Denny Doherty

Dennis Gerrard Stephen Doherty (November 29, 1940 – January 19, 2007) was a Canadian singer, songwriter and musician. A tenor, he was a founding member of the 1960s musical group the Mamas & the Papas for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

Early life Denny Doherty was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on November 29, 1940, the youngest of five children. He grew up in Halifax's North End in a devout Roman Catholic household. His father was a dockworker and Doherty has described his mother as "a housewife and mystic".

Career Early career Doherty and three friends, Richard Sheehan, Eddie Thibodeau, and Mike O'Connell, began their musical career in 1956 with a band called the Hepsters. Two years later they disbanded. In 1960, still in Halifax, Doherty, aged 19, along with Pat LaCroix and Richard Byrne, began a folk group, called the Colonials.

Columbia Records signed the group several months later, at which time they changed their name to the Halifax III.

The Mamas and the Papas In 1963, Doherty established a friendship with Cass Elliot when she was with a band called the Big 3. While on tour with the Halifax III, Doherty met John Phillips and his wife, model Michelle Gilliam.

A few months later, the Halifax III dissolved, and Doherty and their accompanist, Zal Yanovsky, were left broke in Hollywood. Elliot convinced her manager to hire them. Thus, Doherty and Yanovsky joined the Big 3 (increasing the number of members to four). Soon, after adding even more band members, they changed their name to the Mugwumps, a CBC Television children's show chronicling the "lives" of vessels in a busy harbour loosely based upon Halifax Harbour.

In 1999, he played Charley McGinnis in 22 episodes of the CBC Television series Pit Pony.

In 2004, Doherty appeared on Sharon, Lois & Bram's 25th Anniversary Concert special, 25 Years of Skinnamarink, that aired on CBC on January 1, 2004. He sang two songs with the trio: "California Dreamin'" and "Who Put the Bomp?"

One of his last appearances was in the Canadian TV series Trailer Park Boys, Season 7 Episode 10 (season finale) as FBI Special Agent Ryan Shockneck. Filming was completed just shortly before his death in early 2007 and the end credits dedicate the episode to him.

Personal life and death

Doherty had three children: a daughter from a brief first marriage, and a daughter and son, John, by his 20-year marriage to his second wife, Jeannette, who died in 1998 from ovarian cancer. John Doherty is in the Canadian ska punk band illScarlett.

Death Doherty died on January 19, 2007, aged 66, at his home in Mississauga, Ontario. The cause was not immediately known, but he had suffered from kidney failure following surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurysm. His funeral service was held at St Stephen's Roman Catholic Church in Halifax. He was interred at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.

Other media Shortly after his death, a documentary about his life was released titled Here I Am. The title song was written by blues guitarist James Anthony.

Discography Single YearAdult Contemporary (chart) "Watcha Gonna Do" / "Gathering the Words"1971 -"To Claudia on Thursday" / "Tuesday Morning"1971 -"Indian Girl" / "Baby Catch the Moon"1973 -"My Song" / "Indian Girl"1973 -"You'll Never Know" / "Good Night and Good Morning"1974#13"Simone" / "Simone"1976 - "-" indicates did not chart in that territory

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1984 Windows Billy Cooper 1992 Hurt Penguins Bilbo RobertsOh, What a Night Harold 1993–2001 Theodore Tugboat Harbourmaster, Narrator All episodes 1997 Elvis Meets Nixon Vernon Pit Pony Charley McGinnis Television film 1998 The Real Howard Spitz Balthazar Mishkin 1999–2000 Pit Pony Charley McGinnis 22 episodes 2001 Prince Charming Jeweller Television film 2004 25 Years of Skinnamarink Denny 2005 This Is Wonderland Season 3, Episode 4 2007 Trailer Park Boys Ryan Shockneck Episode: "A Sh** River Runs Through It"; Final role