Cass Elliot

 Cass Elliot, born Ellen Naomi Cohen (September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974)

She was known for being member of The Mamas & the Papas music group. After the group broke up, she released five solo albums. In 1998, Elliot, John Phillips, Denny Doherty, and Michelle Phillips were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for their work as The Mamas & the Papas.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 major 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, one of the men who co-wrote it, whom Michelle Phillips (another member of The Mamas & Papas) had met years earlier. She also had two prime time television specials, in 1969 and 1973, and a score of television appearances during this time. At the height of her solo career in 1974, Elliot performed two weeks of sold-out concerts at the London Palladium. She telephoned Michelle Phillips after the final concert on July 28, elated that she had received standing ovations each night. She then retired for the evening, and died in her sleep at age 32. Sources state her death was due to a heart attack. Elliot had lost an extreme amount of weight in the months before her death, which weakened her heart and likely caused her death.

The rumor that Elliot choked on a ham sandwich has been proven false, while a partially eaten sandwich was found near her, no food was in her windpipe. Cass Elliot is buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Los Angeles, CA.