BORN: Dennis Gerard Stephen Doherty, November 29, 1940 in Halifax, NS
Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Doherty formed his first folk trio in 1959. Named The Colonials, the trio played across Canada and after changing the name to The Halifax Three, signed a
recording contract in New York. After the trio broke up, Doherty joined Cass Elliot as a member of her group, The Big Three. Inspired by The Beatles, The Big Three recruited Zal Yanovsky and
John Sebastian and changed its name to The Mugwumps. Although the folky, rocking Mugwumps broke new ground, a record release was not forthcoming and the band split up.
Sebastian and Yanovsky formed The Lovin' Spoonful and Cass and Doherty joined up with fellow folkies John and Michelle Phillips to become The Mamas and the Papas.
Success shone brightly on the group after a move to Los Angeles in 1965. With top-selling albums and singles such as "California Dreamin'," "Monday Monday," and "I Saw Her Again,"
The Mamas and the Papas were one of the biggest bands in rock 'n' roll from 1965 to '67. The group had nine top-40 hits during this time (six reached the top five) and albums included debut If
You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, which went to No. 1, The Mamas The Papas, which reached No. 4, Deliver, which hit No. 2 and the compiled-hits LP Farewell To The First Golden Era which reached #5.
After the demise of the group in 1969, Doherty recorded two solo albums, then returned to New York City where he played the lead on Broadway in Phillip's Man on The Moon. In 1978 he went
to Halifax to host Denny's Sho for CBC TV and also continued to act, landing the lead in Paul Ledoux's North Mountain Breakdown as well as many roles at Halifax's Neptune Theatre.
The Mamas and the Papas were reunited in the early '80s with original members Doherty, Phillips, plus Spanky McFarlane and McKenzie Phillips. Doherty continues to perform occasionally with
the group, squeezing in appearances between theatre engagements such as Fire, The Secret Garden and tapings of his hit children's TV show Theodore Tugboat.
Singles
Albums
Video
Compilation Tracks
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