Michelle Phillips

Michelle Phillips: Biography in Details

Who is Michelle Phillips?

Michelle Phillips is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She escalated to fame as a vocalist in the musical quartet The Mamas and the Papas in the mid-1960s.

She was later a successful actress in film and television in the 1970s.

Michelle Phillips: Age, Parents, Ethnicity

Michelle Phillips was born in Holly Michelle Gilliam on June 4, 1944, in Long Beach, California.

She was born to her mother Joyce Leon (née Poole), and her father Gardner Burnett Gilliam. She also has one older sister named Russell Ann.

Her mother was an accountant and her father worked as a merchant marine and Michelle was five when her mother passed away. She died of a brain aneurysm.

Then, her father remarried five times following her mother’s death. Phillips and her sister were raised in Mexico City, Mexico, between the age of 6 and 12, where her father was studying sociology on the GI Bill at Mexico City College. She was a childhood friend of a former American Sue Lyon.

Her ethnicity is Mixed (English, Scottish) and her nationality is American.

In which school did Michelle Phillips attend?

Between the ages of six and twelve, Michelle attended Mexican school, later at age thirteen, Phillips returned to the United States with her father and sister, settling again in Los Angeles.

There she attended several high schools like Alexander Hamilton High School, John Marshall High School, and Eagle Rock High School.

Michelle Phillips: The Mamas and the Papas

Michelle Phillips’s career started after meeting John Phillips who was touring California with his band the Journeymen. She then married him and moved to New York.

Then they began writing songs together. In 1966, their debut album If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears was released.

Michelle co-wrote some band’s hits, including California Dreamin which was featured in their debut album. After that, they released more albums from 1965 to 1969.

In 1970, Michelle Phillips appeared in Gram Parsons’ science fiction film Saturation 70, but they never finished the movie. Later, her band broke up and Michelle started taking acting classes in Los Angeles.

Movie Career

Her first-ever movie was The Last movie in 1971. After two years Michelle got the lead role in the thriller film Dillinger as John Dillinger’s girlfriend. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her performance in Dillinger.

The same year, Phillips recorded vocals for the Cheech & Chong single Basketball Jones which peaked at no 15 on the Billboard singles chart. In 1977, her solo album Victim of Romance was released.

Later, she appeared in the film adaption of the Sidney Sheldon novel Bloodline. But, they received negative reviews, her performance was criticized by critics.

Similarly, In 1986, Phillips wrote an autobiography, California Dreamin’: The True Story of the Mamas and the Papas.

In it, Philips describes events such as her first meeting with fellow Mama, Cass Elliot, of winning 17 straight shoots at a crap table in San Juan, Puerto Rico, she also describes the band being broke and could not afford the airfare back to the United States, and how her writing credit on California Dreamin’, which still nets her royalties.

Michelle Phillips: Salary, Net Worth

Actress and singer-songwriter Michelle Phillips has an estimated net worth of $10 million.  Her primary source of income is music.

Awards

Michelle Phillips has won 3 awards in her whole career, not to mention her nominations for several awards. In  2006, she was the winner of the Spirit of the Independent Award for the documentary And the Sea Took Us.

Also, Michelle was the Winner of the Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villainess: Prime Time Knots Landing.

She received her last award in Anniversary Award (2009) for Knots Landing (1979). In 1998, along with her other band members, Phillips was inducted into the Rock-and-roll Hall of Fame in New York City.

In 2000, she was also elected into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame for The Mamas & the Papas.

Michelle Phillips: Rumors and Controversy/Scandal

There was a rumor that Michelle was interested in a threesome with Mick Jagger, but was denied by Michelle herself. She was angry at the infamous groupie Pamela Des Barres for thinking she would.

Michelle stated that It was a lie, and she doesn’t even know this woman. It was absurd she would drag Michelle into her storyline. 

Also, Phillips was arrested on December 2, 1987, in Amarillo, Texas, for marijuana possession after being pulled over for speeding.

The marijuana was discovered after police searched the vehicle where Phillips was a passenger in the car with Geoffrey Tozer. Phillips was fined and released on a $500 bond

How tall is Michelle Phillips?

Michelle Phillips is 5 ft 7 inches tall and weighs 54kg.

She has eyes that are green and her hair is light brown.

Social Media

This actress is not available on social sites like Facebook and Twitter. However, Michelle Phillips has 2k followers on Instagram.

To know more about G-Eazy, Kid Capri, and Jae-Hyung Park.

Michelle Phillips's Birthday Dates