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Denny Doherty dies
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 11:25 am
by expomick
January 19, 2007
Canadian Press
Denny Doherty, the Canadian tenor who was the lead singer of the 1960s super group the Mamas and the Papas, is dead. He was 66.
A family member said this afternoon that the singer-songwriter, originally from Nova Scotia, died earlier today at his home in Mississauga after a short illness.
The Halifax-born Doherty led the group - which included founder John Phillips, his wife Michelle and their friend Cass Elliot - onto the charts with hits including "Monday, Monday," "California Dreamin," "Dream a Little Dream of Me" and "Dedicated to the One I Love."
Michelle Phillips is the only member still living. Elliot and Phillips both died in the 1990s.
Doherty started his music career in Montreal in 1960 as the co-founder of the folk group the Colonials, which later became the Halifax Three.
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 11:27 am
by expomick
Mississauga is a city (really, a sprawling suburb) southwest of Toronto.
Mr. Doherty was, among many other things, also the voice of "Agropur Cheese" radio commercials that I play here at work every day. Never met him, but I'm assured that he was a gentleman and easy to work with when it came to voice-work.
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 11:29 am
by admin
This is sad news indeed. Thanks for passing this along Mick.
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 1:13 pm
by mark_telfer
This is a real shame, which is compounded by the press release being inaccurate. Cass Elliot died of a heart attack on July 29, 1974 and John Phillips died of heart failure on March 18, 2001.
In interviews, the middle-aged Denny always regretted not accepting Cass' marriage proposals years earlier.
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 2:43 pm
by winston
I was just reading the press coverage and was going to post the news. The press coverage is indeed inaccurate.
RIP Denny
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 2:46 pm
by winston
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 2:47 pm
by doctorwho
God bless.
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 4:32 pm
by mgauction
Another one of my childhood heroes -- gone!
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 7:13 pm
by kennyhowes
Brian, that story is wrong too - Cass Elliot did NOT choke on a @#$% sandwich! Argh!
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 7:24 pm
by expomick
Amazing how that piece of fiction continues to be told to this day.
The CP story was quickly thrown together, as I had just refreshed my brower, and there it was. Someone got some key facts very wrong.
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 7:25 pm
by expomick
Talk about getting things very wrong...it's browser, not brower. I believe I have just been taught a lesson by the typing Gods.
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 7:32 pm
by rictified
Also, "Dream a Little Dream of me" was Cass's first solo work although it was probably the same studio band and producer (Phillips?) who did the Mamas and Papas.
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 7:35 pm
by wmthor
RIP Denny
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 12:48 am
by jz63
That's a drag. I've become a Mamas & Papas convert recently and I've come to realize that Denny's voice was such a powerful force and one of the reasons that made them stars. I would recommend the Cass bio "Dream A Little Dream" for a fairly through look at the internal mess that became of the band at the height of their fame.
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 3:48 am
by admin
Here is a wonderful and very moving song recorded by Denny. It provides a burst of sunlight in the middle of this storm. Who better to help us deal with our loss than Denny.
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