When most people think of a rock group with an internal dynamic rife with drugs and sexual jealousy, Fleetwood Mac is probably the first name that might come to mind. But a decade before Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, and Christine McVie intrigued us with tales of affairs, break-ups, and betrayal, the Mamas and the Papas were doing it first.
The four founding members of the Mamas and the Papas, John Phillips, Michelle Phillips, Denny Doherty, and Cass Elliot, had all come from folk music. Michelle and Cass were extremely interested in what the Beatles were doing and convinced the guys that rock was where the future of music lay. Between 1965 and 1968, they came out of nowhere to become major headliners, creating a string of hit singles and albums that were among the most successful and best-remembered from that era.
But there was inner turmoil from the beginning. Michelle, Cass, and Denny had all been members of a folk ensemble known as the Mugwumps. Cass had a fierce, but unrequited passion for Denny. Michelle had married fellow folkie, John Phillips, but soon after the official formation of the Mamas and the Papas, began an affair with Denny. When the illicit lovers were caught, Michelle went back to John, and Phillips and Doherty patched up their relationship. The duo even wrote a song about it (well before Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours LP) called “I Saw Her Again.”
While recording their second album, Michelle was involved in a second affair. This time with Gene Clark, who was a member of the Byrds. John was not so forgiving this time. He had Michelle fired from the group in June of 1966. However, her replacement, Jill Gibson, never jelled with the rest of the group. So, less than 2 months later, Jill was out and Michelle was back in.
The Mamas and the Papas then started a tour. It was now that drinking and drugs (primarily on the part of John & Denny) marred their stage performances and increased tension within the band. Nevertheless, the group continued to find success in the recording studio through 1967. At the same time, John Phillips became one of the primary movers and shakers behind the legendary Monterey Pop Festival. There is some conjecture that during this period Michelle and Denny resumed their affair but Michelle cut it off again.
By 1968, Cass had had enough. She had clearly emerged as the most recognizable personality in the group and was ready to embark on a solo career. She abruptly quit the Mamas and the Papas just as they were to perform a show at the Royal Albert Hall in the UK. Not happy with this turn of events, their record label, Dunhill Records, threatened each of the members with a huge lawsuit if they didn’t get back in the studio and deliver a final album. So, the group did record The Papas and the Mamas, although most of their parts were recorded individually and then blended in post-production.
Michelle and John divorced (shocker, right?). Cass developed a mildly successful solo career until her death (by heart attack, not choking on a sandwich, okay?) in 1974. Doherty struggled with alcohol problems until finally getting sober in the early 80s. He returned to his native Canada where he had a successful career as a TV personality.
Michelle became a very successful actress, appearing in many movies and even being a part of the regular cast on the popular 80’s TV series, Knots Landing.
John Phillips spent years deep in heroin addiction and was embroiled in a further sex scandal when his daughter by his first wife, actress Mackenzie Phillips, claimed she’d had sexual relations with her father for years. Despite all of this, Phillips continued to work as a successful songwriter. One of his biggest post-Mamas & Papas hits being “Kokomo” for the Beach Boys.
Today, Michelle is the only surviving member of the continuous soap opera that was the Mamas and the Papas.
