CreequeAlley.com

Tributes to John Phillips
who died on the 18th March 2001
John Phillips
Read the news story in Rolling Stone.

From: Maggie OBrien
Hi Richard
What sad news last night about John dying. I heard it on the radio got out of bed and came downstairs and played Dedicated To The One I Love....my heart goes out to the family. We have loss I am sure, a good soul and a great songwriter of our time.

Take care
Maggie

From: Paul Wilder
Thanks for the site. What a great loss for us all. John was unique. I love the Mamas and Papas because of their incredible harmonies. Just listen to their songs Twelve Thirty and Look Through My Window. What BEAUTY!!! Thanks John, Michelle, Cass, and Denny for making my childhood bright.

Respectfully,
Paul Wilder
From: Ned Farrington
Great site. I'm honored to be the 10000th!

I hit the link to the 1995 interview, that's fabulous! I'm also so sad right now. Actually happy/sad for I'm listening to the '16 of their greatest hits' cd and it's making me happy but I'm so saddened of the passing of John.

Timeless this music.
Thank you for easing the pain.
Sincerely,
Ned Farrington
From: Penelope
Hi -- Saddened by Papa John's death yesterday. I am on the young side for M&P fans (I'm 30), but I grew up with their music. My mother is a huge fan, and played their music for me all the time. I clearly remember being 3-4 years old and insisting that I dance with my baby sister for "Baby Do You Wanna Dance", not understanding that "Baby" was a term of endearment for older women, too. This music really brings me back to my early childhood! Thanks for all the extensive information on your site!

From: Gary Koch
They are classic..............sorry about his death today................Gary Koch

From: Carlos Barajas
Dios bendiga a John,le tengo en el mejor de mis recuerdos.

Carlos Barajas.
España.
From: M S Curley
It's always appropriate to say great things about someone when they die. No doubt, the same will be true in upcoming weeks for John Phillips. But more importantly, great things have been said about this man when he was alive, this is a much truer mark of achievement. Today, this world lost a tremendous songwriter and vocal arranger extraordinaire. All of us have certain melodies that for some reason just become part of us. We may catch ourselves mentally humming a song throughout our entire lives without really knowing why. For me, that one melody and song is "I Saw Her Again". It has been a part of me since my early teens. While I'm not sure just exactly how the lyrics" punished" Denny & Michie to sing, the melody is one of those "once in a lifetimes" followed closely by "California Dreamin'" and others.

To the families of this man; we (fans) cannot, I don't think, have any opinion of John other than musically. Unless, of course, we were actually fortunate enough to have known him. Those thoughts and feelings are yours and hopefully respected by all of us. We share in your grief.

MSC
From: Charles T. Buchara
Thanks for the nice interpretation of Creeque Alley.

I was saddened to learn this morning of the death of John Phillips.
From: Lisa Shaw
The world has truly lost one of the greatest musicians of all time.

Keep on jamm'n
:-)Lisa Shaw
From: Joe Agosta
Hi,

I found the link to the Creeque Alley website while reading about the death of John Phillips. Being old enough to have been a fan of theirs in the sixties, and still being a fan, his death is very upsetting. I enjoyed reading the description of the song line for line. I basically understood the song but your description cleared up a few foggy areas. Their harmonies and timing were fantastic. I listen to their music over and over again. Cass was the greatest. The quote from John Collier summed it up the best. Their music is able to transport you back to a place when summer was endless, time was ours, and enjoying ourselves was everything. Thanks for Creeque Alley. It started my day off with a smile and kept a happy sense of nostalgia floating around me all day.

Sincerely, Joe Agosta
From: Bobby Cole
Let's face it, John lived longer than he was supposed to, based on the livestyle he led but we are never ready to accept the deaths of the ones who directly shaped and moulded our lives. I am very sad about hearing of his death and it makes me think of how sad he was when Mama Cass died. He described what he was going through on the video on their history that was put out a few years back. Every time I see that video, there are moments that move me and make me cry.

If you want to hear John at his best, get out their CD or album, shut off all the lights and in complete darkness, listen to "12:30" and "Safe in my Garden". 2 of the most beautiful songs ever written.

To think that he was a man of 31 not 21, when he was pioneering a generation. I wish I had met him and it's a sadder place now that he's gone.

If there is an afterlife, I hope he and Cass have reunited once again.

A big big fan,

Bobby Cole
From: Paul Fuenning
Thanks for the site. I first heard of John Phillips in the early 60's. Our family lived in phx, az. and my father and mother went to see The Journeymen at a local folk club. I did not go as I was only 5 or 6 at the time. I do remember the late night swimming parties where John and Scott and my parents would listen to some guy named Bob Dylan and keep me up most of the night.

When the Mamas and Papas first came out my father bought their album and that year my dad and I went to see them play at the State Fairgrounds in Phoenix. My first concert of many at the ripe old age of ten. I remember sitting on my dad's shoulders thinking how cool it was to be there. My father also took me to movie Monterey Pop which was showing at the local "artsy theatre", I was eleven and saw Joplin and Hendrix for the first time.

When I heard John died this week I was saddened. My father is seventy, I am forty-four with a family of my own...time marches on. I finally got to meet John Phillips, Denny Doherty and Scott Mckenzie about eleven years ago in Los Angeles. I was travelling on America West to Phoenix and I recognized John. I discussed my memories of the late night parties as a child in Phoenix and he laughed. We talked about music and addiction. He was sober at the time. My father had been sober for 20 years and I had been sober for four years. It was an experience I will not forget.

Thanks again for your site. By the way I have two very old albums. The Journeymen-Coming Attraction-Live and The Journeyman New Directions in Folk Music. If you hear of anyone who collects this kind of stuff I would be willing to talk to them.*

Thanks,

Paul Fuenning

*Contact creequealley.com if you want to talk to Paul. I'll put you in touch.
From: Gary Holwell

My wife Gail and I started dating in high school in 1965. The Mamas andPapas were a part of us as we played their music on 8 track tapes for hourson end. Despite the problems they had, they always made us feel happy.

We loved them. Always did, always will.

John was brilliant and since he died we have spent the week watchingStraight Shooter and Ed Sullivan tapes over and over.

He did make a difference.

Gary Holwell
St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
From: Robert Craig

Dear Sir:

It was with great sadness that I learned last week that John Phillips had passed on. Given his history of drug abuse, I should not have been surprised, but I'm saddened all the same.

There are two reasons why I loved The Mamas & The Papas. One was their unique style of vocal harmonies, which set them apart from other pop groups. The other was the fact that I grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, the birthplace of Denny Doherty. Indeed, during the late 1970's, I saw Denny appear in a couple of plays in Halifax. I have also seen Denny on his kids TV show "Theodore Tugboat," and I feel that Denny is as good an actor as he is a musician.

As a matter of fact, two nights before John Phillips had passed on, I was watching at home, through my VCR, my copy of "Straight Shooter," the excellent documentary on John and The Mamas & The Papas! Now talk about strange coincidences!

Nevertheless, I miss "Papa John" and The Mamas & The Papas. Thank you, Papa John, for making the whole world "California Dreamin'." Thank you.

Yours truly,
Robert J. Craig
Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA
From: Tadej Hrušovar

When I heard about John's death I was very sad. You can imagine how much meant to me his music. More than 30 years I have performed The Mamas & Papas songs on several stages over central Europe end Russia. In that time I've met many musicians and the people from music business from all of the world but unfortunately never in my life John Phillips. I must admit I have learned a lot from his music mostly how he'd created a perfect harmony with mix vocals together in a good arranged music. My life was in the moment very similar of his and it seems to me now that I've lost a very good, close and honoured friend. I hope you got my photos I sent them for you.*

My best regards
Tadej, David Hroushovar, Ljubljana, Slovenia

*Click Here for photos of Tadej's band White Crows.



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Last Updated October 2002