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‘The truth was just too painful’: the highs and lows of Mama Cass

The daughter of ‘Mama’ Cass Elliot has written a book to explore the tragically short life of her mother, from relentless fat-shaming to a myth about her death

The snarky references continued into their legacy years when, in an acceptance speech for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, fellow “Mama” Michelle Phillips said: “I have personal knowledge that Cass is looking down on these proceedings wearing a size six Thierry Mugler dress.” The swipes about her weight even played into a widely believed, but false, story about the cause of her death. Elliot-Kugell, now 57, began thinking about writing a book about her mother nearly two decades ago but, because her own experience with her was scant, she had to go on an extended journalistic mission to mine the memories of people with a far greater understanding of her life and history. When the Mamas and Papas broke up, the smart money was on Cass to become the solo star given the warm timber of her voice, the intelligence of her phrasing and the sheer force of what Elliot-Kugell calls “that Cohen honk.

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