Owen Elliot-Kugell reveals in her new book that her mother, famously known as “Mama” Cass from the 1960s West Coast folk-rock group the Mamas and the Papas, did not die by choking on a ham ...

Henry Diltz/Corbis via Getty Mama Cass’ daughter Owen Elliot-Kugell is opening up about her experience with the pop group Wilson Phillips in her upcoming book and a new conversation with PEOPLE.

Mama Cass was born Ellen Naomi Cohen in Baltimore in 1941. As a teenager, she took on the name Cass Elliot, and left high school to pursue a career as an actress. She had a small part in a touring ...

Despite the group’s legacy, I was drawn to one member in particular: Cass Elliot, also known as Mama Cass. Though we lived in completely different worlds, I soon began to see myself in Mama Cass.

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