Michael
"Brewmeister" Haughton |
 |
Ryan
"Thirsty" Clark |
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, she 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 to
seek a college education in pursuit of a career, Cass forged ahead in the world of
perfomance. 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. Elliot also produced a play at Cafe La Mama in New York.
But 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 Three when Brown was replaced
by James Hendricks. The Big Three were a progressive and innovative folk trio who recorded
two albums and made appearances on the Danny Kaye Show and other television programs. In
1964 the group had begun to fall apart and it metamorphasized into a foursome called
"Cass Elliot and The Big Three" which included Canadians, Denny Doherty and
Zal Yanovsky (Tim Rose had left at this point). Soon this foursome became The Mugwumps who
recorded and stayed together into 1965, until it too began to disintegrate. Cass Elliot
began to work as a solo single.
At this point Denny Doherty had joined John 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 1965-1968 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 Cass' 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 version of "Pufnstuf"
and recorded an album with rock star Dave Mason.
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 1970's 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 a successful stint in Las
Vegas and continued to record 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 Wiedenman (1971).
In 1974, Cass Elliot travelled to London where she had a two week engagement at the London
Palladium. After performing to sellout audiences and basking in repeated ovations, Cass
tragically succumbed to a heart attack on July 29, 1974 in London, following this
successful concert tour.
Cass Elliot's Sixteen Solo Singles:
Dream A Little Dream of Me/Midnight Voyage ("Mama Cass with the Mamas and
the Papas")
Dunhill 4145 June 1968
California Earthquake/Talkin' To Your Toothbrush
Dunhill 4166, October 1968
Move In A Little Closer Baby/All For Me
Dunhill 4184, March 1969
It's Getting Better/Who's To Blame
Dunhill 4195, October 1969
Make Your Own Kind Of Music/Lady Love
Dunhill 4214, October 1969
New World Coming/Blow Me A Kiss
Dunhill 4225, January 1970
A Song That Never Comes/I Can Dream Can't I
Dunhill 4244, July 1970
The Good Times Are Coming/Welcome to the World
Dunhill 4253, October 1970
Don't Let the Good Life Pass You By/A Song That Never Comes
Dunhill 4264, December 1970
Something To Make You Happy/Next to You
("Mason and Cass" -- with Dave Mason)
Dunhill 4266, December 1970
Too Much Truth and Too Much Love/Walk To the Point
("Mason and Cass" -- with Dave Mason)
Dunhill 4271, early 1971
Baby I'm Yours/Cherries Jubilee
RCA 74-0644, February 1972
That Song/When It Doesn't Work Out
RCA 74-0693, April 1972
(If You're Gonna) Break Another Heart/Disney Girls
RCA 74-0764, August 1972
Does Anybody Love You/The Road Is No Place For A Lady
RCA 74-0830, November 1972
I Think A Lot About You/Listen To The World
RCA 74-0957, May 1973
Cass Elliot's Eight Solo Albums:
Dream A Little Dream
Dunhill 50040 October 1968
Bubblegum, Lemonade and Something for Mama Dunhill 50055 July 1969
Make Your Own Kind Of Music
Dunhill 50071 November 1969
Mama's Big Ones
Dunhill 50093 October 1970
Dave Mason and Cass Elliot
Blue Thumb Records 8825 March 1971
Cass Elliot
RCA 4619 January 1972
The Road Is No Place For A Lady
RCA 4753 October 1972
Don't Call Me Mama Anymore
RCA 0303 September 1973