Mama Cass Elliot, A Legend Remembered

In celebration of what would otherwise be the 78th birthday of the late-great Mama Cass Elliot, we pay homage to a champion of confidence and time-honored talent with this special collection of photographs spanning the gamut from album covers captured by Guy Webster to the quintessential Laurel Canyon candids of Henry Diltz and more. Made no less prolific in its brevity, Elliot's creative timeline begins with the formation of the now-legendary folk rock group, the Mamas & the Papas, lending her booming yet endearing vocals to classics like 1966 No. 1 hit "Monday Monday" and "California Dreaming" among others before disbanding in 1968, going on to find solo success with what is widely considered the most paradigmatic version of "Dream A Little Dream of Me." Of Laurel Canyon's larger-than-life matriarch, former bandmate Michelle Phillips would later reflect, "I've yet to meet another woman as strong, funny and fiercely independent as Cass was. Cass thought she was the greatest, & she was." Needless to say, we couldn't agree more as we pay tribute to the life and career of an exceptional individual, vocalist, mother and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee.

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