Michelle Gilliam Phillips is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to fame as a vocalist in the musical quartet the Mamas & the Papas in the mid-1960s. Her voice was described by Time magazine as the "purest soprano in pop music". She later established a successful career as an actress in film and television beginning in the 1970s.
Phillips in 1977
Phillips performing with the Mamas & the Papas, circa 1966
Phillips performing with the Mamas & the Papas at the Monterey Pop Festival, 1967
Phillips with Dennis Hopper in Taos, New Mexico, 1970, during editing of The Last Movie
The Mamas & the Papas was a folk-rock vocal-group which recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. Formed in New York City, the group consisted of Americans John Phillips, Cass Elliot, and Michelle Phillips, and Canadian Denny Doherty. 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 1960s.
(L-R): Michelle Phillips, Cass Elliot, Denny Doherty and John Phillips on The Ed Sullivan Show telecast of June 11, 1967
The Mamas & the Papas on the cover of Cash Box, 30 April 1966
The Mamas & the Papas on ABC's The Song Makers, 1967