Scott's Story

Scott was born Philip Blondheim in 1939 on 10 January and not 1 October as is very often reported. He was born in Jacksonville Beach , Florida, where he lived for only six months before moving to Asheville, North Carolina. Scott's father died in Asheville in 1941, a few months after Scott turned two years old.

In early 1942, just after WWII had begun for the USA, Scott's mother moved to Washington, DC, to get a job in the civil service. During the war years travel and housing was expensive, so Scott saw his mother rarely, usually only once a year. During this time his mother had to share rooms with coworkers in Washington, in order to afford the rent. Until 1946, Scott lived with first his grandmother and then three other families, in North Carolina, Kentucky and Rhode Island.

In 1946, Scott's mother was able to find two attic rooms in a town house in Alexandria, VA, and Scott joined her. At that time, for a few years, his mother worked as personal assistant to Anna Rosenberg, who was an assistant secretary of defense in the office of Secretary of Defense General George C. Marshall. General Marshall was author of the Marshall Plan, for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953. General Marshall received many gifts, one of which he gave to Scott's mother: tickets to the circus. Scott remembers that he sat right down in front, and when famed clown Emmett Kelly Snr came walking by in the opening parade he danced over and tickled Scott's face with the feather duster he was carrying. Scott says he will never forget that -- funny the things we remember.

Scott (Phil) at 15 - 1954

Scott got interested in singing and playing guitar in the mid fifties. Singing always meant more to him than playing any instrument, although he entertained the fantasy of becoming a jazz guitarist for a while. His real love at the time was jazz. He used to spend hours singing along at the top of his voice to jazz vocal albums.

In the mid fifties Scott and John Phillips were both singing, but in separate vocal groups. They first met at one of John's legendary parties in his apartment on Ramsey Alley in Alexandria, Virginia. John sat in a corner on the floor, singing and playing one of his songs on guitar. Scott told him he liked to sing and play guitar too. John said "Well, sit down and sing this part." Scott did as he was told, and so began a long musical friendship.

John and Scott formed a quartet, which they named The Abstracts. They fashioned themselves after groups like The Four Freshmen, The Hi-Los and the Four Preps. In 1959, they made their first trip to New York and met an agent who had been in group called "The Smoothies", which had a big hit in the 40's called "You're an Old Smoothie". "The Abstracts" became "The Smoothies" and began to work in traditional night clubs with chorus girls and comedians.

In 1960 "The Smoothies" recorded a few pop singles, produced by Milt Gabler, who was later inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for a lifetime of producing artists like Billie Holiday, Louis Armstong, and Bill Haley.

But in 1960 folk music was selling, and soon John and Scott were looking for a banjo player to form a folk trio. They found Dick Weissman, considered one of world's finest 5 string banjo players. They became "The Journeymen" and recorded three albums for Capitol Records.

Then came The Beatles, and everything changed. John formed "The Mamas and the Papas" and throughout the 60's wrote a remarkable body of songs that captured and chronicled the personal and social upheavals of the decade. Billy Joel refers to John as the "Stephen Foster of the 60's." One of these remarkable songs was San Francisco.

So....... how did Phil Blondheim become Scott McKenzie?

John and I, with our two friends Bill Cleary and Mike Boran, composed The Smoothies. We were working at one of the last great night clubs, The Elmwood Casino in Windsor, Ontario. We were part of a variety show that was of the big night clubs but which was disappearing quickly. These shows had three acts, dancing girls, and the entire cast took part in elaborate, choreographed stage productions, with every one wearing costumes that related to the theme of the particular production. Naturally, we were the opening act in those days and lucky to have the work. One of the headline acts was a comedy team. I can remember the name of only one of the team -- Jackie Curtis.

As you might imagine, after-show parties were common. At one of these parties I complained that nobody could understand my real name (most people can't understand and pronounce "Blondheim" until they've heard it several times). I further pointed out that this was a definite liability in a profession that benefited from instant name recognition. Everyone started trying to come up with a new name for me.

It was Jackie Curtis who said he thought I looked like a Scottie dog. Phillips came up with Laura's middle name after Jackie's suggestion. I didn't like being called "Scottie" so everybody agreed my new name could be Scott McKenzie.

And then, once again, we merrily drank the night away.

PS: It was at the Elmwood Casino that I met one of my heroes, Jimmy Durante. I still remember the thrill I felt as I looked into his face. The club owner, Al Siegal, Durante and his wife, and I were making small talk in one of the club's banquet rooms when a voice came over the intercom. Without missing a beat, Durante quipped in his trademark gravelly voice: "I t'ought I was at da races!"

Scott did have some problem dealing with the fame associated with the phenomenal world wide success of San Francisco. Perhaps this can somewhat be described in an extract from Ned Wynn's book, We Will Always Live in Beverly Hills: Growing up Crazy in Hollywood (reproduced with kind permission of the author).

He (Scott) was a crooner in an era which lacked crooners under the age of fifty. He was a natural for the song (San Francisco). What he wasn't a natural for was the result of having a hit record.

"God, Ned, hide me willya?" It's Scott.
He stands on my porch looking wild-eyed and frightened. He looks as if he's been up all night.
"What's wrong, man," I ask.
"Women. They're all over my place. They're swarming up Laurel Canyon."
"Wait, lemme get a few things, a toothbrush ..." I said, heading for the bathroom.
"No, you don't understand. I mean armies. Dozens of girls literally breaking into my house to have sex with me." We stood there looking at each other, he pleading for understanding, me for time.
"Toothbrush and toothpaste," I said, picking up the pace.
"You don't see it, do you? One month ago these chicks wouldn't give me the time of day, and now they can't wait to f*** me. Why? I mean -- it's sick, man. It's perverse. Some of these girls are fourteen, fifteen years old!"
"Toothbrush, toothpaste some gum ..."
"Ned, you're not listening. They come at all times of the night and day, they don't care. They have boyfriends, husbands, it doesn't matter. They're like animals. It's not a turn-on at all, it's -- terrifying." This was subversive talk and it made me uncomfortable. Since when did a man turn down free pussy? It wasn't in the book.
"Get hold of yourself, Scott. This is what we're here for. You're supposed to get all this sex and fame and money. These are the goods for chrissake."
"Then how come it's got me all freaked out?"
"Simple. You're a very sick person, Scott. Now, do you think you could convince some of them, the ones you don't want, that I have a hit coming out, too? Nothing spectacular, I'll just skim off the blowby." Scott stared at me, turned, and fled.

Scott 'dropped out' in the late 60's. In 1970 he moved to Joshua Tree, a California desert town near Palm Springs, where he was frequently spotted wandering around barefoot talking to cactus plants and Joshua trees. In 1973 he went to Virginia Beach, VA, where he lived for 10 years.

In 1986, original Papa's Denny Doherty and John Phillips, with Mackenzie Phillips (John Phillips' daughter) and Spanky McFarlane (ex Spanky and Our Gang) as female vocalists took a new version of the group onto the nostalgia circuit. Later, when Denny left the group, Scott joined John Phillips as the second Papa. However, when John left due to ill health, Denny returned and Scott took the role vacated by John Phillips.

In 1988 Scott co-wrote the Beach Boys hit Kokomo with former Papa, John Phillips, Beach Boy Mike Love and the late Terry Melcher, long time producer of the Beach Boys."

Scott spent much of the 1990's touring with the Mamas and Papas. Eventually, with no original members left, the group disbanded. A great pity that the wonderful music of John Phillips would no longer be heard on stage.

In the 21st Century Scott still performs on occasions. In recent years he has performed in Germany and in 2003 performed on a PBS Folk special.

Denny Doherty, Michelle Phillips and Scott sing at a remembrance for John Phillips - 2001

During March 2005, PBS broadcast a concert called "My Generation -- the 60's Experience." In the show Scott sings San Francisco.

At the end of the program Scott sings a song that is unannounced. It's called We've Been Asking Questions and is one of the last songs written by John Phillips before his death in 2001.

We've Been Asking Questions is a timely song and is crying out to be recorded in a studio and released. Perhaps in 2007, 40 years after his first hit with a John Phillips song, Scott can have another worldwide hit with another John Phillips song.

Click here for further information & lyrics. Download We've Been Asking Questions.

Scott has dedicated every American performance of San Francisco to Vietnam veterans and in 2002 sang at the 20th anniversary of the dedication of the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

In May 2006 the author of this web site, and his wife, were lucky enough to spend three days with Scott at his home in Los Angeles. A very special time of their lives. They chatted for hours on all sorts of subjects. They ate at one of Scott's favorite restaurants and got lost on an LA Freeway looking for the perfect milk shake.

Scott appears in good health - his body aches and creaks like it does for most people of his age (67). He maintains an interesting sense of humor and seems happy.

Surprisingly, Scott McKenzie dislikes the sound of his own voice. This is perhaps another of the reasons that he didn't continue a recording career. Scott has given permission for this web page. However, in his own words, "I can't imagine any one having the slightest interest in me." Perhaps he doesn't know just how much his songs have touched people all around the world.

Scott McKenzie 2006