People Pay Tribute To Cass Elliot ( Mama Cass )

The Beautiful Cass Elliot, who is more frequently known as Mama Cass, this was her stage name when she was performing with the Mamas And Papas for only a brief period in the late 1960's, I think that it was 1965-1968, but have some of the best known music till this day, they had only four albums, but a few songs that are still played on the radio today Dancing In The Streets, and California dreaming, Cass Elliot went on her way when the group disbanded, although they stayed good friends, and in the early 70's had a reunion album, Cass went on to a Successful Solo Act and released several albums untill her tragic untimley death in In 1974, she traveled to London where she had a two-week engagement at the London Palladium. After performing to sellout crowds and basking in repeated ovations, Cass tragically succumbed to a heart attack on July 29, 1974 in London, following this successful concert tour (and NOT, as is commonly believed, from choking on a sandwich). I am sure that you have probably heard the cruel joke about Cass choking on a ham sandwitch, this is not true at all, Cass had a heart condition caused by all of the fat on her, and it eventually caused cartiac arrest, I have even seen the most offensive jokes for sale on-line, a button that said " If Mama Cass had give Karen Carpenter that ham sandwich, they would both still be alive " cruel, and untrue, when Cass died, it was cardiac arrest, and the same with Karen, Cass had been dieting, and Karen had been eating healthy when she left us, and both were 32, I find this Ironic, both made some of the most beautiful music ever heard too, Cass truly was the voice of Mamas and Papas, although most people don't know who Cass Elliot is, only Mamas and Papas, two successful Solo songs were Make Your Own Kind Of Music, and Dream A Little Dream Of Me, the later being one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. Cass is known mostly for her large size, and the cruel jokes, but she was so much more than that, and had so many beautiful songs that find their way into every generation since, and will never be forgotten.

Official Biography
Cass Elliot was born Ellen Naomi Cohen on September 19, 1941, in Baltimore, Maryland. She grew up in the Washington D.C. environs and in her senior year of high school, performed in a summer stock production of "The Boyfriend" at the Owings Mills Playhouse, where she played the French nurse who sings "It's Nicer, Much Nicer in Nice." After this experience, even though her family anticipated her seeking a college education in pursuit of a career, Cass forged ahead in the performing arts. She made a splash in New York and began an acting career, competing with Barbra Streisand for the Miss Marmelstein part in "I Can Get It for You Wholesale" in 1962.She toured in a production of Meredith Willson's "The Music Man." Elliot also produced a play at Cafe La Mama in New York. However, by early 1963 she had met up with Tim Rose and John Brown and formed a folk trio initially dubbed The Triumvirate, but later known as The Big 3 when Brown was replaced by James Hendricks. The Big 3 were a progressive and innovative folk trio who recorded two albums and made appearances on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1962), "Hootenanny" (1963) and "The Danny Kaye Show" (1963). In 1964 the group had begun to fall apart and it metamorphosized into a foursome called "Cass Elliot and The Big Three" which included Canadians Denny Doherty and Zal Yanovsky (Rose had left at this point). Soon this foursome became The Mugwumps who operated out of The Shadows nightclub in Washington. They released a single for Warner Brothers and stayed together through the end of 1964, until they, too, began to disintegrate. Cass began to work as a solo single in Washington, D.C.At this point Doherty had joined John Phillips and Michelle Phillips and the three were performing as The New Journeymen. Soon they left for the Virgin Islands, where Cass subsequently joined them, and the four began to sing together in mid-1965--thus, the superstar group The Mamas and The Papas was born. From 1965 to 1968 the Mamas and Papas recorded a series of top-ten hits including "Monday, Monday," "California Dreamin'," "I Saw Her Again," and "Dedicated to the One I Love."The group's last hit was a launching number for Cass Elliot. "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" became her theme song and, beginning in 1968, she embarked on her own short-lived but solid solo career. Her distinct voice had always emerged from the groups in which she sang. In 1969 she scored big with "It's Getting Better" and 1970 yielded the hits "Make Your Own Kind of Music" and "New World Coming." In 1970, Elliot also appeared in the film Pufnstuf (1970) and recorded an album with rock singer Dave Mason. Recently, the issue of the soundtrack of Monte Walsh (1970) turned up four different of her theme song, "The Good Times Are Coming", composed by John Barry and Hal David.Elliot had two prime-time television specials of her own in 1969 and 1973, but most people remember her scores of television appearances throughout the early 1970s with Mike Douglas, Julie Andrews, Andy Williams, Johnny Cash, Red Skelton, Ed Sullivan, Tom Jones, Carol Burnett and others. She guest-hosted "The Tonight Show", had successful stints in Las Vegas and continued to record for RCA during these years, too. Cass had one daughter, Owen Vanessa, in April 1967 and she was married twice, first (1963-68) to fellow Big Three and Mugwumps member Jim Hendricks and second to Baron Donald von Weidenman (1971). In 1974, she traveled to London where she had a two-week engagement at the London Palladium. After performing to sellout crowds and basking in repeated ovations, Cass tragically succumbed to a heart attack on July 29, 1974 in London, following this successful concert tour (and NOT, as is commonly believed, from choking on a sandwich).In 1998, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Cass Elliot and her fellow bandmates from The Mamas and The Papas into that institution. Her daughter Owen represented her mother and accepted her award.

Mamas and Papas Discography
If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears (1966) US #1
The Mamas & the Papas (1966) - US #4
Deliver (1967) - US #2
The Papas & the Mamas (1968) - US #15
People Like Us (1971) - US #84


Cass Elliot Solo Discography
1968: Dream a Little Dream - US #87
1969: Bubblegum, Lemonade, And... Something for Mama - US #91
1971: Mama's Big Ones (solo greatest hits) - US #194
1971: Dave Mason and Mama Cass - US #49
1972: The Road Is No Place for a Lady
1973: Don't Call Me Mama Anymore



Trivia

Born at 9:0pm-EDT
Hated being called 'Mama' Cass, which she took as a derogatory comment on her 300+ poundage. Additionally, it bothered her that the moniker led many to mistakenly assume Cass was her last name.

She once guest hosted "The Tonight Show."

She actually preferred classical music, jazz and Broadway show tunes to rock.

Ranked #23 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll

Had an IQ of 165.

Posed nude for Cheetah magazine.




"Quotes"
"When you're on stage, you gotta do it. People pay to see you, and they deserve to be entertained and you should go out there and really give it your best shot. And that's quite a challenge. You have a new audience for every show. Even though you do the same thing all the time, you gotta keep it fresh for yourself and you gotta keep it good and interesting and something you want to do. I'm anxious to have a really terrific act. Whatever it takes it takes."

"I would say the world's in terrible shape, but I'm afraid the world would say, "Look who's talking!"






Videos


Dream A Little Dream Of Me


Cass Elliot and Julie Andrews


New World Coming

California Earthquake