HOLLYWOOD—On Monday, October 3, “Mama” Cass Elliot of the famous 1960s group, The Mamas and the Papas will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame posthumously. 

Cass Elliot’s star will be the 2,735th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Guest speakers at her ceremony will be Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas, John Sebastian, Owen Elliot-Kugell who is Cass Elliot’s daughter, and Leah Kunkel. It will be held on 7065 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, CA 90028 and can be live streamed on www.walkoffame.com.

Ellen Naomi Cohen

Born Ellen Naomi Cohen on September 19, 1941, in Baltimore, Maryland, to a musical family. Her first interest artistically was the theatre, but she gave that up to join the folk music movement of her time. Cass was a part of several folk groups before she found her place in The New Journeymen who later changed their name to The Mamas and the Papas. 

The group received rapid commercial success following the release of “California Dreamin,’” their first single, in late 1965. The song ended up becoming the #1 Billboard year-end Hot 100 single of 1966. Other top ten hits included the Grammy winning “Monday, Monday,” “Creeque Alley,” and “Dedicated to the One I Love.” Their first concert was held at the Hollywood Bowl, and the band went on to close the Monterey International Pop festival in 1967, alongside acts such as Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Grateful Dead and Jimi Hendrix.

Elliot passed away on July 29, 1974 of heart attack she endured while in her sleep at the age of 32. She spent the night before at a cocktail party hosted by the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger and later autopsy reports revealed that there weren’t any substances in her system when she passed. 

Rumors quickly spread after her passing that she died choking on a ham sandwich which was later debunked. Some felt her death was part of an FBI assassination. Another rumor was spread that Cass Elliot passed away while giving birth to John Lennon’s love child.

Elliott is laid to rest at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California. Her daughter who will be speaking at the Hollywood Walk of Fame was only seven when her mother passed away.