Contrary to popular myth, Mama Cass Elliot did not die from choking on a ham sandwich, her daughter is keen for people to know.
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the death of the songstress with the Mamas and the Papas, Elliot’s daughter Owen Elliot-Kugell has told the BBC, “There was a ham sandwich, but she didn’t eat it and she didn’t choke on it. So enough with the jokes.”
Mama Cass died aged 32 in the London flat of fellow singer Harry Nilsson in 1974, after she had finished a two-week run of performances at the London Palladium. The autopsy confirmed her case of death as a heart attack.
At the time, and in many cultural references since, it was reported that she had choked to death on a ham sandwich, which was found by her bedside.
Her daughter, who has written a book My Mama, Cass about the pair’s relationship, told the BBC that for her book she had pieced together the last hours of her mother’s life, including her final concert and several parties:
“By the time she got back to her flat, it was evening the following day. She was hungry, and her dancer made her a sandwich from the only thing that was in the flat, ham, and left it on her bedside table. She never even took a bite.”
Elliot-Kugell discovered that the myth came from the singer’s circle wanting to protect her from speculation about death from a drug overdose. She told the BBC the story had been concocted between Elliot’s manager Allan Carr and a journalist friend, explaining: “Carr really wanted to protect her. And there was a sandwich that was found there.”
Elliot-Kugell believes the myth played into the perception of her mother as an overweight songbird, something that caused Elliot distress, even though her daughter considers her a trailblazer:
“She paved the way for these other young ladies nowadays who are of a heavier stature to break through in the music business and be accepted for who they are. I really do believe that she helped lay the groundwork for a lot of people.”
Elliot moved from her native Baltimore to New York in the 1960s, where she joined the emerging folk scene. In California, she found fame as one of the leading voices with the Mamas and the Papas, singing on some of their biggest hits including California Dreamin’, Monday Monday and Dream a Little Dream. She made her solo debut in 1968 and continued to perform until her untimely death.