Cass Elliot

A much-loved figure in the rock world of the late 1960s and early 1970s, the powerfully voiced, Rubenesque singer Cass Elliot, also known as "Mama Cass," was a member of the Mamas and Papas, whose sun-dappled harmonies turned songs like "Monday, Monday" and "California Dreamin'" into enduring hits. After the group dissipated in 1968 amidst personality conflicts, Elliot enjoyed modest success as a solo artist who combined pop sensibilities with elements of country, jazz and Tin Pan Alley. Sweet, self-confident anthems like "Dream a Little Dream" and "Make Your Own Kind of Music" endeared her to the mainstream, where she became a popular guest on television. After re-inventing herself as a cabaret-style singer, Elliot died in her sleep in 1974, bringing a promising new career direction to an abrupt halt. Her abundant charms and exuberant personality preserved her legacy for subsequent generations, who held her up as an artist who lived her life on her own terms and celebrated it in her music.