Denny Doherty
Encyclopedia
Dennis Gerrard Stephen Doherty (November 29, 1940 – January 19, 2007) was a Canadian singer and songwriter
. He was most widely known as a founding member of the 1960s musical group The Mamas & the Papas
.
, Nova Scotia
. Doherty started his musical career in Halifax in 1956 with a band called the Hepsters. With friends Richard Sheehan, Eddie Thibodeau and Mike O'Connell, the Hepsters played at clubs in the Halifax area. The band was together for about 2 years. Sheehan recalls that they drew crowds wherever they went due to Denny's incredible voice. In 1960, at the age of 19, Doherty, along with Pat LaCroix and Richard Byrne, co-founded a folk
group called The Colonials in Halifax, Nova Scotia. When they got a record deal with Columbia Records
, they changed their name to The Halifax Three. The band recorded two LPs and had a minor hit, "The Man Who Wouldn't Sing Along With Mitch", but ultimately broke up in 1963. Coincidentally, they broke up at a hotel called "The Colonial" in Los Angeles.
In 1963, Doherty established a friendship with Cass Elliot
when she was with a band called "The Big Three." While on tour with "The Halifax III
", Doherty met John Phillips
and his new wife, model Michelle Gilliam
.
A few months later, The Halifax III dissolved, and Doherty and their accompanist, Zal Yanovsky
, were left broke in Hollywood. Elliot heard of their troubles and convinced her manager to hire them. Thus, Doherty and Yanovsky joined the Big Three (increasing the number of band members to four). Soon after adding even more band members, they changed their name to "The Mugwumps
". The Mugwumps soon broke up also due to insolvency. The Mamas & Papas song "Creeque Alley
" briefly outlines this history.
About this time, John Phillips' new band, "The New Journeymen," needed a replacement for tenor
Marshall Brickman
. Brickman had left the folk trio to pursue a career in television writing, and the group needed a quick replacement for their remaining tour dates. Doherty, then unemployed, filled the opening. After the New Journeymen called it quits as a band in early 1965, Elliot was invited into the formation of a new band, which became "The Magic Cyrcle." Six months later in September 1965, the group signed a recording contract with Dunhill Records
. Changing their name to The Mamas & the Papas
, the band soon began to record their debut album, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
.
When the affair was discovered, John and Michelle moved to their own residence (they had been sharing a house with Doherty), and the band continued recording together. Eventually the band signed a statement in June 1966 with their record label's full support, firing Michelle from the band. She was quickly replaced by Jill Gibson
, girlfriend of the band's producer Lou Adler
. Gibson's stint as a "Mama" lasted two and a half months.
Due to fan demand, Michelle was allowed to rejoin the band in August 1966, while Gibson was given a lump sum for her efforts. The band completed their second album (titled simply, "The Mamas and the Papas") by re-recording, replacing, or overlaying new vocal parts by Michelle Phillips over Jill Gibson's studio vocals.
After a continuing string of hit singles, many television appearances (including a notable and critically well-received TV special featuring the music of Rodgers and Hart), a successful third studio album ("The Mamas and the Papas Deliver" in March 1967), and the groundbreaking sociological impact of the Monterey International Pop Festival (which had been organized by John Phillips and Lou Adler) in June 1967, an ill-fated trip to England in October 1967 fragmented the already damaged group dynamic. Cass Elliot quit, after a stinging insult from John Phillips, but returned to complete her parts for the group's overdue fourth album ("The Papas and the Mamas", which was finally released in May 1968). By then, Michelle had given birth to John's daughter, Chynna (in February 1968) and a formal statement had been released, announcing the band's demise.
In 1982, Doherty joined a reconstitution of the Mamas and the Papas consisting of John Phillips
, his daughter Mackenzie Phillips
and Elaine Spanky McFarlane, which toured and performed old standards and new tunes written by John Phillips.
Doherty produced an off-Broadway show called Dream a Little Dream, which was a narrative of his perspective of the story of The Mamas & the Papas. It was well received and garnered favourable reviews.
In 1994, Doherty played the part of Harbour Master, as well as the voice-overs of the characters, in Theodore Tugboat
, a CBC Television
children's show chronicling the "lives" of vessels in a busy harbour loosely based upon Halifax Harbour
.
In 1999, Doherty also played a character by the name of "Charley McGinnis" in 22 episodes of the CBC Television series Pit Pony
.
, from a second abdominal aneurysm
after going to get the first one removed.
Doherty had three children: a daughter, Jessica Woods, from a brief first marriage, and a daughter, Emberly, and son, John by his 20-year marriage to his second wife, Jeannette, who died in 1998.
Doherty appeared in the Canadian
TV series Trailer Park Boys
, Season 7 Episode 10 (series finale) as an FBI figure. Filming was completed just shortly before his death in early 2007. The episode ended with "This episode is dedicated to the memory of DENNY DOHERTY."
His son, John Doherty
, is in a Canadian ska/punk band, illScarlett
.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. He was most widely known as a founding member of the 1960s musical group The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas were a Canadian/American vocal group of the 1960s . The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles...
.
Early career
Denny Doherty was born in HalifaxCity of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. Doherty started his musical career in Halifax in 1956 with a band called the Hepsters. With friends Richard Sheehan, Eddie Thibodeau and Mike O'Connell, the Hepsters played at clubs in the Halifax area. The band was together for about 2 years. Sheehan recalls that they drew crowds wherever they went due to Denny's incredible voice. In 1960, at the age of 19, Doherty, along with Pat LaCroix and Richard Byrne, co-founded a folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
group called The Colonials in Halifax, Nova Scotia. When they got a record deal with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, they changed their name to The Halifax Three. The band recorded two LPs and had a minor hit, "The Man Who Wouldn't Sing Along With Mitch", but ultimately broke up in 1963. Coincidentally, they broke up at a hotel called "The Colonial" in Los Angeles.
In 1963, Doherty established a friendship with Cass Elliot
Cass Elliot
Cass Elliot , born Ellen Naomi Cohen and also known as Mama Cass, was an American singer and member of The Mamas & the Papas. After the group broke up, she released five solo albums. Elliot was found dead in her room in London, England, from an apparent heart attack after two weeks of sold-out...
when she was with a band called "The Big Three." While on tour with "The Halifax III
The Halifax III
The Halifax Three , originally The Colonials, was a folk music band in Canada in the 1960s. the members of the trio were Denny Doherty, Pat LaCroix and Richard Byrne...
", Doherty met John Phillips
John Phillips (musician)
John Edmund Andrew Phillips , was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter and promoter . Known as Papa John, Phillips was a member and leader of the singing group The Mamas & the Papas...
and his new wife, model Michelle Gilliam
Michelle Phillips
Michelle Phillips is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She gained fame as a member of the 1960s group The Mamas & the Papas, and is the last surviving original member of the group.-Early life:...
.
A few months later, The Halifax III dissolved, and Doherty and their accompanist, Zal Yanovsky
Zal Yanovsky
Zalman "Zal" Yanovsky was a Canadian rock musician. Born in Toronto, he was the son of political cartoonist Avrom Yanovsky. He played lead guitar and sang for the Lovin' Spoonful, a rock band which he founded with John Sebastian in 1964...
, were left broke in Hollywood. Elliot heard of their troubles and convinced her manager to hire them. Thus, Doherty and Yanovsky joined the Big Three (increasing the number of band members to four). Soon after adding even more band members, they changed their name to "The Mugwumps
The Mugwumps
The Mugwumps were a 1960s rock band. The Mugwumps made some recordings in the mid-60s, but the short-lived New York group, formed in 1964, is principally remembered for what its members did after they split up....
". The Mugwumps soon broke up also due to insolvency. The Mamas & Papas song "Creeque Alley
Creeque Alley
"Creeque Alley" is an autobiographical hit single written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas in 1967, narrating the story about how the group was formed. The title of the song is derived from the place Creque or Crequi Alley, home to a club in the Virgin Islands where...
" briefly outlines this history.
About this time, John Phillips' new band, "The New Journeymen," needed a replacement for tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
Marshall Brickman
Marshall Brickman
Marshall Brickman is a screenwriter, best known for his collaborations with Woody Allen. He is also known for playing the banjo with Eric Weissberg in the 1960s, and for a series of comical parodies published in The New Yorker.-Biography:After attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison, he...
. Brickman had left the folk trio to pursue a career in television writing, and the group needed a quick replacement for their remaining tour dates. Doherty, then unemployed, filled the opening. After the New Journeymen called it quits as a band in early 1965, Elliot was invited into the formation of a new band, which became "The Magic Cyrcle." Six months later in September 1965, the group signed a recording contract with Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records was started by Lou Adler, Al Bennett, Pierre Cossette and Bobby Roberts in 1964 as Dunhill Productions, originally for the purpose of releasing Johnny Rivers recordings on Imperial Records. It became a record label in 1965 and was distributed by ABC Records...
. Changing their name to The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas were a Canadian/American vocal group of the 1960s . The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles...
, the band soon began to record their debut album, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears is the 1966 debut album by The Mamas & the Papas . In 2003, the album was ranked number 127 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time....
.
Relationship with Michelle Phillips
In late 1965, Doherty and Michelle Phillips started an affair. They were able to keep it secret during the early days of the band's new-found success.When the affair was discovered, John and Michelle moved to their own residence (they had been sharing a house with Doherty), and the band continued recording together. Eventually the band signed a statement in June 1966 with their record label's full support, firing Michelle from the band. She was quickly replaced by Jill Gibson
Jill Gibson
Jill Gibson is an American singer, songwriter, photographer and painter. She is mostly known for having once briefly been a member of the famous 1960s rock group The Mamas & the Papas.-Early life and personal life:...
, girlfriend of the band's producer Lou Adler
Lou Adler
Lou Adler is an American record producer, manager, and director.-Life and career:Adler was born in Chicago, Illinois in December 1933, and raised in East Los Angeles. In 1964, Adler founded and co-owned Dunhill Records. He was President of the label as well as the chief record producer from 1964...
. Gibson's stint as a "Mama" lasted two and a half months.
Due to fan demand, Michelle was allowed to rejoin the band in August 1966, while Gibson was given a lump sum for her efforts. The band completed their second album (titled simply, "The Mamas and the Papas") by re-recording, replacing, or overlaying new vocal parts by Michelle Phillips over Jill Gibson's studio vocals.
After a continuing string of hit singles, many television appearances (including a notable and critically well-received TV special featuring the music of Rodgers and Hart), a successful third studio album ("The Mamas and the Papas Deliver" in March 1967), and the groundbreaking sociological impact of the Monterey International Pop Festival (which had been organized by John Phillips and Lou Adler) in June 1967, an ill-fated trip to England in October 1967 fragmented the already damaged group dynamic. Cass Elliot quit, after a stinging insult from John Phillips, but returned to complete her parts for the group's overdue fourth album ("The Papas and the Mamas", which was finally released in May 1968). By then, Michelle had given birth to John's daughter, Chynna (in February 1968) and a formal statement had been released, announcing the band's demise.
After the breakup
Elliot and Doherty remained friends. After the band's breakup, Elliot had a hit solo show. She eventually asked Doherty to marry her, but he declined. Doherty released a few solo LPs and singles. Of note are 1971's Watcha Gonna Do? and 1974's Waiting For A Song. The latter LP went unreleased in the U.S. and featured both Michelle Phillips and Cass Elliot on background vocals. The recordings would be Elliot's last, as she died a few months after the record was finished. Doherty was stunned and saddened to hear of Elliot's death in 1974 at age 32. He and the other former members of the band attended her funeral.In 1982, Doherty joined a reconstitution of the Mamas and the Papas consisting of John Phillips
John Phillips (musician)
John Edmund Andrew Phillips , was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter and promoter . Known as Papa John, Phillips was a member and leader of the singing group The Mamas & the Papas...
, his daughter Mackenzie Phillips
Mackenzie Phillips
Mackenzie Phillips is an American actress and singer best known for her roles in American Graffiti and as rebellious teenager Julie Cooper Horvath on the sitcom One Day at a Time...
and Elaine Spanky McFarlane, which toured and performed old standards and new tunes written by John Phillips.
Doherty produced an off-Broadway show called Dream a Little Dream, which was a narrative of his perspective of the story of The Mamas & the Papas. It was well received and garnered favourable reviews.
In 1994, Doherty played the part of Harbour Master, as well as the voice-overs of the characters, in Theodore Tugboat
Theodore Tugboat
Theodore Tugboat is a Canadian children's television series about a tugboat named Theodore who lives in the Big Harbour with all of his friends. The show was produced in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada by the CBC , and the now defunct Cochran Entertainment, and was filmed on a model set using radio...
, a CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
children's show chronicling the "lives" of vessels in a busy harbour loosely based upon Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality.-Harbour description:The harbour is called Jipugtug by the Mi'kmaq first nation, anglisized as Chebucto...
.
In 1999, Doherty also played a character by the name of "Charley McGinnis" in 22 episodes of the CBC Television series Pit Pony
Pit Pony (TV series)
Pit Pony is a 1999 CBC television series which tells the story of small-town life in Glace Bay, on the island of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in 1904. The plot line revolves around the lives of the families of the men and boys who work in the coal mines....
.
Death
Denny Doherty died on January 19, 2007 at his home in Mississauga, OntarioMississauga, Ontario
Mississauga is a city in Southern Ontario located in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and in the western part of the Greater Toronto Area. With an estimated population of 734,000, it is Canada's sixth-most populous municipality, and has almost doubled in population in each of the last two decades...
, from a second abdominal aneurysm
Abdominal aortic aneurysm
Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a localized dilatation of the abdominal aorta exceeding the normal diameter by more than 50 percent, and is the most common form of aortic aneurysm...
after going to get the first one removed.
Doherty had three children: a daughter, Jessica Woods, from a brief first marriage, and a daughter, Emberly, and son, John by his 20-year marriage to his second wife, Jeannette, who died in 1998.
Doherty appeared in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
TV series Trailer Park Boys
Trailer Park Boys
Trailer Park Boys is a Canadian comedy mockumentary television series created and directed by Mike Clattenburg that focuses on the misadventures of a group of trailer park residents, some of whom are ex-convicts, living in the fictional Sunnyvale Trailer Park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The...
, Season 7 Episode 10 (series finale) as an FBI figure. Filming was completed just shortly before his death in early 2007. The episode ended with "This episode is dedicated to the memory of DENNY DOHERTY."
His son, John Doherty
IllScarlett
IllScarlett is a Canadian rock and reggae band.Their sound can be defined as pop infused rock reggae. They have made a name for themselves in the Canadian music scene and are making their name known throughout the United States and around the world...
, is in a Canadian ska/punk band, illScarlett
IllScarlett
IllScarlett is a Canadian rock and reggae band.Their sound can be defined as pop infused rock reggae. They have made a name for themselves in the Canadian music scene and are making their name known throughout the United States and around the world...
.