To My Heroine: A Remembrance of Cass Elliot

On this, July 29, 2006, the thirty-second anniversary of her passing, I eulogize my heroine... a beautiful woman with strength and fortitude, who taught me more about life, tenacity and musical prowess, than words can adequately express.

As O.C. Smith sings on my radio, "God didn't Make Little Green Apples", I remember another gift that God has bestowed on mankind. Her name was Cass Elliot, born Ellen Naomi Cohen in 1941, and died in London of a massive heart attack, on this date in 1974.

What has Cass taught me... she has taught me about the need for persistence in the face of adversity. I am fortunate to possess that trait, but Cass's presence in my life only serves to strengthen it further.

She has taught me how not to conform in the face of conventional society. This is a woman whose guts and sheer will power carried her to great heights.

A woman of Cass's sort should have *never* been a sex symbol, and yet she opened the doors to usher in an era where big truly could be beautiful. As a woman who has struggled with my own weight for most of my life, yet not on the scale that Cass did, I can understand to an extent just what barriers she had to face and conquer. And not only did she face and conquer them, but she did it with self-deprecating humor and optimism. Perhaps that optimism and humor of Cass's is one of her greatest gifts to me.

My beloved often says of me, "You don't walk around obstacles KL, rather, you walk through them." This, too, is a quality that Cass strengthened in me. And for that, I am forever indebted.

Whatever the "Promised Land" is, wherever it is or whatever it consists of, I expect that Cass's voice is the one that will greet me when I enter it. Such a voice! It could rise to the greatest heights, gently drop to tender lows, dance blissfully among strings, wail with guitars, and lilt with pianos. It could, and did, convey every emotion on the scope. From the depths of grief on "Young Girls Lament", to the most profound joy on "I'm Coming to The Best Part of My Life", and to a gentle maternal sweetness on "Lady Love." Cass had it all. Though I've heard that splendid instrument countless times over the last eight years, it can still bring chills down my spine, tears into my eyes, and, at it's finest, nearly make me faint with sheer wonder.

As a woman, Cass was a pioneer. She was both activist and producer, articulate spokesperson and single mother long before that was acceptable. She also, for me at least, holds the paradox of being both Earth mother and mystic, something which I greatly admire. She was an explorer, an artist in the truest sense, and a singer like none before or after her.

How many remember? How many realize that it was Cass who was the first woman ever interviewed by Rolling Stone? How many know the seminal role this lady played both in music and pop culture in general?

I have made it part of my mission over the years to exult her to others... to introduce Cass's legacy with ardor and dignity to a public who, I feel, underrates her contributions significantly. I have been quite successful on this mission.

32 years after her passing, Cass is still felt, still appreciated, still remembered and honored by many. And I believe that her recognition will only increase as time passes. Thanks to so many wonderful CD releases over the past few years, her magic is being discovered by many new admirers.

I don't use the term magic lightly. The spell that is Cass Elliot is one which, once felt, can't be easily swayed, and why would anyone want to sway such a spell, anyway? Once you've discovered Cass, her presence, her voice, her charisma, they will grasp and hold you in such a sea of warmth and glory that you will be dramatically altered. Cass has altered me, and today, as I celebrate her and the legacy she left us, I am forever grateful, forever stronger, forever better for having her as my musical heroine. I love you Cass. Thanks for everything!