The Mamas & the Papas The Mamas & the Papas The Mamas & the Papas were an American folk rock vocal group who recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. The group was composed of John Phillips, Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot, and Michelle Phillips "née" Gilliam. Their sound was based on vocal harmonies arranged by John Phillips, the songwriter, musician, and leader of the group who adapted folk to the new beat style of the early sixties. The Mamas & the Papas released a total of five studio albums
The Mamas & the Papas to the stage, making a disastrous start in John Phillips' "Man on the Moon" (1975). In 1977, he returned to his birthplace, Halifax, Nova Scotia, and started playing legitimate roles, including Shakespeare, at the Neptune Theatre under the tutelage of John Neville. This led to television work, beginning with a variety program, "Denny's Sho*", which ran for one season in 1978. He went on to host and voice parts in the children's program, "Theodore Tugboat", and to act in various series, including twenty-two episodes of the drama "Pit Pony". Doherty also performed with the New Mamas and the Papas (see