Mamas and dads have imploded "toxic" relationships, says a new book

The four members of the short folk group were a "Love Square", said the author.


Mamas and dads were one of the greatest folk acts of the 60s, and their music still resonates with listeners today. However, the group was only for a surprisingly short time. They were active first for three years, from 1965 to 1968, then gathered briefly in 1971 for another album. A new book hollow in the rise and the fall of Moms and dads , including "toxic" personal and romantic relationships that led to their separation.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Scott G. Shea , author of All leaves are brown: how mothers and dads gathered and separated , underlined the tense relations Among the group comrades, who included a constant shame, affairs and an unrelated love. Continue reading to learn more.

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The group was formed in 1965.

The Mamas & the Papas circa 1960s
Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

Mamas and dads gathered in 1965 during the married couple John And Michelle Phillips associates with a musician Denny Doherty , who was in The Mugwummps group. Doherty MUGWUMPS CATE MUGWUMPS Cass Elliot Then joined the group as a final member.

Between the years 1966 and 1968, the group released four albums and achieved songs such as "California Dreamin '" and "Monday, Monday". In 1971, they released a fifth album, People like us , because they were still under contract with their label.

They were a "love square," said Shea.

The Mamas & the Papas posing for an album cover in 1966
Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

According to Shea, complicated relationships within mothers and dads have made it a kind of "square of love". At the start of the group's existence, Michelle and Doherty began to have an affair when she was still married to John. The dismay which even led Michelle would briefly replace in the group. Meanwhile, Elliot was in love with Doherty. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

"It was quite toxic," Shea told Fox News Digital. "I don't think John can never trust Denny while Michelle was in the photo. Jill Gibson , who came out with their producer ... but it simply did not work. So Michelle was brought back ... Then John started to have her own business. Then you have denny submitting to Michelle, but that did not prevent her from having her own [adventures]. And Cass had a series of lovers who wanted her just for her money. And she still loved Denny. It is as bad and as complicated as possible. ""

Elliot finally proposed to Doherty, but that did not work as she hoped. "He just laughed," said Shea. "He was drunk, and I don't think he knew she was serious. I know it was something that he regretted the rest of his life. He then spoke about it. . But that gave Cass even more the reason to leave ", I am out here. ""

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John intimidated Elliot of his weight.

The Mamas and the Papas circa 1960s
Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

Shea explained that John did not like Elliot and would make fun of her for her appearance, in particular by comparing her negatively in Michelle. He would have said once to Doherty: "His eyes are too close to each other, and she feels!" He also included the line, "and no one is growing except Mama Cass", in the song "Creeque Alley". According to the author, when Elliot shared that she was pregnant, John asked her when she had an abortion.

Shea believes that John was jealous of Elliot's talent. "[W] thumb he gathered his group, I think he had a trio in mind," said Shea. "He wanted to be the musical cultivator with the beautiful main singer and the beautiful singer ... he did not feel cass in shape. But the thing is that he just didn't love him. He didn't want her In his group ... I think there was a persistent resentment there. He was very energetic with her in a way that he was not with others. "

In relation: See the latest surviving members of Jefferson Airplane now .

Some members of the group also discussed the drama.

Michelle Phillips, Denny Doherty, and John Phillips after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998
Jon Levy / AFP via Getty Images

Today, Michelle is the only original surviving member of mamas and dads. She and John divorced in 1969. Elliot died in 1974 at the age of 32 of a heart attack. John died at 65 in 2001. Doherty died in 2007 at 66.

In 2022, Michelle spoke of Rolling stone About his time in the group , including interpersonal drama.

From her connection with Doherty, she said: "John didn't really find us with sex, but he went downstairs and I was sitting on Denny's bed in my night dress, giving her candy. He said, "You could do a lot for me, Mich, but you [not explained] my tenor. "" She added John and her own things ", he wrote this song" The young girls come to the canyon ". I used to say to him:" Yeah, John, and you [explained] all . '"

Doherty too talked about the group's love square In an interview of 2001. At the time, he proposed a program entitled Dream has a little dream: the almost true story of mothers and dads . "The truth is that what was going on was pure shit. It was As the world turns ,, Young people and agities , And Another world , everything happened in one, "he said The globe and the mail In 2001. "Michelle and I have an affair, John discovers it, and Mama Cass wants me. In the end, nobody has what they want, and everyone is heading for the house. This is the abridged version. "


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