In truth, She would go on starvation dietsshe would drink only water for five days and then have steak for two days. He did not learn he was the father for many. "Mama Cass" redirects here. Even though attitudes are much more evolved today, in real life, Owen says, rather than This Is Us, its still hard to be overweight.. Tomorrow, well publish the second most-read story and on Friday, the first. [20] In 1971, Elliot married journalist Donald von Wiedenman,[21][22] heir to a Bavarian barony. Heres how she knew it was time and how the tiny devices have changed her life. Who is my father? No one seemed to know. 12 years after her husband died in a kayaking accident in Guatemala, Carol Flake Chapman returns and a secret ingredient helps her find peace. This story came in third, with almost 375,000 readers, and its no wonder. I just finished watching the last episode of the documentary, Laurel Canyon on the streaming service Epix. Editors Note: As we mark our Fifth Anniversary, we went back to look at our most-read stories since we launched in February 2017. She recorded a song called Lady Loveabout its saving grace. America's folk music scene was on the rise when Elliot met banjoist and singer Tim Rose and singer John Brown, and the three began performing as The Triumvirate. Michelle bought Owen a ticket to San Francisco. HOLLYWOOD (CNS) - A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame will be unveiled Monday honoring the late singer "Mama" Cass Elliot, fulfilling a longtime quest by the daughter of the member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame pop group, The Mamas & the Papas. Three months later she played the London Palladium. [14] According to Elliot, she went on a six-month crash diet before the show, losing 100 of her 300 pounds. Cass Elliot (born Ellen Naomi Cohen; September 19, 1941 - July 29, 1974), also known as Mama Cass, was an American singer and member of The Mamas & the Papas. Elliot confirmed the story in a 1968 interview with Rolling Stone, saying: It's true, I did get hit on the head by a pipe that fell down and my range was increased by three notes. [But John] could be belittling. In 1973, Elliot performed in Saga of Sonora, a TV music-comedy-Western special with Jill St. John, Vince Edwards, Zero Mostel, and Lesley Ann Warren. Please join us on our walkabout. ' In that song she sings of how she can make it through a lot of difficulties as long as I have my little someone to hold onto a little girl to set me free. In tandem with facing the then-social . It's true. I started singing a few years later and like Cass Elliott was overweight. She skipped the remainder of rehearsals and drank tea and lemon, hoping to recover and pull herself together for opening night. Thank you. A singer in her own right, Owen has performed with Wilson Phillip sand spends her life is dedicated to protecting and growing her mother's legacy. The popularly repeated story, which asserts that she choked to death on a ham sandwich, pokes mean . But her talent and perseverance won out. In 1967, Day joined the Mamas & the Papas as a guitarist and bassist, appearing on sunshine pop landmarks like "California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday" -- Day also sired Mama Cass Elliot's daughter Owen, although the singer never identified him as the girl's father either privately or publicly prior to her 1974 death, and he did not learn . Elliot's daughter Owen Elliot-Kugell, and the singer's sister, singer-turned-attorney Leah Kunkel, accepted the star on behalf of the family. But one of the un-Rockwellian issues she faced was wondering: Who is my father? Ill be there for you! She was also very protective of me and assertive for me where John was concerned. Mama Cass Elliot's daughter Owen Elliot-Kugell accompanies John and Michelle Phillip's daughter Chynna Phillips and Brian Wilson's daughters Carnie and Wendy. Commenting on the growing trend of cohabitation without marriage, Elliot says, It would not break my heart if my daughter did not get married. Douglas insisted that Elliots mother comment on that issue, and she said, Well, I think its dynamite. Eddi Fiegel wrote in the biography Dream a Little Dream of Me that Elliot later admitted to a boyfriend that she had injected heroin immediately before going on stage. Tragic Mamas & The Papas star Cass Elliot's daughter Owen appears on the new Wilson Phillips album, which is a tribute to the music of the trio's famous parents. Beautiful article that brought tears to my eyes, so sad she passed so young, she was a wonderful performer and person with immense beauty that was overlooked and abused. The superstar came to light after dating and having a baby with Machine Gun Kelly. Phillips said many years later that Elliot sounded elated that she had received standing ovations each night. John Phillips, who Phillips divorced in 1969 after seven years of marriage,. She returned later that night to perform the second show, but her voice was worse, and many of the audience noisily walked out. She was responsible for one hundred percent of my welfare, Owen says. But I knowI could tellthat it bothered her. [16], David Crosby published a memoir in 1988 saying Elliot and he used opiates, cocaine, and heroin together, preferring to use heroin in London because of its availability there. Ft. #kelleendoolin and #grandmapettiette of @ThreeGenerationsSinging . She said she had kept quiet because of the way she had been treated in police custody. But she never talked about her pain, and when she performed, she hid that pain. Her adult life would also be tied to her famous mother's legacy. I had always thought that her daughter was fathered by Jim R. Hendricks Wow and thank you. If you only know show people through the tabloids and rumors its easy to forget that theyre usually kind and compassionate, especially toward each other. However, Cass released five solo albums after The Mamas and the Papas broke up. The group had just released their third album, "Deliver," including the hit, "Dedicated to the One I Love" (via Discogs ). In fact I am pretty sure that I crossed paths with her years later in Georgetown. Elliot was known for her sense of humor and optimism, and was considered by many to be the most charismatic member of the group. While in Alexandria, she attended George Washington High School. No where else will you find authentic, original content like this. Born Ellen Naomi Cohen in Baltimore, Maryland, on September 19, 1941; died of a heart attack in London, England, on July 29, 1974; daughter of Philip Cohen and Beth (Levine) Cohen; married James R. Hendricks . She had a featured role in the movie Pufnstuf (1970) and made guest appearances on TV's The New Scooby-Doo Movies, Young Dr. Kildare, Love, American Style, and The Red Skelton Show, among others. Thank you for this, two years later in the midst of a world-wide pandemic. [52], The city of Baltimore dedicated August 15, 1973, as "Cass Elliot Day" in her honor for her homecoming.[53]. [4] Her mother was a trained nurse. And at a time when the music industry, even worse than so many others, played by mens rules only, Cass out-did leader John Phillips in the charisma category and emerged as the famous one, the focus-puller. She came along just in time / in time to ease my worried mind / and now Ive got a little someone to hold on to., When she was touring with The Mamas and The Papas, and especially after the group broke up in 1968 and Cass became a solo act, her single-mother life was stressful. She lost the role of Mrs. Marmelstein in I Can Get It For You Wholesale to a budding young Jewish singer-actress who did her share to establish the rule that you didnt have to be classically beautiful to be a star: Barbra Streisand. She was constantly insulted and hurt by people calling or thinking her fat. According to forensic pathologist Keith Simpson, who conducted her autopsy, her death was due to heart failure. [43][44], Elliot's body was cremated at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. On the night of her 19th birthday she was taken out to dinner by the members of her late mothers group: Michelle, John, and Denny. Owen went back to L.A. after graduating high school on the East Coast, the question of Who is my father? still pulsing within her. Today theres a happy, hardy fan and media war against the shaming of obese women. You are Legendary. Owen Vanessa Elliot was born on April 26, 1967, in Northampton, Massachusetts. Editor's Note: As we mark our Fifth Anniversary, we went back to look at our most-read stories since we launched in February 2017. We will only use your email to send you a weekly digest of new stories posted on the site and occasionally to let you know about special events. Cass Elliot was honored with star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (Shutterstock) Bijou Phillips and Mackenzie Phillips, daughters of the late John Philips, were on-hand, as well as Cass' child. Sheila Weller is the author of seven books (three of themNew York TimesBestsellers), the best of which isGirls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simonand the Journey of a Generation,whichBillboardmagazine recently named #19 of the best music books of all time. [5] Elliot had a brother, Joseph, and a younger sister, Leah, who also became a singer and recording artist. I have had a lot of cognitive behavioral therapy over the years, and I know how denial protects a child. The plan was for Owen to live with Casss younger sister, Leah, who was married at the time to James Taylors and Joni Mitchells drummer, Russ Kunkel, and had a son, Nathaniel, age three. Michelle came up with a sneaky plan to find him: She had her assistant place an ad in Musician magazine looking for Chuck Day, implying there were musical royalties awaiting him somewhere. You are, ! She had to keep going; there were songs in her and money that needed to be earned. John passed away in 2001. Mini Bio (1) Cass Elliot was born Ellen Naomi Cohen on September 19, 1941, in Baltimore, Maryland. But she never talked about her pain, and when she performed, she hid that pain. Simpson's autopsy revealed Cass Elliot's cause of death was a "left-sided heart failure" and "had a heart attack which developed rapidly." Elliott was buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California. The show closed after only one night, and Elliot flew back to Los Angeles for what was described as "a tonsillectomy".[16]. Cass Elliot's daughter, Mackenzie, was born in 1974. It was a marriage of convenience to assist him in avoiding being drafted during the Vietnam War;[19] the marriage was never consummated and was annulled in 1968. In 1965, Doherty persuaded Phillips that Elliot should join the group, which she did while the group members and she were vacationing in the Virgin Islands. Thank you for this thoughtful treatment of two remarkable women. In its opening lines she says,This is dedicated to my baby daughter. Phillips had asked Cass about Owen's father just before Cass's death, but never got an answer. She is famous for being the daughter of the late American singer Cass Elliot. But, as her bandmates in the Mamas and the Papas and other "folk rock" icons made clear, she touched many lives before she . With hit songs Monday, Monday, Go Where You Wanna Go, and the super-iconic California Dreaming, they seemed cannon-shot onto the airwaves when the country was still shaking off its post-Camelot conventions. Doherty also said that the occasion marked the beginning of his affair with Michelle Phillips. In 1973, Elliot hired as her manager Allan Carr, who was also managing the careers of Tony Curtis, Ann-Margret, and Peter Sellers. She said her mother's bandmates John and Michelle Phillips and Denny Doherty took her out to dinner for her 19th birthday, and during the meal, Michelle Phillips said she wished she knew who Owen's father was, at which point the men made it clear they did. She seemed in very high spirits but also appeared physically exhausted and sick. It was a hugely defining, hugely sad moment of realization., Read More: 3 Reasons Why Joni Mitchell Matters So Much to Us. CassEllen Naomi Cohenwas a middle-class Jewish girl from Baltimore who left high school six months before graduation to go to New York and try Broadway. Cross our hearts. [15], She was confined to her bed for three weeks before the first performance while the musical director, band, and production supervisor attempted to put together a show in her absence. [38] Elliot slept alone, as she had on previous nights. She sees her as blazing the trail for being a female pop superstar who was, frankly, fat. I was a teenager when I saw them singher voice got my attention she was so GREAT I went out that day and bought the album.Thanks for the story.I still dont know what your dad passed from.Have a great life thats what your mom was about..YOU. On July 28th, 1974, the 32-year-old Elliot had just performed what was reported to be a sold-out show in London, but passed away in her sleep. After the breakup of the Mamas and the Papas, Elliot embarked on a solo singing career. "A pioneer pop culture feminist and icon, Mama Cass was one of the greatest singers of . She lost the role of Mrs. Marmelstein in. She was well-known as a member of the singing group, The Mamas and the Papas. Day was the father of Mama Cass Elliott's daughter, Owen, but Elliott, who died of a heart attack in 1974, never identified him as the father. "She named me Owen because I was her 'own,'" Owen says. Owen was seven years old when her mother died. Mama Cass was unusual at that time in that she chose to become a single, working mother. For 14 years, Lisa Bains mutt has charmed, and consoled her. I adored Cass from the moment I met her, Michelle Phillips told me recently. Your mother was so talented and as you have told us so cool!! Cass was married to James Hendricks with whom she had a daughter, Owen, who was . She also collaborated with RCA on remastering her mother's album "Don't Call Me Mama Anymore" and revealed in the Facebook video that, although the album was recorded live, studio recordings of those songs do exist. I was conceived in the summer of 1966. Even though she was a musical star in the new moment of music media gossip, Cass successfully kept secret not only her pregnancy (ironically, her obesity helped in that regard), but the identity of the father of her babythen and for decades. Dr. Gabe Mirkin. She was born on April 26, 1967 in . Unverified sources allude that Cass Elliot was married twice 3 but her only child, a girl named Owen, was not the daughter of either husband. She died nearly 50 years ago, too soon for legions of fans who loved her. Her star is located at 7065 Hollywood Blvd. One ramification of losing all that weight so fast is you lose muscle mass. That can be dangerous. Sinai Memorial Park, where many stars are buriedthat it hit me, dramatically. Elliot received the 2,735th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 3, 2022.[58]. Look at that cute tush, shed say. The Foetus song "The Throne of Agony" makes further reference to the urban legend, with JG Thirwell claiming that he was "the one who gave the sandwich to Mama Cass". With two female members, the New Journeymen needed a new name. Mystery Incorporated in the episodes "The Secret Serum", "Pawn of Shadows", and "Dance of the Undead" as a Crystal Cove citizen. Weight shaming was something she dealt with all her life. Tomorrow, well publish the second most-read story and on Friday, the first. It was kind of a Norman Rockwell world, she says. She was a one-woman triumph against adversity; she was ahead of her time; women now are finally doing what she did 50 years ago, says Owen, who lives in L.A. with her record producer husband Jack Kugell and their kids Zoe, 19, and Noah, 16. Owen Vanessa Elliot was born on April 26, 1967,in Northampton, Massachusetts. [10] She left high school shortly before graduation and moved to New York City to further her acting career (as recounted in the lyrics to "Creeque Alley"). In 1998, she accepted an award on her mother's behalf from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, when The Mamas & The Papas were inducted. John [Phillips] had a definite idea of what he wanteda group like the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary. He was Swedish and Scottish and not in the greatest shape, she reports of her father (now deceased). Within hours of the end of Elliot's Las Vegas concert, rumors began to spread that she had been taking drugs during the weeks leading up to it. . She would always encourage me to go for the note [when we sang]: `Go for it! Mama Cass was born in Baltimore, Maryland in September 1941 and passed away in July 1974. But it emerged very early on that the star of the group was the last to be asked to joinshe had to push her way inand the most unlikely: Mama Cass. This group lasted eight months, after which Cass performed as a solo act for a while. Owen, you should be proud! "Mama" Cass Elliot, the powerhouse folk-rock vocalist synonymous with Laurel Canyon and the counterculture movement, on Monday will become the 2,735th person to be honored with a star on the . Cass then got a job as a coat check girl at a Manhattan nightclub, the Bitter End, singing and trying to get random agents attention, as she juggled hangers and quarters as tips. Look at that cute tush, shed say. Powerfully good to see this thoughtful and considerate piece on two remarkable women,. She came along just in time / in time to ease my worried mind / and now Ive got a little someone to hold on to., Though fans at the time loved Cass, Owen recently looked at videos of her old variety show appearances, and I cringe in pain when I see the supposedly good-natured overweight `jokes that her mother had to endure, trying to be a good sport by laughing along. One nanny actually stopped working for my mom because she knew my mom was hurt that I was responding more to the nanny than to her.. After the group broke up, she released five solo albums. ' In that song she sings of how she can make it through a lot of difficulties as long as I have my little someone to hold onto a little girl to set me free. Their marriage ended in divorce after a few months. CassEllen Naomi Cohenwas a middle-class Jewish girl from Baltimore who left high school six months before graduation to go to New York and try Broadway. Workmen dropped a thin metal plumbing pipe and it hit me on the head and knocked me to the ground. Cass had kept that an airtight secret, probably expecting to tell her daughter at some appropriate time. Her words hold true today! Her recording of "It's Getting Better" is featured in a season-four episode of Lost. As a child she was teased as a fatty. I truly got goose bumps from her voice! In a video on The Mamas & The Papas' Facebook page, Owen discussed her own work in music. Similarly, her daughter followed in her footsteps to establish a music career. From 1965 to 1968, a pop singing group, The Mamas and The Papas, turned folk-rock into the music of the just-pre-psychedelic counterculture. Joe Taysom. The act included Elliot and two male singers who served as backup singers and sidekicks during the musical numbers. Guitarist Chuck Day who wrote the distinctive rift for the song secret agent man. The meeting was awkward but emotional. Owen Vanessa Elliot is a 55 years old Cass Elliot's daughter from . She also performed the solo "Dream a Little Dream of Me" (credited on the label of the single as 'Featuring Mama Cass with the Mamas and the Papas'), which the group recorded in 1968 after learning about the death of Fabian Andre, one of the men who co-wrote it, whom Michelle Phillips had met years earlier. A toast! However, no drugs were found in Elliot's system. Name variations: Mama Cass. Phillips recalls, "She had had a little champagne, and was crying. The title of the show was Don't Call Me Mama Anymore, named after one of the songs written by Elliot's friend Earle Brown. The group had just released their third album, "Deliver," including the hit, "Dedicated to the One I Love" (via Discogs). Instead, her heart was worn out from a steady drug habit that she also used to lure men into bed. The actress cum singer was married twice in her lifetime and had one daughter. Cass Elliot Daughter | Mama Cass Daughter Owen Vanessa Kinds Of Music Music Love Art Music Music Is Life Music Artists John Phillips Michelle Phillips Celebrity Siblings Celebrity Families More information . Not Too Late: Getting in the Best Shape of Your Life After 50. After the group broke up, Elliot released five solo albums. But I knowI could tellthat it bothered her. Though fans at the time loved Cass, Owen recently looked at videos of her old variety show appearances, and I cringe in pain when I see the supposedly good-natured overweight `jokes that her mother had to endure, trying to be a good sport by laughing along. She was scheduled to rehearse for a full three days before the show opened, but she managed to get through only part of one run-through with the band before saying that she was losing her voice. A friend of Days called the number, the true reason for the ad was given, and a meeting was set up between Owen and her father, who lived in the Bay Area. After her aunt Leah got divorced, she took Owen and Nathaniel away from the Hollywood canyons and to the more traditional and academic Northampton, Massachusetts, where Owen lived for much of her childhood. Cass Elliot, best known as "Mama Cass" of the pop-rock group The Mamas & The Papas, was a standout talent of the 1960's and 70's. . She told Esquire magazine that shed gone from 250 pounds down to a 170. MAMA CASS ELLIOT was struggling as a solo act when the beloved entertainer died at the age of 32 and left behind a tragic secret about her lonely life when her body was found in July 1974! She also sang the jingle "Hurry on down to Hardee's, where the burgers are charco-broiled" for Hardee's advertisements.[18]. Awesome article. The song was born out of Elliot's frustration with being identified as "Mama Cass". [citation needed]. Your email address will not be published. Her first marriage was to James Hendricks in 1963. They met for the first time in Fairfax. Fans loved Mama Cass her warm voice with a hint of irony, her innate-seeming confidence. [40][41][42] Elliot died in Flat 12, 9 Curzon Place (later Curzon Square), Shepherd Market, Mayfair, London, owned by Harry Nilsson. She also appeared on and co-hosted The Music Scene on ABC and was featured on the first The Midnight Special on NBC. Owen finally met her father in San Francisco and called it "awkward but emotional." [14] The Los Angeles Free Press called it "an embarrassing drag", while Newsweek compared it to the Titanic disaster: "Like some great ocean liner embarking on an ill-fated maiden voyage, Mama Cass slid down the waves and sank to the bottom". In mid-1965, Elliot joined Doherty . Going Natural: What to Expect When You Let Your Hair Go Gray, Cass Elliots Daughter Talks About the Stars Bravery. Cass Elliot's daughter, Owen Vanessa Elliot lives in L.A. with her record producer husband Jack Kugell and their kids Zoe, 19, and Noah, 16. Problem solved. I voted in 1972, turning 18 in October! An uneaten ham sandwich at the side of Cass' bed sparked cruel rumors that she'd died from choking on food. Owen is a singer who has toured with Beach Boys member, Al Jardine. Many thanks for keeping the legacy of iconic female artists stuck to evaluations of their physical appearance. Cass Elliot's daughter, Owen Elliot-Kugell, said that her mom experimented with dangerous diets before her death. It reads: "MAMA CASS ELLIOT." [51][42] In 2020, Hollywood Reporter columnist Sue Cameron, a friend of Elliot's, offered a different explanation. [46][47] Her ashes were later buried in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. His paternity was not publicly revealed until his 2008 death. No group had ever looked like them: two sexy Ichabod Cranes in funny hats (very tall leader John Phillips and tenor Denny Doherty); a pouty blond beauty (Michelle Phillips), and, most arrestingly, a magnetic fat girl: Cass Elliot. [28], In 1967, while staying in London, Elliot was prosecuted for stealing bed linen from an apartment where she had been staying on an earlier visit. Ellen Naomi Cohen, who took the stage name Cass Elliot and was a member of the Mamas and the Papas, died in July 1974 aged 32 in London. She appeared with the other three band members, who performed together that night for the last time. Cass Elliot Daughter. A case could be made that Cass Elliot pioneered all this. He had put the group together, had a military background, and was entrepreneurial enough to have co-started the Monterey Pop Festival. Owen has also watched her best friend and soul sister Carnie Wilsonof the trio Wilson Phillips (which includes Michelle Phillipss daughter Chynna Phillips)wrestle with her weight and take steps like bypass surgery. Elliots road manager George Caldwell was also staying in Harry Nilssons flat, though in a separate bedroom. Elliot was in love with Doherty and was displeased when he told her of the affair. Ill be there for you! She was also very protective of me and assertive for me where John was concerned. . Today, our conversations question which direction we are headed in and how to get there. Her most successful recording during this period was 1968's "Dream a Little Dream of Me" from her solo album of the same name, released by Dunhill Records, though it had originally been released earlier that year on the album The Papas & the Mamas Presented by the Mamas and the Papas. [17], Reviews were harsh. Stay tuned. Owen Vanessa Elliot, Cass Elliot's daughter Birthday: April 26, 1967 Age : 55 years old Birth Sign : Taurus About Family Her mother is Cass Elliot and her father is Charles Wayne Day . Table of Contents show Who inherited Mama Cass estate? John Phillips, with his tough ego and hyper-controlling nature. However, all of Elliot's solos were deleted from the syndicated prints. Elliot, who was born Ellen Naomi Cohen, became the 2,735th person or group to receive a star on the Walk of Fame, which receives more than 10 million visitors annually. How ironic that a woman who exhibited such heart in her work and life, and courage in fighting the publics opunion of her physical form, died so young because of her attempts at weight loss. She was best known for being a member of the vocal group the Mamas & the Papas. The plaintiffs say the law firm drafted the singer's will, then told the singer's mother that Mama Cass died intestate . Her brothers lean on her, and her husband Toby is head over heels in love with her in almost every scene they have together. Girls were wearing go-go boots, and boys were growing out their early-Beatles haircuts. The two men had kept the secret for 20 years. I Dont Want to Have Sex With My Husband . You cannot be afraid of him! I felt very insecure because I met and married him when I was in high school. Michelle went on to have a romance with Jack Nicholson and a years-long, near-marriage to Warren Beatty, so she would, seem to be the insecure type. The song "Mama, I Remember You Now" by Swedish artist Marit Bergman is a tribute to Elliot. Just as it was right for her to insist on the success that was due her talent, despite the fat-shaming that was in the air shed breathed all her life but rose above. Ellen Naomi Cohen, known as Mama Cass, was one of the vocalists of the group and in the middle of their success and growth, Cass gave birth to a baby girl, Owen Vanessa Elliot. I had a bad headache for about two weeks and all of a sudden I was singing higher. No group had ever sounded like them, either: Dennys aching choirboy voice and Casss wry-beyond-her-years alto lacing through that creamy, 1950s-prom-worthy close harmony. In 2005, Cass' daughter Owen Elliot-Kugell wrote that she thought her mother "would want to be remembered for her voice, which was one of the uniquely special sounds of her time. The Mamas and the Papas were forced to cancel the upcoming British concerts as a result of the incident, and the band broke up the next year. "Just by example, she taught me, and others, not to accept it when someone says you can't do something," she said. It was also featured in ABC's The Middle when Sue Heck graduates from high school and in Netflix's Sex Education when Aimee smashes up an abandoned car. between Sycamore and LaBrea alongside the stars of Sidney . Table of Contents show. We're the Mamas!" Meanwhile, Cass had consciously chosen to pursue single motherhood, and her daughter Owen Vanessa was born during Cass's final year with the band. According to Next Tribe, her attempts to lose weight through crash dieting took a toll on her heart. As a result of her crash dieting and intense schedule, in April of 1974, Cass collapsed on the set of Johnny Carsons The Tonight Show, just before she was to go on. Stay tuned. Ellen Naomi Cohen, better known as Mama Cass Elliot, was at the height of her success with The Mamas & The Papas when she had her daughter in April 1967 (via Next Tribe ). Why did Cass Elliot remain so secretive about her daughter?