Cass Elliot's Daughter to Publish Memoir About Her Mother — and Dispel the Ham Sandwich Rumor

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Owen Elliot-Kugell, daughter of the Mamas & the Papas band member, will publish 'My Mama, Cass' in 2024

<p>Donaldson Collection/Getty </p> Cass Elliot

Donaldson Collection/Getty

Cass Elliot

Cass Elliot’s daughter is honoring her mother’s legacy.

Owen Elliot-Kugell announced Tuesday with Rolling Stone that she will publish a memoir entitled My Mama, Cass next year.

“I’ve wanted to tell her story for a really, really long time, and I didn’t know how to do it,” Elliot-Kugell, who had been developing the book for over a decade, told Rolling Stone. “I’m still not really confident about it because it’s so new to me.”

'My Mama, Cass' by Owen Elliot-Kugell
'My Mama, Cass' by Owen Elliot-Kugell

Elliot, who died at age 32 in 1974, was best known for being a member of Grammy-winning '60s folk rock band the Mamas & the Papas. Born Ellen Naomi Cohen in Baltimore, she joined the group in 1965, appearing on hits like “California Dreamin” and “Monday, Monday.” Elliot also released five solo albums, which included songs “Dream a Little Dream of Me” and “Make Your Own Kind of Music,” which had a TikTok resurgence this year. She was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

Related: 5 Other Times the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Has Split Up Famous Groups

Elliot-Kugell was only 7 years old when her mother died. In the book, she details her mother’s early life and prominence in the '60s counterculture movement. My Mama, Cass also features multiple interviews, including Mamas & Papas members Michelle Phillips and Denny Doherty, who died in 2007 (Elliot-Kugell notes that many of the interviews come from informal conversations).

GAB Archive/Redferns The Mamas & The Papas
GAB Archive/Redferns The Mamas & The Papas

Elliot-Kugell will also touch upon her mother’s struggles with her weight and self-esteem, and will also address some of the rumors surrounding Elliot’s life, including the infamous rumor that Elliot died by choking on a ham sandwich.

“It wasn’t enough that we had lost her, to then be [made into] a joke,” Elliot-Kugell told Rolling Stone. “I’d say probably 50 percent of the people don’t believe it now. The other 50 percent probably still do.”

Related: Mama Cass of Hit '60s Band Mamas & the Papas Did Not Die from a Ham Sandwich: What Really Happened

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<p>Donaldson Collection/Getty </p> Cass Elliot in 1970

Donaldson Collection/Getty

Cass Elliot in 1970

Ultimately, My Mama, Cass explores the many multitudes of the legendary singer. In a press statement, Elliot-Kugell says that writing the book allowed her to gain new insight into her mother.

“What I discovered writing this book is that my mother was a woman far ahead of her time,” she says. “She was a trailblazer, a successful woman in a male-dominated business. An iconic artist, she was the most loyal of friends, of which she had many. Most importantly, she was a single mother who just wanted someone of her very own. That was me.”

My Mama, Cass will publish in May 2024 from Hachette Books.

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