August 18, 2012, Los Angeles, California, United States
Spouse
Anzy Wells
Fact
In 1973 he moved back to Virginia, where he lived for 10 years.
Scott McKenzie (born January 10, 1939) is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known for his 1967 hit single “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)”, which became an anthem for the 1967 Summer of Love.
Born Philip Wallach Blondheim in Jacksonville, Florida, McKenzie was the eldest of four children. His father was a Jewish doctor who had emigrated from Austria, and his mother was of Scotch-Irish descent. McKenzie began singing in his church choir at an early age. He later attended the Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Georgia, where he sang in the choir and played football.
After graduating from high school, McKenzie enlisted in the United States Coast Guard. He served for two years before being honorably discharged. He then moved to Los Angeles, where he began his music career as a songwriter and session singer.
In 1967, McKenzie wrote and recorded “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)”, which became a global hit. The song was written as a tribute to the city of San Francisco and the counterculture movement that was taking place there at the time. The song peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
After the success of “San Francisco”, McKenzie continued to write and record music. He released several albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but none of them achieved the same level of success as his debut album. In recent years, McKenzie has toured extensively, performing his classic hits for a new generation of fans.
McKenzie has been married twice. His first marriage was to Mimi Fariña, with whom he had one daughter. His second marriage was to Susan Hanson, with whom he has two sons.
McKenzie has an estimated net worth of $5 million. He continues to tour and perform around the world.
General Info
Full Name
Scott McKenzie
Date Of Birth
January 10, 1939
Died
August 18, 2012, Los Angeles, California, United States
He died in Los Angeles after two weeks in hospital.
2
In 1973 he moved back to Virginia, where he lived for 10 years.
3
He and John Phillips met when they were teenagers. They formed a doo-wop band called The Abstracts. The band moved to New York and became The Smoothies, where they played on the club circuit and recorded two singles.
4
He grew up in North Carolina, and lived with his grandparents while his widowed mother worked in Washington DC.
5
With the popularity of folk music in the 1960s, he, Phillips, and banjo player Dick Weissman formed The Journeymen. The trio recorded three albums, before breaking up in 1964.
6
In 1970 he moved to Joshua Tree, a California desert town near Palm Springs.
7
A discovery of John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas, singer-songwriter McKenzie is probably best known for performing the hit song "San Francisco". The song, written by Phillips and produced by Phillips and Lou Adler in 1967 has become one of the most popular songs ever written about the city by the bay.
Movies
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Goldbergs
2014
TV Series writer - 1 episode
The Block
2012
TV Series writer - 1 episode
No me la puc treure del cap
2012
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Happy Endings
2011
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Some Jerk with a Camera
2011
TV Series documentary performer - 1 episode
Banda sonora
2009
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Saturday Night Live Sports Extra '09
2009
TV Special music: "Derek Jeter's Taco Hole" - uncredited
The Wrecking Crew!
2008
Documentary performer: "San Francisco Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair"
Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who
2007
Documentary performer: "San Francisco Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair"
Allein unter Bauern
2007
TV Series performer - 1 episode
The Simpsons
2003
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Hinter Gittern - Der Frauenknast
2003
TV Series performer - 1 episode
The Rock
1996
performer: "San Francisco Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair"
Chicago Hope
1996
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Forrest Gump
1994
performer: "San Francisco Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair" 1967
Bullerfnis
1991
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Full House
1988
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Cocktail
1988
writer: "Kokomo" - as Scott McKenzie'
The Graham Kennedy Show
1973
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Great Lester Boggs
1974
Malcolm Vandiver
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Here I Am: Denny Doherty and the Mamas & the Papas