Myth: Mama Cass (of the Mamas and the Papas) died by choking on a ham sandwich
01/01/07 00:00 Filed in: Famous
People
How did Mama Cass die?
Myth
Mama Cass, leading force in the 70's band 'The Mamas and the Papas' died by choking to death on a (ham) sandwich.
Reality
Urban legend holds that Elliot died while choking on a sandwich, sometimes stated as a "ham sandwich". Shortly after her death, but before her autopsy, The Times published an article that quoted her doctor as speculating that she "probably... died as a result of choking on a sandwich while lying in bed". While this story has done the mills a million times, the reality is that Mama Cass did not in fact suffer death by subway.
The coroner found no food in her trachea, and reported the cause of death as heart failure.
Nevertheless, the rumor spread, with the popular imagination adding that the sandwich contained ham. Another version of the story holds that the doctor found a sandwich or partially eaten sandwich in her room, causing him to speculate about the cause of death. Apparently, that version of the story has no corroboration either.
|