Cass Elliot, also known as Mama Cass, was a singer and member of the 1960s folk-rock group The Mamas & The Papas. She was born Ellen Naomi Cohen in 1941 and adopted the stage name Cass Elliot when she began her singing career. She was known for her powerful and distinctive voice, which helped make The Mamas & The Papas one of the most successful groups of the 1960s. She died in 1974 at the age of 32.