phillips's actress daughter Mackenzie and Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane.
In 2003, Mr. Doherty was a 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," he 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.
Mr. Doherty, who was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, started his music career in Montreal in 1960 as the co-founder of the Colonials, which later became the Halifax Three.
He made a solo album in 1974 and later played the Harbormaster and voiced all the characters for the children's TV series "Theodore Tugboat."