Saturday, January 20, 2007

Denny Doherty RIP

When I was one year old, I saw my first concert. It was at the Odeon Theatre in Yarmouth, a theatre that no longer exists, circa 1982. My Mum and Dad took my brother and I to see the Mamas and the Papas. Of course, Mama Cass wasn't there -- Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane replaced her -- and Michelle was also replaced by John's daughter, MacKenzie Phillips. But John and Denny performed and I was there. Since I was "in diapers," as my Dad says, I have no recollection of the concert, but it must have been a founding moment in my life because I've always loved the sweet sounds of the Mamas and the Papas.

In my teenage years, my folks took me to see another show based on the Mamas and the Papas. It was Denny Doherty's one-man musical, Dream a Little Dream. Besides seeing Les Miserables, it was probably one of the best shows I've ever seen. And every time I saw Denny Doherty on TV, I smiled and thought back to that amazing show I saw at Neptune Theatre in Halifax.

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and the world lost a legend yesterday. Denny Doherty died after suffering an aneurysm last month. There's a great tribute to the sweetest, most down-to-Earth rock star the music world has ever seen in The Chronicle-Herald today. I suggest you read it and listen to some of those incredible tunes the Mamas and the Papas recorded during the short time they were together.