Mama Cass Finally Getting Star on Hollywood Walk

The details.

The money was raised through sales of gam sandwiches.

The money was raised through sales of ham sandwiches.

Oooh, missed it by that much, r2

It's amazing how many cheap people exist. Cass' daughter wrote a lovely letter to several people a few years ago, asking for donations. I believe it was around $40k. So many didn't answer or gave hardly anything. That asshole Lou Adler made millions from her, and had given nothing back when I was involved.

Well, to be fair, they haven't had many gigs lately.

[quote]The money was raised through sales of gam sandwiches.

Made from leg of mutton.

Cass deserved one as a singer, actress, and she was a staple on talk, variety and game shows. So witty and sharp

Love Mama Cass. A wonderful talent who left us far too soon.

Michelle Phillips is pissed because no one was interested in a M&P juke box musical or movie because her ex was fucking his daughter (allegedly).

Will there be ham sandwiches and Heimlichs available at the reception?

Instead of flowers should we leave ham Sammies and fotos of Denny?

I'm sorry, but she was the hippy era Ethel Merman. You could only take so much

How many more stars can they fit on the Walk of Fame. They might have to start digging up the old ones nobody remembers.

Anybody can get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It has nothing to do with merit.

True, which makes it great when someone that actually deserves it gets one. Normally, a studio or PR firm pays. Getting one posthumously is harder.

Cass was a real musical talent and seems like she would have been a great person. But she didn't earn a Hollywood star for being a variety show guest star and the upper left square.

That's a separate issue from the studios and celebrities just buying a star to push their new movie.

You don't say? Of course her Cass' star is for recording, and her contributions to the music industry in general.

R13, you know nothing about her to say that.

If any Cass fans haven't seen it, watch Beautiful Thing. A shame she wasn't around to see that.

Obligatory link to Cass on H.R. Pufnstuf...

I still get joy listening to Cass either solo or as a member of the M&Ps. I will visit her star and would have contributed had I known about it.

I await the biopic with Beanie Feldstein's Best Actress Oscar bid.

R22, if you're free on the 3rd stop by. It will be a nice group. Cass' sister and daughter are both sweethearts.

Leah, r24?

Never mind, r24, I just read the article.

Class wasn’t big time.

I love this duet of Cass Elliot and John Denver singing "Leaving on a Jet Plane." It's become my favorite version.

I love Mama Cass but isn't the Hollywood Walk of Fame for people in Hollywood, like Hollywood movies?

She deserves it. She wasn't just a great singer. Everyone loved her. She was a sweetheart.

She was so talented. She is one of the many 60s/70s stars I wish I could have met.

[quote] I love Mama Cass but isn't the Hollywood Walk of Fame for people in Hollywood, like Hollywood movies?

She was always hamming it up on screen.

The body positivity people strike again.

So, you BUY a star? It isn't vetted by a group or something? So, anybody can get a star?

Every time they raised a dollar she'd order a ham sandwich from the grave.

[quoteSo, you BUY a star? It isn't vetted by a group or something? So, anybody can get a star?

No, you have to be approved but you still have to pay or have it paid for.

When Lucie Arnaz found out Vivian Vance didn't have a star, she raised the money for her.

^ thanks for the clarification. Is the group who approve the star honest, or can they be unduly influenced?

I am donating to Andy Cohen.

Andy has one.

^ no, I'm donating to support his coke habit.

R29, no. Read up on it dear.

[quote]I love Mama Cass but isn't the Hollywood Walk of Fame for people in Hollywood, like Hollywood movies?

No, r29, it's also for radio, TV and the recording industry. The symbol on the star designates what area of entertainment the person is/was in.

Will she be next to Vanna White and Sarah Silverman?

Janet Jackson is next to Jinx Falkenburg.

They should bury the stars under their stars 🌟!

Like some modern pop culture Catholic saints bones relics thing.

R28, Cass sang back-up on Rocky Mountain High (uncredited, of course) as well as one song on the debut Crosby, Still and Nash album- the only singer besides the trio.

Are they running out of room for these stars yet?

No, it's Hollywood Boulevard.

Has Dr. Jordan Peterson tweeted in protest yet, about how giving this fat lady a star on Hollywood Blvd is part of the woke subversion of Western beauty standards forced upon us by the authoritarian left?

When do I get mine!

The stars are permanent public monuments to achievement in the entertainment industry, bearing the names of a mix of actors, directors, producers, musicians, theatrical/musical groups, fictional characters, and others.

While Joanne Woodward is often singled out as the first person to receive a star on the Walk of Fame—possibly because she was the first to be photographed with it - the original stars were installed as a continuous project, with no individual ceremonies.

Woodward was one of eight names to receive temporary stars. If these drew enough interest, the project would continue. The others were Olive Borden, Ronald Colman, Louise Fazenda, Preston Foster, Burt Lancaster, Edward Sedgwick, and Ernest Torrence

Each year an average of 200 nominations are submitted to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Walk of Fame selection committee. Anyone, including fans, can nominate anyone active in the field of entertainment as long as the nominee or their management approves the nomination.

Nominees must have a minimum of five years' experience in the category for which they are nominated and a history of "charitable contributions"

Posthumous nominees must have been deceased at least five years. At a meeting each June, the committee selects approximately 20 to 24 celebrities to receive stars on the Walk of Fame. One posthumous award is given each year as well.

The nominations of those not selected are rolled over to the following year for reconsideration; those not selected two years in a row are dropped, and must be renominated to receive further consideration.

A fee of $55,000 (as of 2022), payable at time of selection, is collected to pay for the creation and installation of the star, as well as general maintenance of the Walk of Fame.

The fee is usually paid by the nominating organization, which may be a fan club, film studio, record company, broadcaster, or other sponsor involved with the prospective honoree.

The Starz cable network, for example, paid for Dennis Hopper's star as part of the promotion for its series Crash.

You can watch the ceremony live today at 11:30, on the Hollywood Walk of Fame website.

Well, that's appropriate. Her star is located directly across from 'Buffalo Wild Wings'. She will rest in bbq sauce, furever!

Too bad it wasn't in front of Musso and Frank's. That's more her style.

Trump has one so clearly they will let just about any famous person have one.

It is a great meme that is just too good to let pass, but I hope you all know that Mama Cass didn't really choke to death on a ham sandwich.

JFC, do we need Dump or Meghan on every thread?

All this time we believed she had choked on a ham sandwich and died. When my friend's mother died choking on a steak, we all said, wow, she pulled a mama Cass. Turned out the poor cow just ODed, like everyone else

I guess Michelle and Mackenzie have mended fences.

You and your friends certainly have a way with words.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

I had no idea who Beverly D'Angelo was, and I was there. She looks like a different person.

[quote] I hope you all know that Mama Cass didn't really choke to death on a ham sandwich.

Of course she did, they just covered it up because she's Jewish. Just like Prince dying of AIDS, they won't admit it.

[quote]I had no idea who Beverly D'Angelo was,

I loved her on Mama's Family, "I" as Namoi called her, was my favorite.

Actually, you had to read the DM article to see the picture of Beverly. R65- you aren't funny.

The biggest news, and I don't want to start another thread, but I hadn't talked to him in ages. John Sebastian's godmother was DL patron saint Vivian Vance. When we were about to leave, I said I have sufficient.

Happy to see Michelle looking so good. She held on for a long while but was looking rough the past couple of years. Those wigs....

The history of the band and their dynamics are really fascinating. This documentary on YouTube is a good one. Michelle may have been one of the most beautiful women of all time. Like Michelle Pfeiffer, she's got something extra that keeps her from being another mousy, nondescript blonde.

I don't know how I never knew that Leah Kunkel was Cass' sister, but I never heard that before. Leah has a gorgeous voice and was one of the best backing vocalists of the 1970s. She also had a very short-lived group of her own called The Coyote Sisters. They released one self-titled album in 1984 and this was the single from it.

[quote]So, you BUY a star? It isn't vetted by a group or something? So, anybody can get a star?

R34 Yep, just like an Oscar or Emmy or any other award.

Her husband Russ is a drummer for pretty much everyone from the 60s to present day. After Leah, he married Nicolette Larson.

Back in the mid-90s, Cass' husband Donald von Wiedenman would frequent the WeHo tanning salon I worked at. Came in with his boyfriend.

Wow. What happened to Chynna? She looks very weathered and hard.

Bijou is married to that $cio rapist and even had his kid. Her legs are fat.

I find Carnie and Rick Lake interchangeable.

Mackenzie looks really good. I guess all is forgiven.

*Ricky* oops.

keep trying, R79

Mackenzie did not look good. She looked older than Michelle.

A Great throwback musical talent from the 1960s/70s, Mama Cass was unassuming, earthy, and real, absent of pretenses and unaffected by fame, she was a regular American Girl who was able to address anyone on their level, you can just see her genuine humanity in every interview she's ever done, she liked people, never an unkind word. She deserves her star after all these years. Rest in peace, and rise in power, Mama Cass. :-)

I hope that sandwich had Duke's mayo on it at least.

Their harmonies were exceptional, due in no small part to Cass. Left such a wonderful legacy of recordings in her short time, but think of how much more she would have done if given the chance. Not for nothing, Cass was huge for a while, but manageably "big" for some time too, and she seemed like an active woman. How does a 32 year old die of a heart attack when Chrissy Metz and Gabourey Sidibe are both +/- 40?

Forgetting the drug use, Cass was a yoyo dieter for years- she could gain or lose 75 pounds easily. Her heart finally gave out.

Can I have the rest of that sandwich?

No, you'd just throw it up. Why waste good ham?

I told the entire world NOT to call me "Mama" anymore, yet the stupid fuckers put "Mama" on my star!

Where's that ham sammich? I need to choke on it all over again!!!

I really don't think the ham sandwich jokes are funny. Owen had the "Mama" in quotation marks, because that's really how she will always be known. It's a very loving tribute, as she was the mother of so many groups in the 60s/70s, besides her own contribution. She could harmonize with anyone.

[quote]I told the entire world NOT to call me "Mama" anymore, yet the stupid fuckers put "Mama" on my star!

Consider yourself lucky. The other idea was "FAT ASS" Cass.

Well, I just hope they used the extra-strong reinforced construction...

You know, just in case a gal wants to sit there and eat a bag of Doritos...or 12...

Chynna Phillips documented the day for her YouTube channel. Various short interviews...kind of interesting once the video gets going.

[post redacted because independent.co.uk thinks that links to their ridiculous rag are a bad thing. Somebody might want to tell them how the internet works. Or not. We don't really care. They do suck though. Our advice is that you should not click on the link and whatever you do, don't read their truly terrible articles.]

Michelle Phillips, the lone survivor of 1960s Mamas & the Papas has opened up about the band’s dark history.

Formed in 1965, the four-piece folk-rock group – comprised of Michelle, John Phillips, Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty, and best known for their hits “California Dreamin’” and “Monday, Monday” – shared a wealth of melodrama that would eventually contribute to their 1968 breakup.

In a wide-ranging new interview with Rolling Stone, 78-year-old Michelle revealed new truths about the band’s dramatic love quadrangle, her former marriage with John and his alleged incestuous relationship with daughter Mackenzie – whom he shared with his first wife Susan Adams.

After meeting years before the band’s establishment, John and Michelle got married. However, later during the group’s active years, she engaged in an affair with Doherty.

“John didn’t actually find us having sex, but he did come downstairs, and I was sitting on Denny’s bed in my nightgown, feeding him candies,” Michelle explained. “He said, ‘You could do a lot of things to me, Mich, but you don’t f*** my tenor.’”

Meanwhile, John had affairs with multiple women. “He wrote that song ‘Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon’,” Michelle said. “I used to say to him, ‘Yeah, John, and you’ve f***ed them all’.”

As the last standing member following the early death of Elliot in 1974, then John in 2001 and Doherty in 2007, Michelle revealed her plans to develop a biopic.

“Mercifully, John is dead. So he can’t stand in the way of me doing it, and neither can Denny,” she said. “Once you’ve taken the knife out of your heart, it makes for a wonderful story.”

She added: “We’re going to get this movie made, come hell or high water.”

One of the most damning controversies to have emerged in Mackenzie’s 2009 book High on Arrival, was that she alleged she had been raped aged 20 by her father, John.

Mackenzie then wrote that it evolved into a consensual incestuous 10-year relationship.

“Frankly, I do not believe it,” Michelle admitted, later backtracking, saying: “I’m not going to say whether it’s true or not, because I don’t think she knows if it’s true or not.”

In a statement to Rolling Stone, Mackenzie wrote: “I stand by my truth as I always have and as I always will.

“Plus which, who on Earth would fabricate such a story as mine? To what end? It’s not exactly a résumé builder, for God’s sake... [High on Arrival] is true, and it was my story to tell. If I had to live it, I had the right to tell it.”

Michelle Phillips, the lone survivor of 1960s Mamas & the Papas has opened up about the band’s dark history.

Formed in 1965, the four-piece folk-rock group – comprised of Michelle, John Phillips, Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty, and best known for their hits “California Dreamin’” and “Monday, Monday” – shared a wealth of melodrama that would eventually contribute to their 1968 breakup.

In a wide-ranging new interview with Rolling Stone, 78-year-old Michelle revealed new truths about the band’s dramatic love quadrangle, her former marriage with John and his alleged incestuous relationship with daughter Mackenzie – whom he shared with his first wife Susan Adams.

After meeting years before the band’s establishment, John and Michelle got married. However, later during the group’s active years, she engaged in an affair with Doherty.

“John didn’t actually find us having sex, but he did come downstairs, and I was sitting on Denny’s bed in my nightgown, feeding him candies,” Michelle explained. “He said, ‘You could do a lot of things to me, Mich, but you don’t f*** my tenor.’”

Meanwhile, John had affairs with multiple women. “He wrote that song ‘Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon’,” Michelle said. “I used to say to him, ‘Yeah, John, and you’ve f***ed them all’.”

As the last standing member following the early death of Elliot in 1974, then John in 2001 and Doherty in 2007, Michelle revealed her plans to develop a biopic.

“Mercifully, John is dead. So he can’t stand in the way of me doing it, and neither can Denny,” she said. “Once you’ve taken the knife out of your heart, it makes for a wonderful story.”

She added: “We’re going to get this movie made, come hell or high water.”

One of the most damning controversies to have emerged in Mackenzie’s 2009 book High on Arrival, was that she alleged she had been raped aged 20 by her father.

Mackenzie then wrote that it evolved into a consensual incestuous 10-year relationship.

“Frankly, I do not believe it,” Michelle admitted, later backtracking, saying: “I’m not going to say whether it’s true or not, because I don’t think she knows if it’s true or not.”

In a statement to Rolling Stone, Mackenzie wrote: “I stand by my truth as I always have and as I always will.

“Plus which, who on Earth would fabricate such a story as mine? To what end? It’s not exactly a résumé builder, for God’s sake... [High on Arrival] is true, and it was my story to tell. If I had to live it, I had the right to tell it.”

Splendid journalism on the part of the Independent... identifying Owen Elliot in a photo as "Cass Elliot," who died in 1974.

Ok, I guess I was wrong about Michelle and Mackenzie mending fences.

Eh, these online stories are always riddled with errors.

Good luck to Michelle on a M&P biopic, because I don't think it's ever happening. Denny's been dead since 2007- so what's the holdup? No one wants to be involved in the story of a man who fucked his daughter.

I do think Cass' life would make a good one though. It's has everything - huge stardom, flopping in Vegas and then a gigantic comeback, all her celebrity friends and how she helped groups form.

If Michelle couldn't get funding from her friend Lou Adler, or his connections there will never be a movie.

The only interesting tidbits I picked up from the article is that 1) Michelle’s an atheist. So basically she puts up with Chynna’s bs because well…she’s her daughter. And 2) she was drinking white wine with breakfast during the pandemic. I’m sure we’ll hear many more celebrities “come out” with stories like that over the next 5 years.

[quote] I'm sorry, but she was the hippy era Ethel Merman. You could only take so much

r13 Lol. Love your acerbic wit. There is some truth to that after she went solo. She started doing old standards.

Overall my opinion of her is a very positive one though.

Is getting a star on the Walk of Fame even necessary anymore? With the change of media and technology these long gone stars can easily be seen online performing at the height of their careers.

And everybody's gettin' fat except Mama Cass.

The Ham Sandwich jokes weren't funny 30 years ago and they're not funny now. Stop trying to be clever by posting about it every other post. Let the goddamned woman rest in peace.

R102, it was for Cass' daughter, Owen to have a permanent tribute to her mother in Hollywood. This was a labor of love for her.

She already received the Golden Arches tribute.

Mama Cass was absolutely amazing when it came to harmonizing. As a lead singer I don’t really think of her of one that sang ballads, she didn’t really have a delicate approach. But as a person she seemed quite amazing in all the interviews I’ve seen and she was gone too soon. What’s the joke? She should have shared her sandwich with Karen Carpenter.

So clever.