TMS Muse of the Week: Jill Gibson

(KYA Beat)

If there was anything close to the youthful shock of Ginger Spice leaving the Spice Girls for the 1960s—besides the Beatles breaking up—it would probably be when Michelle Phillips was kicked out of the pop group the Mamas & the Papas. While a forgotten period for casual listeners, it was actually a big deal within the band’s circle and fanbase in the summer of 1966. The legend goes that Papa John Phillips gave his then wife the boot for having a fling with peer Gene Clark of the Byrds, even though he was in the midst of his own affair with socialite Ann Marshall. Based on Michelle’s retellings of the story, it sounds like John might actually have been more jealous of Gene’s talent and charisma at the time. Nonetheless, the head Papa and the other two bandmates, Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty, went through the legalities to have Michelle replaced by their manager, Lou Adler’s, girlfriend Jill Gibson for less than three months.

Jill, a tall, cool looking blonde who can be spotted in various concert and party pics of the era, was unsurprisingly already familiar with the Hollywood music community; having been born and raised in Los Angeles throughout the 1940s and 1950s, and attended University High School in 1956-1960. The SoCal native herself claims she’s never experienced being starstruck because many of her classmates went on to fame and fortune. One of those schoolmates was vocalist Jan Berry, who would become one-half of the surf pop duo Jan & Dean, as well as Jill’s first serious boyfriend from 1959 to 1965. During this time, Jill quickly abandoned modeling despite being the perfect aesthetic for the job, and instead focused on learning how to sing and write songs herself. Jan was apparently very supportive of Jill’s own musical endeavors by helping her form her own singing duo, Judy & Jill, with Dean Torrence’s girlfriend Judy Lovejoy in 1962; and wrote a handful of tunes, primarily with songwriter-turned-TV writer-director-producer Tracy Newman [also SNL alum Laraine Newman’s older sister]. Sadly, all of the demos Jill recorded in the early ‘60s were ultimately shelved. The most exposure the blonde received as a singer was providing harmony/background vocals. Jill & Jan’s relationship also ended on good terms, with Jill visiting the popstar multiple times after his serious car crash in mid-’66 that left neurological damage for many months. By this point, Jill was dating Lou, J&D’s manager before supporting M&P.

(Gunther / mptvimages.com)

Although Jill claims she never had any plans of becoming a live performer [probably one reason her music career struggled], she agreed to replace Michelle for the Mamas & the Papas tour that ’66 summer and on their self-titled LP the same year. Even though the idea was for Jill to be an official new member of the band, John realized very quickly the change in line-up wasn’t going to fly with fans; most evident when the new M&Ps played an early gig in Forest Hills, NY, and a concert goer is heavily rumored to have shouted, “Where’s Michelle?” when the foursome hit the stage. By the beginning of September, Michelle’s contract was reinstated, and Jill went back to her own lowkey life. What remains of this short-lived line-up are a couple of band photoshoots and ‘The Mamas & the Papas’ featuring a mix of both Michelle and Jill as the second Mama’s vocals. Despite the awkward backstory, Jill and Michelle never had any problems with each other and continued to be friendly once Michelle re-joined M&P. The two ladies can be seen mingling together in various photos from the legendary Monterey Pop Music Festival the following summer, which Lou, John and Michelle hosted. After Jill and Lou parted ways at the end of 1967, Jill was involved with Elmer Valentine, founder of the famous LA club Whisky a Go-Go, in early 1968 before moving to New York City for a couple of years to take up photography, as well as go out with artist Frank Mason. In 1970-73, Jill lived in Florence, Italy where she focused on painting and sculpting. Since the mid-1970s, the renaissance woman has made both California and Oaxaca her homes and kept up with visual arts for her lifelong career. Her son, Mattia Borrani [b. 1975], is a professional musician and a member of the alt-rock band Oslo.

Though one of the more private rock girlfriends, Jill has been interviewed on occasion in recent years, amusingly living up a bit to the cliché of “If you remember the ‘60s, you weren’t there.” Many of her responses come across as blasé, not realizing she was a witness to music history in her youth. But it’s probably to ‘go with the flow’ and see the experience as a lark than get swallowed up by ego.