The Mamas & The Papas - Legacy

Legacy

Their first successful single, "California Dreamin'," was re-released in the UK and peaked at number nine in 1997.

John's eldest daughter from his first marriage, Mackenzie Phillips, had a successful career as an actress in the mid-1970s, having first appeared in George Lucas's hit film American Graffiti (1973) and then in the successful television series One Day at a Time, but found her success so overshadowed by her problems with drug addiction—habits that she had shared with her father—that by 1979 her career had effectively ended because of her inability to work. She toured with a reconstituted version of the group in the 1980s, singing her stepmother's part while Spanky McFarlane, of Spanky and Our Gang, singing Cass's. It was not until the 1990s and 2000s that she would rebuild her career, mostly with guest-starring roles on a string of popular television dramas.

John's and Michelle's daughter, Chynna, would go on to form the band Wilson Phillips along with Carnie Wilson and Wendy Wilson (the daughters of Beach Boy Brian Wilson), with whom she has been friends since infancy.

John's youngest daughter, Bijou Phillips, is an actress and model.

In 1986, two of the three surviving members of The Mamas and the Papas, John and Michelle Phillips, were featured in The Beach Boys music video "California Dreaming" from the album Made in the U.S.A.. Denny Doherty was not available to appear in the video, and Cass Elliot had died in 1974.

The Mamas and the Papas were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2009. Much press was given to their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, as the members of the group, especially John Phillips, had publicly stated their dislike for each other. At the 1998 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony the three surviving members accepted the award, with Cass Elliot's daughter accepting for her. Michelle Phillips created a memorable moment after all had accepted their awards returning to the podium saying, "I know that Cass is sitting on that big full moon tonight, looking down on these proceedings, wearing a size six Thierry Mugler dress, and thanking you all very, very much." The audience then burst into applause. The group then performed "California Dreamin'".

A musical play "flowerchildren: The Mamas and Papas Story' by Peter Fitzpatrick was produced by Magnormos in Melbourne, Australia, in 2011. A return season will be staged in May 2014.

Dream a Little Dream: The Nearly True Story of The Mamas & The Papas, a musical by Denny Doherty and Paul Ledoux, premiered at the Phoenix Theatre in Arizona in 2007 and ran again, modified, in 2012.