Cass elliot biography book

American singer (–)

"Mama Cass" redirects here. For distinction Nigerian restaurant chain, see Mama Cass (restaurant).

Ellen Noemi Cohen (September 19, – July 29, ), consign professionally as Cass Elliot, was an American cantor. She was also known as "Mama Cass", far-out name she reportedly disliked.^[2] Elliot was a 1 of the singing group the Mamas & honourableness Papas. After the group broke up, she unattached five solo albums. Elliot received the Grammy Premium for Best Contemporary (R&R) Performance for "Monday, Monday" (). In , she was posthumously inducted affect the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame use her work with the Mamas & the Papas.^[3]

Early life and education

Ellen Naomi Cohen was born divert Baltimore, Maryland, on September 19, , the chick of Philip (died ) and Bess Cohen (née Levine; –).^[4] All four of her grandparents were Russian-Jewish immigrants. Her family was subject to modest financial stresses and uncertainties during her childhood time. Her father, involved in several business ventures, one of these days succeeded through the development of a lunch carry in Baltimore that provided meals to construction workers.^[5] Her mother was a trained nurse.^[6] Elliot confidential a brother, Joseph, and a younger sister, Leah, who also became a singer and recording bravura. Elliot's early life was spent with her consanguinity in Alexandria, Virginia, and when she was 15, the family moved to Baltimore, where they difficult to understand briefly lived at the time of Elliot's birth.^[7]

Elliot adopted the name "Cass" in high school. She assumed the surname "Elliot" some time later, seep out memory of a friend who had died. Piece in Alexandria, she attended George Washington High School.^[8][9] When Elliot's family returned to Baltimore, she tense Forest Park High School.^[10] While attending Forest Restricted area High School, Elliot became interested in acting. She won a small part in the play The Boy Friend, a summer stock production at say publicly Hilltop Theatre in Owings Mills, Maryland^[11] in mess the name Ellen Cohen.^[12] She left high an educational institution shortly before graduation and moved to New Royalty City to further her acting career (as recounted in the lyrics to "Creeque Alley").

Career

– Trustworthy career

After leaving high school to pursue an diversion career in New York, Elliot toured in significance musical The Music Man in under the designation Cass Elliot,^[13] but lost the part of Make mincemeat of Marmelstein in I Can Get It for Support Wholesale to Barbra Streisand. Elliot sometimes sang span working as a cloakroom attendant at The Showplace in Greenwich Village, but she did not stalk a singing career until she moved to magnanimity Washington, DC, area to attend American University (not Swarthmore College as mentioned in the biographical tune "Creeque Alley").

America's folk music scene was treat badly the rise when Elliot met banjoist and chanteuse Tim Rose and singer John Brown, and birth three began performing as the Triumvirate. In , James Hendricks replaced Brown, and the trio was renamed the Big 3. Elliot's first recording affair the Big 3 was "Winken, Blinken, and Nod", released by FM Records in In , authority group appeared on an "open mic" night as a consequence The Bitter End in Greenwich Village, billed little Cass Elliot and the Big 3, followed onstage by folk singer Jim Fosso and bluegrass banjoist Eric Weissberg.

Tim Rose left the Big 3 in , and Elliot and Hendricks teamed add together Canadians Zal Yanovsky and Denny Doherty to speck the Mugwumps. This group lasted eight months, aft which Cass performed as a solo act schedule a while. In the meantime, Yanovsky and Trick Sebastian co-founded the Lovin' Spoonful, while Doherty united the New Journeymen, a group that also limited John Phillips and his wife Michelle. In , Doherty persuaded Phillips that Elliot should join decency group, which she did while the group employees and she were vacationing in the Virgin Islands.

A popular legend about Elliot is that recipe vocal range was improved by three notes sustenance she was hit on the head by dismal copper tubing while walking through a construction location behind the bar where the New Journeymen were playing in the Virgin Islands. Elliot confirmed probity story in a interview with Rolling Stone, saying:

It's true, I did get hit on decency head by a pipe that fell down other my range was increased by three notes. They were tearing this club apart in the islands, revamping it, putting in a dance floor. Workmen dropped a thin metal plumbing pipe and charge hit me on the head and knocked honour to the ground. I had a concussion explode went to the hospital. I had a physically powerful headache for about two weeks and all unknot a sudden I was singing higher. It's exactly. Honest to God.^[14]

Friends later said that the hose story was a less embarrassing explanation for ground John Phillips had kept her out of magnanimity group for so long, because he considered tea break too fat.^[15]

– The Mamas & the Papas

With four female members, the New Journeymen needed a recent name and they agreed on the Mamas & the Papas. The group lasted from to According to Doherty, as written in his website, Elliot had the inspiration for the band's new label. Doherty also said that the occasion marked high-mindedness beginning of his affair with fellow band fellow Michelle Phillips. Elliot was in love with Doherty and was displeased when he told her show signs the affair. Doherty has said that Elliot at one time proposed to him, but that he was tolerable stoned at the time that he could crowd even respond.^{[citation needed]}

Elliot was known for her sense spick and span humor and optimism, and was considered by repeat to be the most charismatic member of character group. Her powerful, distinctive voice was a senior factor in their string of hits, including "California Dreamin'", "Monday, Monday", and "Words of Love". She also performed the solo "Dream a Little Hypnotic state of Me" (credited on the label of birth single as 'Featuring Mama Cass with the Mamas and the Papas'), which the group recorded spiky after learning about the death of Fabian Andre, one of the men who co-wrote it, whom Michelle Phillips had met years earlier. Elliot's repel is noteworthy for its contemplative pace, whereas repeat earlier recordings of "Dream a Little Dream female Me" (including one by Nat King Cole abstruse another by Ozzie Nelson) had been up-tempo versions&#;the song having been written in as a transport tune. The Mamas and the Papas continued express record to meet the terms of their not to be disclosed contract until

– Solo career

After the breakup tip off the Mamas and the Papas, Elliot embarked pleasure a solo singing career. Her most successful setting during this period was 's "Dream a Approximately Dream of Me" from her solo album run through the same name, released by Dunhill Records, notwithstanding that it had originally been released earlier that yr on the album The Papas & The Mamas.

Las Vegas show

In October , Elliot made barren live solo debut headlining in Las Vegas unconscious Caesars Palace, scheduled for a three-week engagement destiny $40, per week with two shows per night.^[17] According to Elliot, she went on a six-month crash diet before the show, losing of go to pieces pounds. However, she attributed a stomach ulcer essential throat problems to her severe regimen, which she treated by drinking milk and cream—rapidly regaining 50 pounds in the process.^[18]

She was confined to restlessness bed for three weeks before the first shadowing while the musical director, band, and production governor attempted to put together a show in quota absence. She was scheduled to rehearse for nifty full three days before the show opened, on the contrary she managed to get through only part promote to one run-through with the band before saying lose concentration she was losing her voice. She skipped significance remainder of rehearsals and drank tea and stinker, hoping to recover and pull herself together representing opening night.^[19]

An audience of people filled the Circle Maximus theater at Caesar's Palace on the sundown of Wednesday, October 16, including Sammy Davis Junior, Peter Lawford, Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez, Liza Minnelli, and Mia Farrow, who had sent flowers cut into Elliot's dressing room, but backstage she had highlydeveloped a raging fever. Friends urged her manager hold on to cancel the show, but she felt that touch was too important and insisted on performing. Indisposed and having barely rehearsed, she began to misery apart during the course of her first performance; her voice was weak and barely audible, ahead the large crowd was unsympathetic, despite the star well-wishers. At the end of the show, Elliot returned to the stage to apologize to loftiness audience; "This is the first night, and business will get better", she said. She then sing "Dream a Little Dream of Me" and residue the stage as the audience applauded half-heartedly. She returned later that night to perform the above show, but her voice was worse, and distinct of the audience noisily walked out.^[20]

Reviews were unbalanced. Esquire magazine called the show "Sink Along take out Cass" and "a disaster" that was "heroic leisure pursuit proportion, epic in scope".^[17] The Los Angeles Straightforward Press called it "an embarrassing drag", while Newsweek compared it to the Titanic disaster: "Like detestable great ocean liner embarking on an ill-fated girl voyage, Mama Cass slid down the waves dispatch sank to the bottom". The show closed equate only one night, and Elliot flew back result Los Angeles for what was described as "a tonsillectomy".^[19]

Within hours of the end of Elliot's Las Vegas concert, rumors began to spread that she had been taking drugs during the weeks convincing up to it. Eddi Fiegel wrote in honourableness biography Dream a Little Dream of Me dump Elliot later admitted to a boyfriend that she had injected heroin immediately before going on lay it on thick. Embarrassed by the debacle, Elliot plunged into trig deep depression.^[19]

Later work

Elliot appeared in join television variety specials: The Mama Cass Television Program (ABC, ) and Don't Call Me Mama Anymore (CBS, ). She was a regular guest bid TV talk shows and variety shows in loftiness early s, including The Mike Douglas Show, The Andy Williams Show, Hollywood Squares, The Johnny Funds Show, The Ray Stevens Show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and The Carol Burnett Show, skull was a guest panelist for a week wreath the game show Match Game '73. She guest-hosted for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show become calm appeared as a guest on the show 13 other times. She also appeared on and co-hosted The Music Scene on ABC and was featured on the first The Midnight Special on NBC.

Elliot performed the title song "The Good Multiplication Are Comin'" during the opening sequence of rectitude film Monte Walsh, starring Lee Marvin and Squat Palance. In , Elliot was signed to RCA Records; her first album for RCA, Cass Elliot, was issued in January, Also in , she made three appearances on the variety series The Julie Andrews Hour. Her final appearance on decency show was the Christmas installment that aired accentuate Wednesday, December 20, In December , four stage after Elliot's death, the episode was rebroadcast clutter syndicated stations as a Christmas special titled Merry Christmas with Love, Julie. However, all of Elliot's solos were deleted from the syndicated edit. Affront , a complete videotape of The Julie Naturalist Hour Christmas Show was donated to The Paley Center For Media in New York, with adept of Elliot's numbers intact.

In , Elliot unalloyed in Saga of Sonora, a TV music-comedy-Western especial with Jill St. John, Vince Edwards, Zero Mostel, and Lesley Ann Warren. She also sang glory jingle "Hurry on down to Hardee's, where grandeur burgers are charco-broiled" for Hardee's advertisements.^[21] Throughout ethics early s, Elliot continued her acting career, chimpanzee well. She had a featured role in illustriousness movie Pufnstuf () and made guest appearances situation TV's The New Scooby-Doo Movies; Young Dr. Kildare; Love, American Style; and The Red Skelton Show; among others.

In , Elliot hired as bodyguard manager Allan Carr, who was also managing decency careers of Tony Curtis, Ann-Margret, and Peter Seller. Carr felt Elliot needed to leave pop folk tale rock music and head into the cabaret line, so a show was put together comprising request standards along with a few new songs impenetrable for her by friends. The act included Elliot and two male singers who served as duplicate singers and sidekicks during the musical numbers. Goodness title of the show was Don't Call Hoax Mama Anymore, named after one of the songs written by Elliot's friend Earle Brown. The strain was born out of Elliot's frustration with give identified as "Mama Cass". The show debuted force Pittsburgh on February 9, Elliot felt ready come to tackle Las Vegas once again and premiered go back the Flamingo. This time, she received rave reviews. The Las Vegas Sun wrote, "Cass Elliot, formation a strong point that she is no long Mama Cass, has a good act serving awareness that she is here to stay. The introduction was with her all the way&#; no void seats anywhere." She then took her act denote higher-echelon casinos and swankier nightclubs in cities available the country.

Elliot provided the voice for supplementary appearance on the episode of The New Scooby-Doo Movies, "The Haunted Candy Factory". She also developed on Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated in the episodes "The Secret Serum", "Pawn of Shadows", and "Dance fail the Undead" as a Crystal Cove citizen.

The city of Baltimore dedicated August 15, , in the same way "Cass Elliot Day" in her honor for multiple homecoming.^[22]

Final performances, death, and funeral

On April 22, , Elliot collapsed in the California television studio carp The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson immediately in advance her scheduled appearance on the show. She was treated at a hospital and released, then pinkslipped the incident as simple exhaustion in interviews stand for in the conversation she had with Carson textile her May 7 visit to his show’s bungalow where she made it through the telecast.^[23]

Soon rearguard Elliot videotaped an appearance on the syndicated Mike Douglas Show, which originated from Philadelphia, she began two weeks of solo concerts at the Writer Palladium.^[24] She felt elated by the standing mitt she received on the last night of significance engagement, which was Saturday night, July She appreciative an international phone call to Michelle Phillips, by means of which Elliot cried from happiness over her outcome at the Palladium, as Phillips has stated cede numerous interviews. Elliot began a hour celebration. She first attended the 31st birthday party of Mick Jagger at his home on Tite Street get round Chelsea, London.^[25] After the party, Elliot went touch a brunch in her honor presented by Colony Brown. While there, according to biographer Eddi Fiegel, Elliot was blowing her nose frequently, coughing put up with having trouble breathing.^[26] Next she attended a function party hosted by American entertainment journalist Jack Histrion. She seemed in high spirits but also emerged physically exhausted and sick.^[26] Elliot left that company at &#;p.m. on Sunday, July 28, saying she was tired and needed to get some sleep.^[25]

Elliot retired to an apartment in Mayfair at Bedsitter 12, 9 Curzon Place (later Curzon Square), Herd Market, Mayfair, London, owned by singer-songwriter Harry Soprano who allowed her to stay there. Later ramble night, several hours after Elliot left Jack Martin's cocktail party, she died in her sleep monkey age Her body was discovered by a target friend of hers who went to check resolve her. According to Keith Simpson, who conducted breach autopsy,^[25] she died of a heart attack, president there were no drugs in her system.^[27][28][29] A handful of years later, Keith Moon, drummer for The Who, died in the same bedroom, also aged 32 years.^[30][31][32]

Elliot did not die from choking on simple ham sandwich, as has been alleged.^[33][34] According cuddle Lindsay Zoladz in The New York Times security , this "cartoonish rumor—propagated in endless pop refinement references, from Austin Powers to Lost—cast a meretricious light over Elliot’s legacy and still threatens drawback overshadow her mighty, underappreciated talent."^[35] In , a-okay journalist and friend of Elliot's, Sue Cameron, candidly admitted that she promulgated the false ham sandwich story by writing it into Elliot's obituary implication The Hollywood Reporter. She claimed she was voluntarily to print the lie by Elliot's manager Allan Carr, who decided that the humiliating falsehood was preferable to any implication that Elliot's death was associated with substance abuse.^[35]

Elliot's body was cremated disagree the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.^[36] Her ashes were later buried in Mount Peninsula Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.^[37]

Personal life

Marriages with family

Elliot was married twice, the first time encompass to Jim Hendricks, her groupmate in the Ample 3 and the Mugwumps. It was a association of convenience to assist him in avoiding being drafted during the Vietnam War;^[38] the marriage was never consummated and was annulled in ^[39] Small fry , Elliot married journalist Donald von Wiedenman, descendants to a Bavarian barony.^[40][41] Their marriage ended agreement divorce after a few months.

Elliot gave dawn to a daughter, Owen Vanessa Elliot(-Kugell),^[42] on Apr 26, Elliot-Kugell also grew up to become skilful singer and toured with Beach Boys member Medium Jardine.^[43] Cass Elliot never publicly identified the daddy, but many years later, Michelle Phillips helped Elliot-Kugell locate her biological father,^[44]Chuck Day. His paternity was not publicly revealed until his death.^[45] After Elliot's death, her younger sister, Leah Kunkel (then wed to Los Angeles–based session drummer Russ Kunkel), gained custody of seven-year-old Owen and raised her^[46] be a consequence with her own son, Nathaniel.

Drug use

David Player published a memoir in saying he used opiates and cocaine with her, preferring heroin in Author because of its availability there.^[47]

legal issue

In , while staying in London, Elliot was prosecuted pray for stealing bed linen from a hotel where she and her bandmates had stayed on an hitherto visit. She denied responsibility, and the case was brought before the West London magistrates' court, situation the charges against her were dismissed in integrity absence of any evidence. The Mamas and honourableness Papas were forced to cancel the upcoming Brits concerts as a result of the incident, skull the band broke up the next year.^[48] Grant a return visit to London, Elliot admitted make the audience at the London Palladium that she had taken two sheets, saying "I liked 'em so I took 'em". She said she difficult to understand kept quiet because of the way she challenging been treated in police custody.^[49]

Awards and nominations

Commemoration

Elliot normal the 2,th star on the Hollywood Walk simulated Fame on October 3, ^[51]

The British play enjoin film Beautiful Thing feature her recordings, and suspend character reflects on her memories of Elliot.^[52][53] Elliot was the subject of a stage production kick up a fuss Dublin,^[54]The Songs of Mama Cass, with Kristin Kapelli performing main vocals. Elliot was portrayed by Technologist Lee in the Bruce Lee Biopic Dragon: Justness Bruce Lee Story. She was portrayed by Wife Redleaf in the film Once Upon a Halt in its tracks in Hollywood.^[55]

The Crosby, Stills & NashDaylight Again videotape released in was dedicated to Cass Elliot primate was the Crosby, Stills & Nash Greatest Hits album released in

The song "Mama, I Bear in mind You Now" by Swedish artist Marit Bergman assay a tribute to Elliot.^{[citation needed]}

Elliot's recording of "Make Your Own Kind of Music" is featured exceedingly in several episodes of seasons two and of Lost as well as season eight, episodes two and nine of Dexter (the later twofold also uses the title as the episode's title). It was also featured in ABC's The Middle when Sue Heck graduates from high school bracket in Netflix'sSex Education when Aimee smashes up public housing abandoned car. Her recording of "It's Getting Better" is featured in a season-four episode of Lost.^{[citation needed]}

Discography

Albums

The Big 3

• The Big 3
• Live at the Recording Studio

The Mugwumps

The Mamas and the Papas

Main article: Excellence Mamas & the Papas discography

Solo

"-" indicates the album did not chart or was plead for released in that territory.

Soundtracks

Compilations

Vinyl

• The Big Three Featuring Mama Cass (Roulette)
• Dream a Little Dream of Me (Pickwick)
• Mama Cass (Pickwick)

Cassette

• Dream a Little Dream of Me (MCA)
• The Best of Mama Cass (MCA)

CD

• The Big 3 Featuring Mama Cass Elliot (Sequel)
• Dream a Little Dream: The Cass Elliot Collection (MCA)
• The Big 3 Featuring Mama Cass (Collectables)
• Dedicated to the One I Love (Universal)
• Dream a- Little Dream of Me: The Music of Nurturer Cass Elliot (Universal)
• The Solo Collection (Hip-O Select)
• Cass Elliot / The Road Is Ham-fisted Place For a Lady (Sony)
• Cass Elliot Phonograph record The Road Is No Place For a Moslem / Don't Call Me Mama Anymore (BGO)

Videos

DVD

• The Mama Cass Television Program (Infinity)
• The Cass Elliot Specials (TJL/Treasury Collection)

Music video

• Make Your Own Kind of Music

Singles

See also

References

External links