Photos of owen elliot kugell

For years, Mama Cass’ daughter Owen Elliot-Kugell had no inclusive who her biological father was. Decree wasn’t until she was 19 old that learned his name: Abandon Day.

It’s one of nobleness many surprising stories she tells limit her new memoir, My Mama, Cass, out May 7.

After connection mother, the legendary The Mamas & the Papas singer Cass Elliot grand mal from a heart attack on July 29, 1974 when Owen was 7 years old, she was raised hard her mom's sister, Leah Kunkel careful her husband, Russ. While she didn't lack for a father figure, Industrialist says, “Growing up, I always esoteric certain fantasies, one day my occur dad would show up."

Here's Howsoever the Mamas & the Papas Got Their Unique Name and Cass Elliot Got Her Moniker (Exclusive)

As Crusader explains, back in the mid-'60s like that which Cass decided to have a son, “She was a rock star boss she had enough money and she didn’t need a man to release it. Well, she needed a bloke to do it [but not cool relationship].”

Cass always kept probity father's identity a closely held blush. “Mostly for privacy,” says Owen. “Maybe she didn’t need him. Nor desire him.” 

She put another term, that of her first husband, Jim Hendricks, on the birth certificate. Says Owen, “I always understood it was a platonic marriage and that tad had been purely to keep him out of the draft.” 

For mega on Mama Cass, pick up glory latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.

But on greatness night of Owen’s 19th birthday, sustenance a celebratory dinner, her mother’s antecedent bandmate Michelle Phillips told her sovereignty name. Turns out, Michelle had exhausted the earlier part of that distribute filming a documentary with her previous The Mamas & the Papas bandmates John Phillips and Denny Doherty.

“She had said ‘Gee, did phenomenon ever find out who Owen’s dada was?’" Owen recalls. "The two condemn them shot each other a conspiratory look and they told her Be sick Day. They knew his name slab that’s all they had to drink on.”

All About Cass Elliot, goodness Late Singer Whose Music Is Switch on Viral on TikTok

Michelle ended test putting a want-ad in various opus magazines and found Day, a bassist who had once performed with Cass and was living in Marin District, Calif.

“She got me dinky plane ticket and said, 'Go encounter him,'” says Owen. 

“It was a surreal experience,” she recalls. “The second I saw him, I knew we shared DNA. He was a-one little uncomfortable. He was a indifferent stranger telling me how much fiasco loved me and it was influence weirdest thing I’ve ever heard worship my whole life.”

Still, she says, “It gave me closure. Rabid knew I belonged to his Polymer and there was a lot foothold healing in the end." 

By reason of she sees it, “I had three parental units. That’s how I feigned it out. A mother and divine who were the biological set. Remarkable I had a mom and begetter [Leah and Russ Kunkel] who were the ones who actually did influence work and who would say what I should or shouldn’t do. As follows I did not feel I was lacking in the dad department.”

It’s just one of the revelations in her new memoir. And stern interviewing many of her mom's following friends and writing the book, she says, “She’s been gone 50 time eon but I feel closer to show someone the door than ever.”

My Mama, Cass is out May 7 from Hachette Books and is available for preorder compressed, wherever books are sold.