This is an attempt to right a rock wrong. One of the most famous musical myths is simply not true.
According to Owen Elliot-Kugell, daughter of Mama Cass Elliot from the folk vocal group Mamas and the Papas, her mother died because of a ham sandwich. “She didn’t eat it and she didn’t choke on it,” she says. So enough with the jokes. “.
And many jokes have been made about it for almost 50 years, including ones by Mike Myers as Austin Powers.
The special agent who can travel through time in the 1997 movie is making a list of friends he has in London. He crosses out friends who have died when he realizes they are on the list. After naming Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin he mournfully sighs: “Mama Cass. Deceased. Ham sandwich. “.
Cass Elliot (her stage name was Mama, but she didn’t like it later in her career) sang on some of the most famous singles of the mid-1960s, such as California Dreamin’, Monday Monday, and Dream a Little Dream. She had a strong voice that was an important part of the harmony that made the Mamas and the Papas so popular.
At age 32, she died in the Mayfair apartment she had borrowed from fellow American singer Harry Nilsson after going on tour by herself for two weeks at the London Palladium in 1974. Her death was ruled a heart attack by the autopsy, and no drugs were found in her body.
Owen, her only child, was seven years old and in the US at the time she heard the news.
Today, July 29, is the 50th anniversary of her mother’s death. As a tribute and to correct the sandwich-based error, she has written a memoir called My Mama, Cass.
She says on the other end of the line from Los Angeles, “It’s beyond frustrating, almost unbearable.” She’s talking about how it’s been to live with the ham sandwich legend for 50 years.
They didn’t know who my mom was when I was a little girl hanging out with my friends at school. But when I went home to have play dates with some of these kids, one of their parents would often ask me, “Hey, did your mom really die choking on a ham sandwich?”
“It bothered me because it was such a horrible story, and I knew that it wasnt true. And it just felt so cruel to have a rumour like that perpetuated. It tortured me. “.
Mama Cass Elliot was the powerful, raspy-voiced singer of the 1960s folk rock group The Mamas & the Papas, best known for hits like “California Dreamin'” and “Monday Monday” But sadly, she passed away suddenly at just 32 years old in 1974
In the decades since, one persistent myth has followed Cass – that she died by choking on a ham sandwich. This infamous story has been repeated as fact in books, films, TV shows and more. But is it actually true?
According to Cass’s daughter Owen Elliot-Kugell, the answer is a definitive no. In her new memoir “My Mama Cass” Owen finally sets the record straight on the story behind her mother’s untimely death.
The Ham Sandwich Myth is Born
Shortly after Cass Elliot died in London on July 29, 1974, her manager Allan Carr called Cass’s friend, journalist Sue Cameron, with an unusual request. He asked Cameron to falsely report that Cass had died from choking on a ham sandwich.
As Cameron revealed in a 2020 interview, Carr insisted “You must go to your typewriter and write that. There’s a half of a ham sandwich on her nightstand.” Although skeptical, Cameron complied by writing up the ham sandwich account for the Hollywood Reporter, not yet realizing how far the false story would spread.
How the Ham Sandwich Myth Spread
The spurious ham sandwich tale grew into one of the most famous urban myths in pop culture history. It was repeated as fact in books, magazines, films, TV shows, comedy acts and more over the next five decades.
References popped up everywhere from biographies of Cass and The Mamas & Papas to a joke told by Mike Myers in Austin Powers to a question on game shows like Jeopardy. For Owen Elliot-Kugell, constantly hearing the ham sandwich story was painful.
“It bothered me because it was such a horrible story, and I knew that it wasn’t true,” she shared. “It tortured me.”
The Real Cause of Mama Cass’s Death
So if Cass didn’t die from a ham sandwich, what was the real cause? According to the coroner’s report, she died of a heart attack at age 32.
While there was a half-eaten ham sandwich found in her room, Cass never took a single bite of it. The facts point to natural causes – not food choking.
In the years prior, Cass had struggled with crash dieting and amphetamine use, which may have put strain on her heart. Obesity and genetics could have also been factors in her cardiac arrest.
Why the Manager Lied About the Ham Sandwich
Decades later, Sue Cameron finally learned the reason why Cass’s manager Allan Carr invented the choking lie in the first place.
As Cameron shared, “He said, ‘Thank you for writing that, I was trying to save her reputation.’”
In other words, by blaming a random ham sandwich, Carr hoped to dispel rumors that drug abuse or overdose may have caused Cass’s abrupt death. He wanted to protect her image and legacy.
The Truth Lives On Through Her Daughter
After 50 years of the pervasive ham sandwich myth, Owen Elliot-Kugell is sharing her mother’s story and setting the record straight. “I really do believe that she helped lay the groundwork for a lot of people,” she said proudly of her mom Cass.
While the ham sandwich legend persists, Elliot-Kugell’s memoir ensures the truth of her pioneering mother’s life and talent will be remembered, not a bizarre fabricated tale.
She hopes that finally debunking the myth will put an end to cruel jokes about her mother’s size and death. “It tortured me,” Elliot-Kugell stated, calling the myth “so horrible.”
Mama Cass’s Life and Legacy
Beyond the ham sandwich story, who was Mama Cass Elliot and why was she so revolutionary?
-
Born Ellen Naomi Cohen in 1941 in Baltimore, Cass was drawn to musical theater as a child and teen.
-
She moved to New York City in the early ‘60s to pursue singing, eventually heading to LA and becoming “Mama Cass” of The Mamas & the Papas.
-
Cass’s powerful, raspy vocals were a signature of the group’s harmonies and hits like “California Dreamin’” and “Monday Monday.”
-
She broke ground as a successful, influential female singer in the male-dominated 1960s music scene.
-
After The Mamas & The Papas broke up in 1968, Cass went on to have a successful solo career until her sudden passing in 1974.
-
Her daughter describes Cass as a “trailblazer” who paved the way for plus-size female singers who came after her.
-
While remembered for her talent and warmth, Cass also struggled with fat shaming and drug use during her short career.
-
Her premature, shocking death at 32 left Cass’s loved ones mourning the loss of such a vibrant, inspiring woman and performer.
Life Lessons from Mama Cass
Despite her mythologized death, Mama Cass lived by her own rules and overcame obstacles to achieve stardom. Here are some words of wisdom that her bold life teaches:
-
Believe in yourself and your talent, even when others don’t. Cass persevered to succeed despite being fat-shamed.
-
Surround yourself with people who appreciate you for you. Cass found her tribe in the music and arts scene.
-
Don’t let obstacles stop you from chasing your dreams. Cass kept singing despite ridicule about her weight.
-
Love your unique voice. Cass showed the world the beauty of her husky, soulful vocals.
-
Break barriers and make space for others to follow. Cass inspired plus-size female singers for generations.
-
Share your gifts with the world. Cass’s immense talent brought joy to so many listeners.
-
Life is precious and sometimes short. Savor each moment you’re given.
Remembering Mama Cass
While the ham sandwich myth endures, those who truly knew Cass Elliot remember her incredible talent, outsized personality and pioneering status as a woman defying stereotypes.
Her acapella group The Mamas & The Papas left an indelible mark on music history. And her daughter Owen keeps her genuine spirit alive by dispelling false myths and honoring Mama Cass’s life and legacy.
With her soaring vocals and fearless authenticity, Cass Elliot remains an inspiration to singers and women everywhere. She will be remembered as the Mama with the booming voice and even bigger heart.
Cass Elliot’s final hours
It’s only natural that she has put in a lot of work to figure out what happened in the days before her mother died. On her schedule, she played her last Palladium show and then “stayed up for 36 hours.”
All night, she was going to Mick Jagger’s birthday party. The next day, she was going to a brunch party in her honor, followed by an afternoon tea hosted by a US journalist.
“By the time she got back to her flat, it was evening the following day,” continues her daughter. “Her dancer made her a sandwich with ham, which was the only thing that was in the flat, and left it next to her bed.” She never even took a bite. “.
Also, Elliot-Kugell is still upset that the ham sandwich myth brings up another problem her mom had her whole life: her weight.
From the age of seven Cass had battles with obesity. As a teenager she was prescribed amphetamines to speed up her metabolism.
Elliot-Kugell describes it as “the beginning of a very bad cycle.”
Crash dieting and drug taking would feature over the course of the rest of Casss life.
But what makes her proud of her mom is that she “persisted and pursued until she made it.” “.
“When she was a teenager, she knew she wanted to be a performer and told everyone she was going to be the most famous fat girl in history.” She had that forethought of knowledge as a child. I think thats pretty cool. I think thats really cool. “.
Cass became involved in the Greenwich Village folk scene after moving from Baltimore to New York for school. He then went to Washington, DC, and then California to join the Mamas and the Papas, but not until founding member John Phillips was convinced that Cass’s weight would not slow the group down.
Eliot-Kugell thinks that things would have been very different for her mother if people had felt the same way about fat shaming back then as they do now. She calls her mother a “trailblazer.”
“These taller young women today have been able to break into the music business and be accepted for who they are thanks to her.” I really do believe that she helped lay the groundwork for a lot of people. “.
The book talks about how people like Dean Martin and members of her own band made fun of her weight in public, and how she had to “grin and bear it” to stay alive, especially when she had to go on TV.
By the early 1970s, Cass was a regular on US variety shows. She hosted the Tonight Show as a guest and appeared on the Carol Burnett Show often, but it cost a lot.
She would inevitably appear in skits making fun of her weight. In her book, Elliot-Kugell talks about a routine with a “really heavy version of Little Bo Peep” that shows what her mom had to go through to stay in the public eye.
Though it’s interesting, she does defend the line in the Mamas and the Papas song Creeque Alley: “And no one’s getting fat except Mama Cass.” “.
“I really dont believe that John Phillips wrote that lyric to be interpreted in that way,” she insists.
“You know how youngsters talk about things being phat? Thats like a bitchin thing, a compliment. I think Id rather remember it like that. I want to believe that was how that was written. “.
The memoir also talks about happier topics. Elliot-Kugell shares her own special memories of her mother, such as watching The Wizard of Oz in bed one afternoon, singing along to The Carpenters’ “Top of the World” when it came on the car radio, and their last goodbye at LAX Airport.
“When she was in town, she was very involved,” is how she diplomatically sums up Casss mothering style.
She didn’t learn that her dad was Chuck Day, a session bass player, until she was 19.
Mama Cass and the Origin of the “Ham Sandwich” Myth by Murder Mile UK True Crime Podcast
FAQ
Which celebrity choked on a ham sandwich?
What happened to Mama Cass?
Why did they call her Mama Cass?
How did Mama Cass die?
On Aug. 6, 1974, the Associated Press reported that Mama Cass had died of a heart attack, citing testimony given in a British death inquest. “She weighed twice as much as she should have,” a pathologist told the inquest.
Did Mama Cass choke to death on a ham sandwich?
A graduate of USC, she joined the Los Angeles Times in 2003 as a copy editor, started writing about celebrities in 2009 and has more than 34 years of journalism experience in Southern California. Fact check: Mama Cass didn’t choke to death on a ham sandwich, her daughter says in a new book.
Did Cass Elliot choke on a ham sandwich?
Another music legend has fallen: The mighty good one that the Mamas & the Papas singer Cass Elliot choked to death on a ham sandwich apparently is not true. That’s according to “Mama” Cass’ daughter, Owen Elliot-Kugell, who was only 7 and living in the United States when her mom died in a borrowed London flat.
Was ‘Mama’ Cass Elliot killed by a ham sandwich?
‘Mama’ Cass Elliot wasn’t killed by a ham sandwich, daughter says. Sorry to skewer that myth Yes, a ham sandwich was present, but the details of “Mama” Cass Elliot’s death have been greatly exaggerated, daughter Owen Elliot-Kugell explains in a new book. (Chris Pizzello / Invision / Associated Press)