Ellen Naomi Cohen

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

Elliot was born Ellen Naomi Cohen to Philip and Bess Cohen in Baltimore, Maryland. She had a younger sister, Leah, who also became a singer as a member of the Coyote Sisters.

The Cohens later moved to Alexandria, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C.. She adopted the name "Cass" in high school—possibly, as Denny Doherty tells it, borrowing it from the actress Peggy Cass, but in any case, it was "Cass", not "Cassandra." She assumed the surname Elliot sometime later, in memory of a friend who had died. While still attending George Washington High School, she became interested in acting and was cast in a school production of the play The Boy Friend. She left high school shortly before graduation and relocated to New York City to further her acting career. She toured in the musical The Music Man, but lost the part of Miss Marmelstein in I Can Get It for You Wholesale, to Barbra Streisand in 1962.

Elliot, known for her sense of humor and optimism, was considered by some to be the most charismatic member of the group. Her powerful, distinctive voice was a large factor in their success. She is best remembered for her vocals on the group's hits "California Dreamin'," "Monday Monday," and "Words of Love," and particularly for the solo "Dream a Little Dream of Me," which the group recorded in 1968 after learning about the death of Fabian Andre...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cass_Elliot

[hlthe2b]

1. She is remembered with great fondness... a fantastic voice brimming with talent..

Sadly, so many people think of her only as a target for obesity bigotry.

Cass, I think I will put on some M&P music today and think of you and your rich vocals.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

2. Most likely...

...she died of dieting.

[ismnotwasm]

3. Yup

What a hell of a voice

Great one!

[dipsydoodle]

4. Her death at such a young age really was tragic.

Heart attack at 32. http://www.themedicalbag.com/story/mama-cass-elliot

[laundry_queen]

6. That's really interesting

That she had many fainting episodes. I had never heard that she may have had a heart defect. I had an uncle (by marriage) who died suddenly at a relatively young age from cardiac arrest because of an undetected genetic heart defect. It happens a lot more than people think. It's actually been said that those, like my uncle, who are in really great shape are more likely to die from this heart defect because their body compensates for the defect...until it can't. People who aren't in great shape usually have symptoms. It's a shame no one figured out what her fainting spells were related to.

[Squinch]

5. I love her. She's a voice that brings back some of the best moments of childhood for me.