Bizarre rumor

Did “Mama Cass” really choke on ham sandwich?

Owen Elliot-Kugell at the star ceremony for "Mama Cass" Elliott, who was posthumously honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 3, 2022.(Bild: APA/Getty Images via AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Frazer Harrison)

It's one of the most bizarre stories in rock'n'roll history and revolves around the death of "Mama Cass" Elliot. The most popular member of the legendary 60s band "The Mamas & The Papa" died in 1974 at the age of just 32. 

And to this day, the rumor persists that the "California Dreamin'" singer choked on a ham sandwich. Her daughter Owen Elliot-Kugell now wants to finally put that to bed with a new biography. 

Childhood trauma
In "My Mama, Cass", the daughter describes how she lost her mother to a heart attack when she was just seven years old. And that as a child she was constantly asked by adults whether the sandwich rumor was true. This led to a real trauma for the 57-year-old, who didn't really want to talk about it anymore.

The truth
Until she began her book research: "I decided that I finally wanted to get to the bottom of this miserable rumor to separate fact from fiction." So she contacted former "Hollywood Reporter" columnist Sue Cameron - a good friend and close confidante of her mother.

She finally revealed the true origin of the rumor to Elliot-Kugell: "She called my mother shortly after she was found dead. Her manager Allan Carr picked up the phone and cried. He told Sue that there was a half-eaten ham sandwich on the dessert table and to tell her that my mother had choked on it."

"Crazy rumor"
The background to the lie: Carr was desperate to prevent other rumors about the cause of death - such as drugs - from doing the rounds. Because while overdose deaths were almost commonplace in the music world in the 60s and 70s, according to Elliot-Kugell, no illegal substances were found in her mother's body during the autopsy: "In hindsight, I'm very grateful to Carr and Cameron for wanting to protect my mother's reputation. And therefore also me."

She is now even grateful about the "crazy rumor" because "it kept my mom relevant!" She hopes that with her biography she can help her mom Cass "shine again in the 21st century!" The book will be released on May 7.