Far Out: “I was furious”: The devastating moment Stephen Stills learned of Cass Elliot’s death
When Cass Elliot died, she was on the verge of greatness. A few hours earlier, she was crying to Michelle Phillips on the phone, finally feeling free of the “Mama Cass” moniker she had grown so hateful of. For longtime friend Stephen Stills, the passing of Elliot meant losing a part of himself he felt he would never get back.
“Mama Cass” was not an alias Elliot gave herself. In fact, it was applied to her because of her appearance and role within The Mamas and The Papas. While this wasn’t always a bad thing, as it connected with her warmth as a mother-like figure within the group, she didn’t appreciate the nickname and felt it wasn’t a true reflection of who she really was.
In reality, Elliot was a complex feminist figure who believed in authenticity above all. She also loved to laugh, a characteristic that many remembered about her, including Phillips, who regarded her sense of humour as the most endearing part of her personality. As someone who gained stardom in the 1960s, her demeanour was admirable as she navigated male-centric, The Beatles-dominated spaces with her unrivalled talent.
Although Stills crossed paths with many, including David Crosby, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, and others, when prompted to name his favourite musician, he once wasted no time in naming Elliot. Discussing his friendship with the late star with The Independent, he recalled sitting on the street together in New York “after earning the money for a slice of pizza and crack wise about the passers-by”.
As “hang buddies”, he remembered her as being someone who was “well read, had great education and was one of the funniest people in the world”. Elliot was someone who he felt truly understood him, making her passing understandably a great shock. “I was on the road when I heard she had died, and she was over here and I was furious cos my friend was gone and she was the one I always looked forward to coming home and going out for dinner with and just yakking endlessly,” he explained.
Elliot’s place in Laurel Canyon was once a gathering place for Stills, Mitchell, and Crosby. It incidentally became the first place the three joined their voices together. Afterwards, they convened at Mitchell’s, creating music that would go on to become some of the most era-defining. Despite many versions of this story describing various details, Stills remembers it all clearly.
“I can describe the house in vivid detail,” Stills explained, his most precious memories of Elliot seared into his mind forevermore. Her house represented more than just a residence, it was a starting point; a pivotal moment where music became art. It provided the necessary building blocks for excellence, with Elliot’s presence allowing such creativity to truly flourish.
