Cass Elliot's Real Name: Ellen Naomi Cohen

Quick answer: Cass Elliot's real name was Ellen Naomi Cohen. She was born on September 19, 1941, in Baltimore, Maryland. Cass Elliot was her professional name, and she was also widely known as Mama Cass. She sang with the Mamas and the Papas, the group behind "California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday," then recorded as a solo artist. She died in London on July 29, 1974, of heart failure, at 32 (Biography.com; Library of Congress).

Real name and early life

Biography.com states that Cass Elliot, "better known as 'Mama Cass,' was born as Ellen Naomi Cohen on September 19, 1941 in Baltimore, Maryland." The Library of Congress files her as "Elliot, Cass, 1941-1974," with variants including "Cohen, Ellen Naomi, 1941-1974," "Elliot, Mama Cass, 1941-1974," and "Mama Cass, 1941-1974." Britannica also lists Ellen Naomi Cohen and Mama Cass Elliot as alternative names. (A short Britannica note on the group gives a 1943 birth year; the 1941 date is the one used by Biography.com and the Library of Congress heading.)

After first pursuing acting, she became a folk singer. In 1963 she gained notice in an innovative folk trio called the Big Three, with Tim Rose and James Hendricks. Biography.com says they recorded two albums before the group began to fall apart. She then formed a new group, Cass Elliot and the Big Three, which also featured Hendricks, Denny Doherty, and Zal Yanovsky.

Career highlights

In 1965 she became a member of the Mamas and the Papas. Biography.com says the group was an overnight success, with hits including "California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday." After the band broke up in 1968, she had some success as a solo act and remained a visible television guest and performer. She continued to use the professional name Cass Elliot, though the public often still called her Mama Cass.

Death

Biography.com says she died suddenly from heart failure on July 29, 1974, at the age of 32, in London. That is the documented cause. A long-circulating rumor about the circumstances of her death is not supported by that account and is not repeated here. Her official site, casselliot.com, continues to keep her recordings and career in public view.

Name notes for searchers

Ellen Naomi Cohen was her birth name. Cass Elliot, sometimes styled Cassandra Elliot in catalogs, was her professional name. Mama Cass was a popular nickname; some accounts say she disliked it. Searchers looking for any of those forms are pointing to the same singer.