Scott McKenzie
b. Philip Blondheim, 1 October 1944, Arlington, Virginia, USA. McKenzie began his professional career in the Journeymen, a clean-cut folk group. He later recorded some undistinguished solo material before fellow ex-member John Phillips, currently enjoying success with the Mamas And The Papas, invited the singer to join him in Los Angeles. Although the folk/rock-inspired No No No No No failed to sell, the pairing flourished spectacularly on San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair). This altruistic hippie anthem, penned by Phillips, encapsulated the innocent wonderment felt by many onlookers of the era and the single, buoyed by an irresistible melody, reached number 4 in the US chart, but climbed to the dizzy heights of number 1 in the UK and throughout Europe. Meritorious follow-ups, Like An Old Time Movie and Holy Man, failed to emulate such success, and although McKenzie briefly re-emerged with the low-key, country-influenced STAINED GLASS MORNING, he remained out of the public eye until the '80s, when he joined Phillips in a rejuvenated Mamas And Papas.