Rock Stars Who Almost Weren't In The Bands That Made Them Famous

Beloved for their soaring harmonies and catchy hooks, The Mamas and the Papas was one of the most successful folk rock acts of the '60s. Led by singer-songwriter John Phillips, the vocal group included Phillips' wife Michelle, co-founder Denny Doherty, and the group's real star Cass Elliot. Elliot, noted for incredible vocal range, was the last to join the group first known as the New Journeymen, despite her incessant overtures to Phillips to join the group. 

Ostensibly excluded from the band because Phillips' high vocal arrangements were unsuited to her range, she was finally admitted after an alleged head injury changed her voice. However, as Legacy points out, the real reason for her late entry had nothing to do with her vocal range. It was an image-conscious John Phillips, whose problem with Elliot's weight and appearance hindered her entry. Fortunately, her talent trumped Phillips' prejudice, and the group, armed with Elliot's otherworldly voice, went on to have a string of hits, including "California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday."

Elliot, who battled obesity most of her life, went on to a successful, but tragically brief, solo career. On July 19, 1974, Cass Elliot succumbed to heart failure, dying in her sleep at the age of 32.

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