RIP: Denny Doherty

From a New York Times article:

Denny Doherty, a founding member of the 1960s folk-pop band the Mamas and the Papas, died yesterday [19 Jan] at his home in Mississauga, Ontario. He was 66.

The cause was not immediately known, his daughter Emberly said. But she said her father had recently suffered kidney failure after surgery for a stomach aneurysm.

With chiming guitars and rich, meticulous harmonies that could be tinged with darkness, the Mamas and the Papas became one of the most popular and influential American bands of the era between the Beatles’ arrival and Woodstock. Their enduring hits, like “California Dreamin’,” “Monday, Monday” and “Dedicated to the One I Love,” mixed the gentle jangle of folk with a rock backbeat and sweet, layered pop vocals.

Though John Phillips was the group’s principal songwriter, Mr. Doherty sang most of the male leads, in a clear, friendly tenor that he occasionally punctuated with rock ’n’ roll growls.

The other members of the group, of course, were Phillips (30 Aug 1935-18 Mar 2001), his wife, Michelle (4 Jun 1944-TBD), and Cass Elliot (19 Sep 1941-29 Jul 1974).