Leah Kunkel (1948–2024), singer and sister of Cass Elliot
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2 min readLeah Kunkel was a singer, songwriter, member of The Coyote Sisters, and the younger sibling of “Mama” Cass Elliot of the Mamas & the Papas.
- Died: November 26, 2024 (Who else died on November 26?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 76.
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Leah Kunkel’s legacy
Following in the footsteps of her older sister, “Mama” Cass Elliot of the Mamas & the Papas, Kunkel launched her professional career as a singer in the late 1960s under the name Cotton Candy. When her first record, “Billy,” faltered, she forged out under her own name.
Throughout the ‘70s, Kunkel did session work for artists like Jackson Browne, Carly Simon, Arlo Guthrie, James Taylor, and Art Garfunkel, among others. It was singing for the latter that helped her establish her own voice. Kunkel appeared on a string of Garfunkel albums in the late ‘70s and 1980s, leading to a contract with Columbia Records. Her self-titled debut LP was released in 1979, followed by “I Run With Trouble” in 1980.
In 1984, she connected with Marty Gwinn Townsend and Renée Armand to form pop-rock trio The Coyote Sisters. Their eponymous debut just missed the Billboard Top 200 albums roster, though two singles – "Straight from the Heart (Into Your Life)" and "I've Got a Radio" – each cracked the top 40 Adult Contemporary charts. Only one other LP followed, 2001’s “Women and Other Visions,” but the group continued to perform live throughout the decades to come.
When not performing, Kunkel was a practicing attorney. A graduate of Smith College and Western New England School of Law, she maintained a private practice for over 25 years and was an adjunct professor at Western New England School of Law.
Tributes to Leah Kunkel
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