My Mama, Cass: A Memoir

Owen Elliot-Kugell's long-awaited memoir, My Mama, Cass, is a deeply affecting and necessary corrective to the swirling rumours and myths that have shrouded the life of her legendary mother, "Mama" Cass Elliot, for nearly half a century.¹ To the world, Cass Elliot was a charismatic, quick-witted singer, a defining voice of the 1960s counterculture as part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted band, The Mamas & The Papas, and a Laurel Canyon icon in her signature Muumuus and glittering jewellery.

In this groundbreaking story, told with the unique intimacy and perspective only a daughter can offer, Owen Elliot-Kugell pulls back the velvet curtains on her mother's life, venturing beyond the sold-out theatres and into the private world of her infamous California home.² Born Ellen Naomi Cohen, the woman the world knew as Cass Elliot emerges as a figure decades ahead of her time: an independently minded and outspoken woman who shattered barriers in a male-dominated industry, a forward-thinking feminist, and a fiercely devoted single parent from the moment Owen entered her life.³

From the closely guarded secret surrounding Owen's paternity to Cass's lifelong battles with self-esteem and weight, and addressing the persistent rumours surrounding her untimely death at the age of 32, Owen illuminates the complex truths of her mother's existence. She weaves in interviews with the high-profile figures who populated Cass's orbit, alongside never-before-heard tales of her mother and this pivotal period in American history.

Featuring intimate family and archival photographs, as well as poignant interviews and memories from famous friends, devoted fans, and respected colleagues who loved and admired Cass, My Mama, Cass is both a tender love story and a compelling mystery. It's a daughter's journey of self-discovery intertwined with a profound devotion to understanding her mother's extraordinary life.

At its heart, My Mama, Cass is a beautifully crafted testament befitting Cass Elliot's enduring cultural impact and legacy, written with love, honesty, and a deep sense of personal truth by the person who knew and loved her best. This memoir promises to finally offer the definitive and deeply human portrait of the woman behind the legend.