About
Nicknamed Papa John, he was the guitarist, singer, and songwriter who fronted the folk band The Mamas & the Papas.
Before Fame
He formed his first doo-wop group while attending Linton Hall Military School in Virginia. His first real band was a folk trio called The Journeymen.
Trivia
He wrote the musical Man on the Moon in 1975.
Family Life
He had been married four times and was accused of having an incestuous, non-consensual relationship with one of his daughters for ten years.
Associated With
He was the father of Mackenzie Phillips.
