Cass Elliot

Ellen Naomi Cohen (September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974), known professionally by the stage name Cass Elliot, was an American singer-songwriter, comedian, actress, and television personality. A member of the singing group The Mamas & the Papas (1965–68), she was also known as "Mama Cass", a name she reportedly disliked. After the group broke up, Elliot released five solo albums. She received the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary (R&R) Performance for "Monday, Monday" (1967). In 1998, she was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her work with The Mamas & the Papas.

Early life and education

Ellen Naomi Cohen was born on September 19, 1941, in Baltimore, Maryland, the daughter of Philip (died 1962) and Bess Cohen (née Levine; 1915–1994). All four of her grandparents were Russian-Jewish immigrants. Her family was subject to significant financial stresses and uncertainties during her childhood years. Her father, involved in several business ventures, ultimately succeeded through the development of a lunch wagon in Baltimore that provided meals to construction workers. Her mother was a trained nurse. Elliot had a brother, Joseph, and a younger sister, Leah, who also became a singer and recording artist. Elliot's early life was spent with her family in Alexandria, Virginia, and when she was 15, the family moved back to Baltimore, where they had briefly lived at the time of Elliot's birth.