4 E Oxford Ave

Alexandria, VA

“Papa” John Phillips (b. August 18, 1935; d. March 18, 2001) was a musician best known as the leader of the band The Mamas & the Papas. He was also a lead organizer of the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, a concert that sealed rock as a legitimate and recognized music form. Formed in the mid 1960s, The Mamas & the Papas had major hits including California Dreamin’ and Monday Monday. Phillips was described as a magnetic, enigmatic and troubled. The Mamas & the Papas were a huge success, but they were short lived. The band was plagued by substance abuse and relationship dramas. In 1968, The Mamas & the Papas broke up and Phillips launched a solo career that included songwriting for major recording artists. Most notably, he wrote songs for the Grateful Dead, the Beach Boys and Scott McKenzie, who recorded Phillips’ San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair). The song became a huge hit -- and a hippie anthem. Though Phillips often sang and wrote about the west coast, he was born and raised on the east coast. He lived for a short time in this house, located at 3 East Oxford Avenue, in Alexandria, Virginia. The neighborhood is called Del Ray, and Phillips attended nearby George Washington High School, graduating in 1953.