Scott McKenzie
| Scott McKenzie | |
|---|---|
McKenzie performing on Germany's 50 Jahre Rock! Love Songs in 2004.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Philip Wallach Blondheim |
| Born |
January 10, 1939 Jacksonville, Florida |
| Died | August 18, 2012 (aged 73) Los Angeles, California |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1950s–2010 |
| Labels | Ode Records |
| Associated acts | The Mamas & the Papas |
| Website | scottmckenzie.info |
Scott McKenzie (born Philip Wallach Blondheim, January 10, 1939 – August 18, 2012) was an American singer and songwriter. He was best known for his 1967 hit single and generational anthem, "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)".
Philip Wallach Blondheim was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1939. His family moved to Asheville, North Carolina, when he was six months old. He grew up in North Carolina and Virginia, where he became friends with the son of one of his mother's friends, John Phillips. In the mid-1950s, he sang briefly with Tim Rose in a high school group called The Singing Strings, and later with Phillips, Mike Boran, and Bill Cleary formed a doo wop band, The Abstracts.
In New York, The Abstracts became The Smoothies and recorded two singles with Decca Records, produced by Milt Gabler. During his time with The Smoothies, Blondheim decided to change his name for business reasons:
In 1961 Phillips and McKenzie met Dick Weissman and formed the folk group, The Journeymen, at the height of the folk music craze. They recorded three albums and seven singles for Capitol Records. After The Beatles became popular in 1964, The Journeymen disbanded. McKenzie and Weissman became solo performers, while Phillips formed the group The Mamas & the Papas with Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot, and Michelle Phillips and moved to California.
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