Editing Cass Elliot (section)

== Career ==

=== 1962–1964: Early career ===
After leaving high school to pursue an entertainment career in New York, Elliot toured in the musical ''[[The Music Man]]'' in 1962 under the name Cass Elliot,<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 28, 1962 |title='Music Man' Marches in for Closer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/163185650/ |work=Rockland County Journal-News |pages=6}}</ref> but lost the part of Miss Marmelstein in ''[[I Can Get It for You Wholesale]]'' to [[Barbra Streisand]]. Elliot sometimes sang while working as a cloakroom attendant at The Showplace in [[Greenwich Village]], but she did not pursue a singing career until she moved to the Washington, DC, area to attend [[American University]] (not [[Swarthmore College]] as mentioned in the biographical song "Creeque Alley").

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. In 1963, [[Jim Hendricks (musician)|James Hendricks]] replaced Brown, and the trio was renamed [[The Big 3 (folk group)|the Big 3]]. Elliot's first recording with the Big 3 was "Winken, Blinken, and Nod", released by [[FM Records]] in 1963. In 1964, the group appeared on an "open mic" night at [[The Bitter End]] in Greenwich Village, billed as Cass Elliot and the Big 3, followed onstage by folk singer Jim Fosso and [[Bluegrass music|bluegrass]] banjoist [[Eric Weissberg]].

Tim Rose left the Big 3 in 1964, and Elliot and Hendricks teamed with Canadians [[Zal Yanovsky]] and [[Denny Doherty]] to form [[The Mugwumps (band)|the Mugwumps]]. This group lasted eight months, after which Cass performed as a solo act for a while. In the meantime, Yanovsky and [[John Sebastian]] co-founded [[the Lovin' Spoonful]], while Doherty joined [[the New Journeymen]], a group that also included [[John Phillips (musician)|John Phillips]] and his wife [[Michelle Phillips|Michelle]]. 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.

A popular legend about Elliot is that her vocal range was improved by three notes after she was hit on the head by some copper tubing while walking through a construction site behind the bar where the New Journeymen were playing in the Virgin Islands. Elliot confirmed the story in a 1968 interview with ''Rolling Stone'', saying:

{{blockquote|1=It's true, I did get hit on the head by a pipe that fell down and my range was increased by three notes. They were tearing this club apart in the islands, revamping it, putting in a dance floor. Workmen dropped a thin metal plumbing pipe and it hit me on the head and knocked me to the ground. I had a concussion and went to the hospital. I had a bad headache for about two weeks and all of a sudden I was singing higher. It's true. Honest to God.<ref name="RollingStone_Interview">{{cite magazine|magazine=Rolling Stone|issue=20|date=1968-10-28 |format=Reprinted |last=Hopkins |first=Jerry |page=19|title=Interview: Cass Elliot |url=http://www.casselliot.com/rollingst.htm |location=San Francisco |publisher=Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. |access-date=27 May 2014 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140618122019/http://www.casselliot.com/rollingst.htm |archive-date=June 18, 2014}}</ref>}}

Friends later said that the pipe story was a less embarrassing explanation for why John Phillips had kept her out of the group for so long, because he considered her too fat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/casspipe.asp|title=Mama Cass Hit on the Head with a Pipe |author=Mikkelson, David |website=Snopes|date=November 1, 2007}}</ref>

=== 1965–1968: The Mamas & the Papas ===
With two female members, the New Journeymen needed a new name and they agreed on [[the Mamas & the Papas]]. The group lasted from 1965 to 1968. According to Doherty, as written in his website, Elliot had the inspiration for the band's new name. Doherty also said that the occasion marked the beginning of his affair with fellow band member [[Michelle Phillips]]. Elliot was in love with Doherty and was displeased when he told her of the affair. Doherty has said that Elliot once proposed to him, but that he was so stoned at the time that he could not even respond.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

{{quote box
| align = right
| width = 25em
| quote = We're all just lying around vegging out watching TV and discussing names for the group. The New Journeymen was not a handle that was going to hang on this outfit. John was pushing for the Magic Cyrcle. Eech, but none of us could come up with anything better, then we switch the channel and, hey, it's the [[Hells Angels]] on the [[The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson|Carson show]]&nbsp;... And the first thing we hear is: "Now hold on there, Hoss. Some people call our women cheap, but we just call them our Mamas." Cass jumped up: "Yeah! I want to be a Mama." And Michelle is going: "We're the Mamas! We're the Mamas!" OK. I look at John. He's looking at me going: "The Papas?" Problem solved. A toast! To the Mamas and the Papas. Well, after many, many toasts, Cass and John are passed out.
| source = — Denny Doherty<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dennydoherty.com/dream/dream11.html|title=Dream A Little Dream : Just A-Catchin' Fire|website=Dennydoherty.com|access-date=December 19, 2017}}</ref>
}}

Elliot was known for her sense of humor and optimism, and was considered by many to be the most charismatic member of the group. Her powerful, distinctive voice was a major factor in their string of hits, including "[[California Dreamin']]{{-"}}, "[[Monday, Monday]]", and "[[Words of Love (The Mamas and the Papas song)|Words of Love]]". 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. Elliot's version is noteworthy for its contemplative pace, whereas many earlier recordings of "Dream a Little Dream of Me" (including one by [[Nat King Cole]] and another by [[Ozzie Nelson]]) had been up-tempo versions&mdash;the song having been written in 1931 as a dance tune. The Mamas and the Papas continued to record to meet the terms of their record contract until 1971.

=== 1968–1973: Solo career===
After the breakup of the Mamas and the Papas, Elliot embarked on a solo singing career. Her most successful recording during this period was 1968's "[[Dream a Little Dream of Me]]" from [[Dream a Little Dream (Cass Elliot album)|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]]''.

'''Las Vegas show'''

[[File:Cass Elliot Johnny Cash 1969.JPG|thumb|left|Elliot with [[Johnny Cash]] in 1969]]
In October 1968, Elliot made her live solo debut headlining in [[Las Vegas]] at [[Caesars Palace]], scheduled for a three-week engagement at $40,000 per week with two shows per night.<ref name="Sink Along With Mama Cass">{{cite news |title=Sink Along With Mama Cass |url=http://www.casselliot.com/esquire.htm |publisher=Esquire |date=June 1969 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101213064703/http://casselliot.com/esquire.htm |archive-date=December 13, 2010 }}</ref> According to Elliot, she went on a six-month crash diet before the show, losing 100 of her 300 pounds. However, she attributed a stomach ulcer and throat problems to her severe regimen, which she treated by drinking milk and cream—rapidly regaining 50 pounds in the process.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mama Cass In Training for Night Club Re-Entry |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19721215&id=AGdRAAAAIBAJ&pg=5061,3404963 |publisher=Ocala Star Banner |date=December 15, 1972}}</ref>

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. 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. She skipped the remainder of rehearsals and drank tea and lemon, hoping to recover and pull herself together for opening night.<ref name="Fiegel">{{cite book |last=Fiegel |first=Eddi |title=Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Life of Cass Elliot |publisher=Chicago Review Press |date=September 28, 2005 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/dreamlittledream00fieg/page/265 265–267] |isbn=978-1-55652-588-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/dreamlittledream00fieg/page/265}}</ref>

An audience of 950 people filled the Circus Maximus theater at Caesar's Palace on the evening of Wednesday, October 16, including [[Sammy Davis Jr.]], [[Peter Lawford]], [[Jimi Hendrix]], [[Joan Baez]], [[Liza Minnelli]], and [[Mia Farrow]], who had sent flowers to Elliot's dressing room, but backstage she had developed a raging fever. Friends urged her manager to cancel the show, but she felt that it was too important and insisted on performing. Sick and having barely rehearsed, she began to fall apart during the course of her first performance; her voice was weak and barely audible, and the large crowd was unsympathetic, despite the celebrity well-wishers. At the end of the show, Elliot returned to the stage to apologize to the audience; "This is the first night, and it will get better", she said. She then sang "Dream a Little Dream of Me" and left the stage as the audience applauded half-heartedly. She returned later that night to perform the second show, but her voice was worse, and many of the audience noisily walked out.<ref name="Fiegel2">{{cite book |last=Fiegel |first=Eddi |title=Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Life of Cass Elliot |publisher=Chicago Review Press |date=September 28, 2005 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/dreamlittledream00fieg/page/267 267–8] |isbn=978-1-55652-588-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/dreamlittledream00fieg/page/267}}</ref>

Reviews were harsh. ''Esquire'' magazine called the show "Sink Along with Cass" and "a disaster" that was "heroic in proportion, epic in scope".<ref name="Sink Along With Mama Cass"/> The ''Los Angeles Free Press'' called it "an embarrassing drag", while ''Newsweek'' compared it to the [[Sinking of the RMS Titanic|''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". The show closed after only one night, and Elliot flew back to Los Angeles for what was described as "a tonsillectomy".<ref name="Fiegel"/>

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. 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. Embarrassed by the debacle, Elliot plunged into a deep depression.<ref name="Fiegel"/>

''' Later work ''' 
[[File:Cass Elliot 1973 television special.JPG|thumb|upright|right|Elliot in a publicity photograph for ''Don't Call Me Mama Anymore'' (1973)]]
Elliot appeared in two television variety specials: ''The Mama Cass Television Program'' (ABC, 1969) and ''Don't Call Me Mama Anymore'' (CBS, 1973). She was a regular guest on TV talk shows and variety shows in the early 1970s, including ''[[The Mike Douglas Show]]'', ''[[The Andy Williams Show]]'', ''[[Hollywood Squares]]'', ''[[The Johnny Cash Show (TV series)|The Johnny Cash Show]]'', ''The [[Ray Stevens]] Show'', ''[[The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour]]'', and ''[[The Carol Burnett Show]]'', and was a guest panelist for a week on the game show ''[[Match Game|Match Game '73]]''. She guest-hosted for [[Johnny Carson]] on ''[[The Tonight Show]]'' and appeared as a guest on the show 13 other times. She also appeared on and co-hosted ''[[The Music Scene (TV series)|The Music Scene]]'' on ABC and was featured on the first ''[[The Midnight Special (TV series)|The Midnight Special]]'' on NBC.

Elliot performed the title song "The Good Times Are Comin{{'"}} during the opening sequence of the 1970 film ''[[Monte Walsh (1970 film)|Monte Walsh]]'', starring [[Lee Marvin]] and [[Jack Palance]]. In 1970, Elliot was signed to [[RCA Records]]; her first album for RCA, ''[[Cass Elliot (album)|Cass Elliot]]'', was issued in January, 1972. Also in 1972, she made three appearances on the variety series ''[[The Julie Andrews Hour]]''. Her final appearance on the show was the Christmas installment that aired on Wednesday, December 20, 1972. In December 1978, four years after Elliot's death, the episode was rebroadcast on syndicated stations as a Christmas special titled ''Merry Christmas with Love, Julie''. However, all of Elliot's solos were deleted from the syndicated edit. In 2009, a complete videotape of ''The Julie Andrews Hour Christmas Show'' was donated to [[The Paley Center For Media]] in New York, with all of Elliot's numbers intact.

[[File:Cass Elliot Diahann Carroll Jack Lemmon Jack Lemmon Special 1973.jpg|thumb|upright|left|From left to right: Elliot, [[Diahann Carroll]] and [[Jack Lemmon]] in 1973]]
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]]. She also sang the jingle "Hurry on down to Hardee's, where the burgers are charco-broiled" for [[Hardee's]] advertisements.<ref>{{cite news |date=April 23, 1997 |title=Hardee's looking at return to char-broiled burgers |url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/1997/04/23/biz_207185.shtml#.WMctReTatnw |newspaper=Augusta Chronicle |access-date=March 13, 2017 |archive-date=December 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204114607/http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/1997/04/23/biz_207185.shtml#.WMctReTatnw |url-status=dead }}</ref> Throughout the early 1970s, Elliot continued her acting career, as well. She had a featured role in the movie ''[[Pufnstuf (film)|Pufnstuf]]'' (1970) and made guest appearances on TV's ''[[The New Scooby-Doo Movies]]''; ''[[Young Dr. Kildare (TV series)|Young Dr. Kildare]]''; ''[[Love, American Style]]''; and ''[[The Red Skelton Show]]''; among others.

In 1973, Elliot hired as her manager [[Allan Carr]], who was also managing the careers of [[Tony Curtis]], [[Ann-Margret]], and [[Peter Sellers]]. Carr felt Elliot needed to leave pop and rock music and head into the cabaret circuit, so a show was put together comprising old standards along with a few new songs written for her by friends. The act included Elliot and two male singers who served as backup singers and sidekicks during the musical numbers. 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 song was born out of Elliot's frustration with being identified as "Mama Cass". The show debuted in Pittsburgh on February 9, 1973. Elliot felt ready to tackle Las Vegas once again and premiered at the [[Flamingo Las Vegas|Flamingo]]. This time, she received rave reviews. ''The Las Vegas Sun'' wrote, "Cass Elliot, making a strong point that she is no longer Mama Cass, has a good act serving notice that she is here to stay. The audience was with her all the way&nbsp;... no empty seats anywhere." She then took her act to higher-echelon casinos and swankier nightclubs in cities throughout the country.

Elliot provided the voice for her appearance on the 1973 episode of ''[[The New Scooby-Doo Movies]]'', "The Haunted Candy Factory". She also appeared on ''[[Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated]]'' in the episodes "The Secret Serum", "Pawn of Shadows", and "Dance of the Undead" as a Crystal Cove citizen.

The city of Baltimore dedicated August 15, 1973, as "Cass Elliot Day" in her honor for her homecoming.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://retrobaltimore.tumblr.com/post/93234625979/baltimore-shows-its-love-for-mama-cass-elliot |title=Baltimore shows its love for Mama Cass Elliot |newspaper=Tumblr |access-date=December 19, 2017}}</ref>