Roberta Mae Phillips

Roberta Mae Phillips, 84, passed away at her home in Los Angeles, California on March 26, 2023. Roberta was born in 1938 in Boston, MA to Adolph and Lucille Silvanoff. From an early age, Roberta seemed destined & determined to follow in the footsteps of her parents, who were entertainers in their younger days. As her singing, dancing and songwriting talents grew, the family made the move to Hollywood, so Roberta could pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Along the way, she earned the honor of Valedictorian at Fairfax High. One of her first forays into the world of music was in the late 50's with the musical trio "Roberta Day and Her Knights". She signed a recording contract with RCA that led to the 1968 release of the album "Watch Me", under the name Jonna Gault. Roberta wrote, arranged, produced, and played all the instruments on most of the songs. As one reviewer said of the album, "You have to look at the fact that this young woman made this rather grand statement, producing and arranging in a time when women just didn't do stuff like that". She was truly a trailblazer. Roberta went on to write and produce the well-received play "Walls" in 1982. Roberta was predeceased by her parents and leaves behind a large contingent of loving cousins & friends. She was interred at Mount Sinai Mortuary in Los Angeles, California, next to her parents. A service will be held at a future date.