Chynna Gilliam Phillips (born February 12, 1968) is an American singer and actress best known as a member of Wilson Phillips, the pop vocal trio that became one of the defining commercial success stories of the early 1990s. She is the daughter of John and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas, while her Wilson Phillips bandmates, sisters Carnie and Wendy Wilson, are daughters of Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson. The connection gave the group an unusual link to two of the most influential California pop acts of the 1960s, although Wilson Phillips established its own identity through polished harmonies, melodic songwriting, and contemporary pop production.
Phillips began her professional career in acting and modeling. Her early screen appearances included Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), Caddyshack II (1988), The Invisible Kid (1988), and Say Anything... (1989). She also played Roxanne Pulitzer in the television film Roxanne: The Prize Pulitzer and later portrayed Kim MacAfee in the 1995 television adaptation of Bye Bye Birdie. Although acting remained part of her career, music soon became her principal creative outlet.
Phillips formed Wilson Phillips with Carnie and Wendy Wilson after years of friendship and informal music-making. The trio signed with SBK Records and released its self-titled debut album in 1990. Built around closely blended vocals and radio-friendly pop arrangements, the album produced the major singles "Hold On," "Release Me," "You're in Love," "Impulsive," and "The Dream Is Still Alive." "Hold On," co-written by Phillips, Carnie Wilson, and Glen Ballard, became the group's signature recording and earned Grammy nominations for Song of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The album received five Grammy nominations overall and was certified five-times platinum in the United States.
Wilson Phillips followed with Shadows and Light in 1992. While the album earned platinum status, it did not match the exceptional commercial impact of its predecessor, and the group subsequently moved into separate projects. Phillips released her only solo album, Naked and Sacred, in 1995. The record represented a more adult-oriented direction but did not achieve the sales or chart profile of Wilson Phillips' debut.
The trio reunited periodically over the following decades. In 2004, Wilson Phillips released California, a collection centered on songs associated with the West Coast music tradition and the performers who shaped it. The group later issued Christmas in Harmony (2010) and Dedicated (2012), while continuing to perform together. In 2016, Phillips joined Carnie and Wendy Wilson for a Wilson Phillips appearance on the ABC music series Greatest Hits.
Phillips also explored Christian music. In 2009, she formed the duo Chynna & Vaughan with singer-songwriter Vaughan Penn. Their album One Reason combined contemporary Christian themes with melodic pop and marked a stylistic departure from Wilson Phillips' mainstream recordings.
Her later television work included voice performances as Kitty on the animated series Danny Phantom. In 2011, Phillips competed on the thirteenth season of Dancing with the Stars, partnering with Tony Dovolani, and she has also appeared in films and television projects including Bridesmaids. Across music and acting, her career has been defined by a movement between inherited California pop traditions, mainstream vocal-group success, solo experimentation, and faith-based songwriting.