Though we may have men in our lives, we believe its invigorating to touch base at a time like this with people who have the same sagging parts and swinging moods. Even though attitudes are much more evolved today, in real life, Owen says, rather than, Owen was born in April 1967, and even the name she chose for me underscored her desire for a creature to love. Owen also grew up to become a singer and toured with Beach Boys member Al Jardine. She said, `Dont let him boss you around like that! No where else will you find authentic, original content like this. Graham Nash zoomed right to her for counsel the minute he got off the plane from England; Joni Mitchell was one of her best friends; and the group Crosby, Stills & Nashone theory goeswas formed in Casss home. You are Legendary. Some people call our women cheap, but we just call them our Mamas." Cass Elliot never publicly identified the father of her daughter. According to Next Tribe, her attempts to lose weight through crash dieting took a toll on her heart. In truth, She would go on starvation dietsshe would drink only water for five days and then have steak for two days. Elliot's first recording with the Big 3 was "Winken, Blinken, and Nod", released by FM Records in 1963. In 2009, a complete videotape of The Julie Andrews Hour Christmas Show was donated to The Paley Center For Media in New York, with all of Elliot's numbers intact. My mother was The Little Engine That Could, Owen says. "Mama Cass" redirects here. With hit songs Monday, Monday, Go Where You Wanna Go, and the super-iconic California Dreaming, t. hey seemed cannon-shot onto the airwaves when the country was still shaking off its post-Camelot conventions. She won a small part in the play The Boy Friend, a summer stock production at the Hilltop Theatre in Owings Mills, Maryland. I know youre gonna make it! Im so happy you are married and have children of your own. As a child she was teased as a fatty. In 1998, she accepted an award on her mother's behalf from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, when The Mamas & The Papas were inducted. My guess is that she had some sort of pharmaceutical help staying awake for 36 hours or whatever it was and probably took something to come down once she got home more or less the same thing that got John Belushi, Lowell George and Chris Farley. Motherhood filled her. "She named me Owen because I was her 'own,'" Owen says. [9] While attending Forest Park High School, Elliot became interested in acting. Cass Elliot's daughter, Owen Elliot-Kugell, said that her mom experimented with dangerous diets before her death. Four years later, The Who's drummer Keith Moon died in the same bedroom, also aged 32 years. A toast! Owen Elliot-Kugell has never talked about her mother much in print before, but she feels its my moms time now. [2], Ellen Naomi Cohen was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on September 19, 1941, the daughter of Philip (died 1962) and Bess Cohen (ne Levine; 19151994). While there, according to biographer Eddi Fiegel, Elliot was blowing her nose frequently, coughing and having trouble breathing. Headliningwith two shows a nightthat prestigious venue felt like a make-or-break moment because the house was not sold out during the first nights, and she had an uphill climb to get good word of mouth and wow them. She felt she had finally made the transition from Mama Cass."[34]. Ellen Naomi Cohen, better known as Mama Cass. The group would become Cass Elliot and The Big 3, which included singer Denny Doherty, and later The Mugwumps, who released a single for Warner Bros. Records. Elliot is survived by a daughter, Owen, seven, from her first marriage to songwriter James Hendricks. Why did Cass Elliot remain so secretive about her daughter? Her recording of "It's Getting Better" is featured in a season-four episode of Lost. It was definitely baited for him to surface, Owen says, with a grateful laugh. "I often wonder what I was thinking," says the now-55-year-old mother of two kids in their 20s, who. Owen, you should be proud! Cass had just. One ramification of losing all that weight so fast is you lose muscle mass. That can be dangerous. Cass Elliot was honored with star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (Shutterstock) Bijou Phillips and Mackenzie Phillips, daughters of the late John Philips, were on-hand, as well as Cass' child. Thanks! The show closed after only one night, and Cass flew back to Los Angeles, allegedly for "a tonsillectomy". "Just by example, she taught me, and others, not to accept it when someone says you can't do something," she said. This time, she received rave reviews. You cannot be afraid of him! I felt very insecure because I met and married him when I was in high school. Michelle went on to have a romance with Jack Nicholson and a years-long, near-marriage to Warren Beatty, so she would not seem to be the insecure type. She recorded a song called Lady Loveabout its saving grace. Im 30 to 40 pounds overweight, and I know theres no quick fix. When I dined with her back in 2006, in preparation for doing this Vanity Fair story on Michelle Phillips, she looked great to me. Girls were wearing go-go boots, and boys were growing out their early-Beatles haircuts. From 1965 to 1968, a pop singing group, The Mamas and The Papas, turned folk-rock into the music of the just-pre-psychedelic counterculture. Owen is a singer who has toured with Beach Boys member, Al Jardine. She made it easy for the rest of us. However, no drugs were found in Elliot's system. She was a member of the singing group The Mamas & the Papas. Her final appearance on the show was the Christmas installment that aired on Wednesday, December 20, 1972. The singer's daughter, Owen Elliot-Kugell, attended the ceremony Monday, along with her . September 13, 2022 by Alexander Johnson. She stated that she had identified a ham sandwich as Elliot's cause of death at the request of Elliot's manager, Allan Carr, who believed Elliot's death was drug-related and wanted to protect her reputation. Simpson's autopsy revealed Cass Elliot's cause of death was a "left-sided heart failure" and "had a heart attack which developed rapidly." Elliott was buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California. Please join us on our walkabout. I believe it was because Cass was there to teach people respect no matter how they look. She guest-hosted for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show and appeared as a guest on the show 13 other times. It struck me: Id better get used to my new life. Owen Vanessa Elliot is a 55 years old Cass Elliot's daughter from . If you only know show people through the tabloids and rumors its easy to forget that theyre usually kind and compassionate, especially toward each other. Honest to God. [52], The city of Baltimore dedicated August 15, 1973, as "Cass Elliot Day" in her honor for her homecoming.[53]. Cass was also the leading salon-holder and advice-giver in storied Laurel Canyon. The next day, in her hotel suite, she had a massive heart attack. 12 years after her husband died in a kayaking accident in Guatemala, Carol Flake Chapman returns and a secret ingredient helps her find peace. Michelle said Cass sounded elated. Later that night, she attended a big party hosted by Mick Jagger and had trouble falling asleep afterward. Stay tuned. The two men had kept the secret for 20 years. More information Cass Elliot Daughter | Mama Cass Daughter Owen Vanessa More like this You are signed out Sign in to get the best experience Mama Cass, a lost Will & the Unsandwich. Cass Elliot was an American singer and actress. Cass Elliot (September 19, 1941 - July 29, 1974), born Ellen Naomi Cohen, was a noted Jewish American singer, best remembered as Mama Cass of the pop quartet The Mamas & the Papas. Phillips then spent a year or so tracking down his name via various musician friends. Spiritual and irreverent, creative and courageous, this site, these postings, will serve as our cave drawings and warrior paint. She named me, . She called me Owenski. In mid-1965, Elliot joined Doherty . She had to keep going; there were songs in her and money that needed to be earned. In fact I am pretty sure that I crossed paths with her years later in Georgetown. Our mantra is Age Boldly! It was kind of a Norman Rockwell world, she says. Elliot died in 1974. She reunited with her ex-husband John and former lover Doherty in 1998 for The Mamas and the Papas' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. . Cass Elliot ; June 1972; Ellen Naomi Cohen (September 19, 1941 July 29, 1974), known professionally as Mama Cass and later on as Cass Elliot, was an American singer and voice actress. Awesome article. She was well-known as a member of the singing group, The Mamas and the Papas. She was treated in the hospital and dearly hoped it wouldnt affect her career. he was the leader. Cass seemed so confident that she gave that quality to others, even to those you would think did not need it. [28], In 1967, while staying in London, Elliot was prosecuted for stealing bed linen from an apartment where she had been staying on an earlier visit. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The show makes an obvious point of saying, Obesity will not get in the way of this proud, fabulous woman, even in terms of pregnancyso there! In addition, well-known yoga instructor Dana Falsetti and others like her have changed the paradigm for looks in body-brandishing female sports. Owen Elliot-Kugell has never talked about her mother much in print before, but she feels its my moms time now. Thank you in advance for supporting NextTribe. Im not quite sure of what I just read, what is up with all the descriptions of musical legends as not beautiful, fat etc why is that necessary? Watch this fantastic clip of Dream a Little Dream. The superstar came to light after dating and having a baby with Machine Gun Kelly. Thank you. Thu 29th Jul 2021 10.00 BST. Without my mom, there might not be an Adeleor, in comedy, Aidy Bryant on Saturday Night Live, Owen tells NextTribe. She assumed the surname "Elliot" some time later, in memory of a friend who had died. CREATIVE. Cass Elliot, real name Ellen Naomi Cohen, was born on September 19, 1941,in Baltimore, Maryland. They had one child, Owen Hendricks, a daughter now known as Owen Hendricks Kugell, "who was the only heir of Mama Cass under California law and entitled to her entire estate if distributed by intestacy," according to the . The British play and film Beautiful Thing feature her recordings, and one character reflects on her memories of Elliot. Meanwhile, Cass had consciously chosen to pursue single motherhood, and her daughter Owen Vanessa was born during Cass's final year with the band. The crowd cheered loudly as Owen. "We can visit Big Mama, we can whap her on the back, while she eats her sandwich!". Vanessa is a married woman and a loving mother of two, a daughter and a son. Can the MotherSon Bond Last After He Gets Married? This story came in third, with almost 375,000 readers, and its no wonder. Her beautiful voice and persona were evidence of her beautiful soul. You can do it! The Frank Zappa song "We're Turning Again" references the urban legend of Cass choking to death. [17], Reviews were harsh. Ft. #kelleendoolin and #grandmapettiette of @ThreeGenerationsSinging . One of the most pervasive untruths of the celebrity world is the myth of how Cass Elliot died. Image courtesy of Henry Diltz, one of the primary sources in Laurel Canyon, Cass seemed so confident that she gave that quality to others, even to those you would think did not need it. As a result of her crash dieting and intense schedule, in April of 1974, Cass collapsed on the set of Johnny Carsons The Tonight Show, just before she was to go on. She skipped the remainder of rehearsals and drank tea and lemon, hoping to recover and pull herself together for opening night. Elliot gave birth to a daughter, Owen Vanessa Elliot,[23] on April 26, 1967. This is probably one of the most compelling articles Ive ever read. How to drink it all in and how to give back. She never publicly identified the father, but many years later, Michelle Phillips . Owen was seven years old when her mother died. As a result, her aunt, Cass' sister Leah Kunkel, gained custody of Owen and raised her. John was pushing for the Magic Cyrcle. She was also known as Mama Cass and The Queen of Laurel Canyon. The actress cum singer was married twice in her lifetime and had one daughter. Cass Elliot's Daughter Talks About the Star's Bravery. You cannot be afraid of him! I felt very insecure because I met and married him when I was in high school. Michelle went on to have a romance with Jack Nicholson and a years-long, near-marriage to Warren Beatty, so she would, seem to be the insecure type. We thank her! . But thats it. "A pioneer pop culture feminist and icon, Mama Cass was one of the greatest singers of . I had a bad headache for about two weeks and all of a sudden I was singing higher. 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Owen was pictured speaking during an interview, Cass Elliot performed on stage on a television show in London circa 1968, Kardashian fans slam Kim as tone deaf for selling $130 SKKN trash can & claim her business sense is a joke, Celebs who hooked up with their ex's best friend including Hollywood star who dumped fianc for his mate on wedding day, American Pickers star Mike Wolfe is not involved in longtime friend Frank Fritzs conservatorship as nasty feud rages on, Kourtney Kardashian shows off her curves in see-through white lingerie for sexy Halloween costume, Kardashian fans shocked as Kylie Jenner displays new face piercing & 'unnecessary change' to eyes for Paris Fashion Week, Teen Mom Farrah Abraham slams RHOBH star Lisa Rinna as being needy for attention in scathing post, Kardashian fans shocked at Khloe's 'rude' behavior towards photographer at Paris fashion week in tense moment on video, Inside Patsy Palmer's incredible Malibu home as she signs up for Dancing On Ice. I remember sitting at my grandmothers dining room table, Owen says, and her telling me, Your mothers not coming home. I remember just standing up and leaving the table and not understanding what had happened. I look back on her and realize that, just by example, she taught me, and others, not to accept it when someone says you cant do something.. Owen was left parentless at age 7 after Cass Elliot's tragic death of a heart attack. But, as her bandmates in the Mamas and the Papas and other "folk rock" icons made clear, she touched many lives before she . In stellar company: Owen as a baby with, from left, Joni Mitchell, David Crosby and Eric Clapton. And wow them, she did. [30], On April 22, 1974, Elliot collapsed in the California television studio of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson immediately before her scheduled appearance on the show. Day was the father of Mama Cass Elliott's daughter, Owen, but Elliott, who died of a heart attack in 1974, never identified him as the father. I dont have my mother any more. She told. What a beautiful person! Ellen Naomi Cohen (September 19, 1941 - July 29, 1974), known professionally as Mama Cass and later on as Cass Elliot, was an American singer and voice actress. Its a poignant, fascinating piece about Cass Elliots daughter, Owen Elliot-Kugellher memories of her mother and her search for her fatherwritten by one of our favorites, Sheila Weller. Arts & Culture. Having always been overweight as a child and topping 200 lbs by the age of 20, I identified with her for the obvious reason, but also because I knew by experience what courage she needed to make her way in the world. Her first marriage was to James Hendricks in 1963. It was delightful learning more about her much loved daughter and her current success. He was stunned when his daughter, then 21, sought him out. Sick and having barely rehearsed, she began to fall apart during the course of her first performance; her voice was weak and barely audible, and the large crowd was unsympathetic, despite the celebrity well-wishers. The crematory was shut after the cremation and not reopened for 28 years, as it was in such disrepair, bricks were reportedly falling around her remains. Owen Elliot-Kugell was born during the whirlwind of the late 1960s into a rapidly-changing America, and her mother was at the center of that change. It reads: "MAMA CASS ELLIOT." She came along just in time / in time to ease my worried mind / and now Ive got a little someone to hold on to., When she was touring with The Mamas and The Papas, and especially after the group broke up in 1968 and Cass became a solo act, her single-mother life was stressful. One of her fondest memories was of watching football with her mother, who had crushes on the players. [43][44], Elliot's body was cremated at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. I truly got goose bumps from her voice! However, all of Elliot's solos were deleted from the syndicated prints. In 1972, she made three appearances on the variety series The Julie Andrews Hour. Elliot's daughter Owen led the campaign to get a star on the Walk of Fame for her mother, who died in London at age 32. The lack of the muscle mass around the fatty tissue near her heartan offshoot of her crash dietinghad contributed. She is the younger sister of Cass Elliot, best known as a member of the folk rock vocal group the Mamas & the Papas. His paternity was not publicly revealed until his 2008 death. While it's widely believed that The Mamas and the Papas singer passed away after choking on a . Name variations: Mama Cass. Bless you! Elliot, Cass (1941-1974)American ensemble and solo singer who played a crucial role in generating the phenomenal success enjoyed by The Mamas and the Papas. Cass jumped up: "Yeah! With two female members, the New Journeymen needed a new name. Ill be there for you! She was also very protective of me and assertive for me where John was concerned. Powerfully good to see this thoughtful and considerate piece on two remarkable women,. [57], She was also portrayed by Shannon Lee in the Bruce Lee Biopic Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story. And, as Kate Pearson on This Is Us, Chrissy Metz wields utter self-confidence and the ability to give advice to others, who snap-to when she does so. She then sang "Dream a Little Dream of Me" and left the stage as the audience applauded half-heartedly. Im sure she is very proud of her daughter and grandchildren. She came along just in time / in time to ease my worried mind / and now Ive got a little someone to hold on to., Though fans at the time loved Cass, Owen recently looked at videos of her old variety show appearances, and I cringe in pain when I see the supposedly good-natured overweight `jokes that her mother had to endure, trying to be a good sport by laughing along. He had put the group together, had a military background, and was entrepreneurial enough to have co-started the Monterey Pop Festival. Id sit on her big bed and watch football games with her; she had crushes on the players. Cass, who was sometimes referred to as Mama Cass, was a veteran singer and actress. My mom didnt fit that [sleek] female look, Owen says. A 2014 article in Haaretz stated "Unfortunately, the first doctor [in London] who examined her speculated to the press about the cause of death, and that's the version that stuck. The meeting was awkward but emotional. . Editor's Note: As we mark our Fifth Anniversary, we went back to look at our most-read stories since we launched in February 2017. One ramification of losing all that weight . She performed the title song "The Good Times Are Comin'" during the opening sequence of the 1970 film Monte Walsh, starring Lee Marvin and Jack Palance. She was a one-woman triumph against adversity; she was ahead of her time; women now are finally doing what she did 50 years ago, says Owen, who lives in L.A. with her record producer husband Jack Kugell and their kids Zoe, 19, and Noah, 16. Eddi Fiegel wrote in the biography Dream a Little Dream of Me that Elliot later admitted to a boyfriend that she had injected heroin immediately before going on stage. Elliot appeared in two television variety specials: The Mama Cass Television Program (ABC, 1969) and Don't Call Me Mama Anymore (CBS, 1973). I was in the era of the Mamas and Papas. She was a member of The Mamas & the Papas, along with Denny Doherty, John Phillips, and Michelle Phillips. Cass Elliots daughter, Owen Elliot-Kugellher memories of her mother and her search for her fatherwritten by one of our favorites, Sheila Weller. She wanted me more than anything else in the worldshe told people that, Owen says. Im glad Cass daughter seems happy, and that the remaining Mamas and Papas treated her well. Cass developed an unrequited crush on Doherty, followed him down to the Virgin Islands, and talked her way into the just-forming group. After the breakup of the Mamas and the Papas, Elliot embarked on a solo singing career. By Gabe Mirkin. It wasn't a ham sandwich that killed Mama Cass. Mama Cass was unusual at that time in that she chose to become a single, working mother. When Day took the bait, Phillips arranged for him to meet Owen. A friend of Days called the number, the true reason for the ad was given, and a meeting was set up between Owen and her father, who lived in the Bay Area. [11], Friends later said, though, that the pipe story was a less embarrassing explanation for why John Phillips had kept her out of the group for so long, because he considered her too fat.[12]. One nanny actually stopped working for my mom because she knew my mom was hurt that I was responding more to the nanny than to her.. Elliot received the 2,735th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 3, 2022.[58]. Eech, but none of us could come up with anything better, then we switch the channel and, hey, it's the Hells Angels on the Carson show And the first thing we hear is: "Now hold on there, Hoss. [20] In 1971, Elliot married journalist Donald von Wiedenman,[21][22] heir to a Bavarian barony. Actress Gabourey Sidibe is adored. Cass helped me with my self-esteem, forcefully.. Mama Cass spent the last three years of her life doing everything in her powers to shake off that moniker and earn the public's respect as Cass Elliot. "I think she was the most famous because she was the most identifiable," her daughter Owen Elliot-Kugell, 55, confided to NextTribe in a interview. She was scheduled to rehearse for a full three days before the show opened, but she managed to get through only part of one run-through with the band before saying that she was losing her voice. When Im having a tough day, for whatever reason, I think of all the you cant be this; you cant do thats that my mother heard but ignored or conquered. It was definitely baited for him to surface, Owen says, with a grateful laugh. Mini Bio (1) Cass Elliot was born Ellen Naomi Cohen on September 19, 1941, in Baltimore, Maryland. Just as it was right for her to insist on the success that was due her talent, despite the fat-shaming that was in the air shed breathed all her life but rose above. She has performed with her friend Carnie Wilson and the Phillips' daughter Chynna as part of the group Wilson Phillips contributing to their album "Dedicated.". Carr felt Elliot needed to leave pop and rock music altogether and head into the cabaret circuit, so a show was put together comprising old standards along with a few new songs written for her by friends. When Keith Simpson performed the autopsy, he determined that Elliot had died of heart failure and that no food was present in her windpipe. Her weight was something she bore the scars of for the rest of her life, be it failed auditions for Broadway shows or lonely nights after The Mamas and The Papas performances at Carnegie Hall or the Hollywood Bowl, coming home alone when everyone else had a partner., Owen, too, is sensitive about weight consciousness. She provided the voice for her appearance on the 1973 episode of The New Scooby-Doo Movies, "The Haunted Candy Factory". [46][47] Her ashes were later buried in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. CassEllen Naomi Cohenwas a middle-class Jewish girl from Baltimore who left high school six months before graduation to go to New York and try Broadway. She told Esquire magazine that shed gone from 250 pounds down to a 170. But it emerged very early on that the star of the group was the last to be asked to joinshe had to push her way inand the most unlikely: Mama Cass. She was enjoying a series of sold-out shows in a hit musical revue at the London Palladium, and felt her career was finally on the upswing after years of failing to score a hit . CASS Elliot was a singer who was well-known for her performances with The Mamas and the Papas. Tomorrow, well publish the second most-read story and on Friday, the first. She passed away on July 29, 1974, in London, United Kingdom. Not sure what he was thinking it was extremely offensive on multiple levels and certainly didnt do her legacy any favors. The Las Vegas Sun wrote, "Cass Elliot, making a strong point that she is no longer Mama Cass, has a good act serving notice that she is here to stay. Elliot, who was born Ellen Naomi Cohen, became the 2,735th person or group to receive a star on the Walk of Fame, which receives more than 10 million visitors annually. Weight shaming was something she dealt with, her life. A case could be made that Cass Elliot pioneered all this. My mother was The Little Engine That Could, Owen says. Shaw is the daughter of Angela Lansbury and her former husband, producer Peter Shaw. Not Too Late: Getting in the Best Shape of Your Life After 50. She also sang the jingle "Hurry on down to Hardee's, where the burgers are charco-broiled" for Hardee's advertisements.[18]. Elliot adopted the name "Cass" in high school, possibly borrowing it from actress Peggy Cass, according to Denny Doherty. On the night of her 19th birthday she was taken out to dinner by the members of her late mothers group: Michelle, John, and Denny. Select from premium Cass Elliott of the highest quality. Cass was also the leading salon-holder and advice-giver in storied Laurel Canyon. After leaving high school to pursue an entertainment career in New York, Elliot toured in the musical The Music Man in 1962, but lost the part of Miss Marmelstein in I Can Get It for You Wholesale to Barbra Streisand. She said she had surrogate parents in her uncle, Russ Kunkel, and in Michelle Phillips (via Next Tribe). Owen told Next Tribe that her mother had very much wanted a child. According to forensic pathologist Keith Simpson, who conducted her autopsy, her death was due to heart failure. She lost the role of Mrs. Marmelstein in. She grew up in the Washington D.C. environs and in her senior year of high school, performed in a summer stock production of "The Boyfriend" at the Owings Mills Playhouse, where she played the French nurse who sings "It's Nicer, Much Nicer in Nice." His name was Chuck Day, they revealed, and he was a bass player in the band. [49][50] The story spread soon after the discovery of her body and was based on speculation in the initial media coverage. Friends urged her manager to cancel the show, but she felt that it was too important and insisted on performing. Her most successful recording during this period was 1968's "Dream a Little Dream of Me" from her solo album of the same name, released by Dunhill Records, though it had originally been released earlier that year on the album The Papas & the Mamas Presented by the Mamas and the Papas. "He wasn't all that shocked" at the news, Phillips recalled (via Vanity Fair). Girls were wearing go-go boots, and boys were growing out their early-Beatles haircuts. John passed away in 2001. Your mother was so talented and as you have told us so cool!! Thank you for this, two years later in the midst of a world-wide pandemic. Table of Contents show Who inherited Mama Cass estate? Immediately after the performance she wrote a rapturous letter to her seven-year-old daughter, telling her how much she missed her, and then she called Michelle Phillips in L.A. to share the triumph with the person to whom she had given so much confidence. Cass Elliot was "Mama Cass," the nearly 300 pound contralto lead singer of The Mamas and The Papas, a dominant folk rock vocal group in the late 1960s. His name was Chuck Day, and he had played bass for the band circa 1966. Michelle bought Owen a ticket to San Francisco. The two men had kept the secret for 20 years. The article couldve been interesing otherwise. John later changed the groups name from the New Journeymen to (with Casss help) the hipper and wittier The Mamas and The Papas, cementing its charisma. Michelle came up with a sneaky plan to find him: She had her assistant place an ad in Musician magazine looking for Chuck Day, implying there were musical royalties awaiting him somewhere.