The Cowsills were a band specializing in what would later be defined as "Pop" or "Bubblegum" Rock. The band was formed in the spring of 1965 by four brothers — Barry, Bill, Bob, and John Cowsill — in Newport, Rhode Island. After their initial success, the brothers were later joined by their siblings Susan and Paul and their mother, Barbara. In music, a band is a group of musicians, or musical ensemble, usually popular or folk, playing parts of a musical arrangement. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Barry Cowsill (September 14, 1954 - September 2005) was an American musician and member of the musical group The Cowsills. ... Bill Cowsill, William Cowsill or Billy Cowsill (born January 9, 1948 - died 17 February 2006) is an American singer best known as lead singer and guitarist of The Cowsills who had two top 5 singles in the late 1960s. ... Keyboard player and vocals for current Beach Boys Band. ... Newport is a city in Newport County, Rhode Island, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Providence. ...

Origins And Early Successes

Originally inspired by the Everly Brothers and later the Beatles, There musical interest started when their father, Bud Cowsill was stationed in Canton, Ohio as a Navy recruiter. Bud developed an interest in playing the guitar. Soon the children were encouraged as musicians. The Cowsills developed their musicianship and harmonized vocals in performances at school dances and churches in Canton Ohio. Their first group television appearance was on the Gene Carroll Show on WEWS (ABC) in Cleveland. Bud had retired from a long career in the US Navy to manage his children's career together with his wife. Don (born February 1, 1937 in Brownie, a small coal-mining town (now defunct) near Central City, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky) and Phil Everly (born January 18, 1939 in Chicago, Illinois) are country-influenced rock and roll performers who had their greatest success in the 1950s. ... The Beatles were an English rock band from Liverpool whose members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ...

The band drew increasing attention through the 1960s as their musical proficiency improved. The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ...

In late 1965, the initial four members were hired as a regular act on Bannisters Wharf in Newport where they would sing Beatles songs hour after hour. They also produced their first recordings, and released them on Mercury Records. Despite their appeal, the company passed on a record contract for reasons never specified. 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Mercury Records was a record label founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1945 by Irving Green, Berle Adams and Arthur Talmadge. ...

In 1966, the band was signed by MGM records, and Barbara — who would become known to their fans affectionately as "Mini-Mom" due to her diminutive stature — joined the group to record The Rain, The Park and Other Things. Shortly thereafter the band was expanded yet again to include siblings Susan and Paul. 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... MGM logo Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or MGM, is a large media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of cinema and television programs. ...

With the success of "The Rain..." the band quickly became a popular act in the U.S., and achieved significant airplay in England and other parts of Europe. "The Rain..." wound up reaching #2 on the Billboard charts, selling some three million copies in its first release. Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... World map showing the location of Europe. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ...

Bob Cowsill is quoted as follows on the band's early days:

"Although Bill and I performed at a very young age, and Bill, myself, Barry and John did a lot of frat parties at Brown University and clubs in Newport ... the most memorable performance of what I would view as the precursor of what The Cowsills would be was at Kings Park in Newport (right at the foot of Halidon Hall) at some carnival. The family angle just evolved ... first Bill and me, then Bill me and Barry, then Bill, me, Barry and John, then Bill, me, Barry, John and Mom, then Bill, me, Barry, John, Mom and Paul, then later, me, Paul, John, Barry, Mom and Susan, then back to Bill, me, Barry and John (very briefly in the end) and then to me, Paul, John and Susan. Our first real break came when we were playing the MK Hotel in Newport (in the basement there) and a guy from the Today show saw us and asked if we wanted to be on the Today show. We weren't famous or anything but we were young and we were related and we were quite good. So we went on the Today show (I doubt a tape exists of that but if it did it would be priceless to see) and someone from Mercury Records saw us which ultimately led to our signing with that label and putting out "Most Of All" (a great "school's out" song that should have been our first hit in my opinion) which led to Artie Kornfeld and Steve Duboff. Mercury dropped us, but Artie and Steve had written "The Rain, The Park and Other Things" and we went in and recorded that song at A&R studios in New York and took the whole package to MGM who decided wouldn't it just be terrific if their mother performed with them and, voila, the rest, as they say, is history." Brown University is a private university located in Providence, Rhode Island. ... Today, sometimes referred to as The Today Show to avoid ambiguity, is an American morning news and talk show airing weekday mornings on the NBC television network. ... Mercury Records was a record label founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1945 by Irving Green, Berle Adams and Arthur Talmadge. ...

In 1969, the band had another number two hit with their version of the title song from the musical Hair. For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Musical theater (or theatre) is a form of theatre combining music, songs, dance, and spoken dialogue. ... Hair, subtitled The American Tribal Love/Rock Musical, is a musical about hippies and was a significant part of the drug, music and peace-love culture of the 1960s. ...

Television and The Cowsills

The Cowsills also made many television appearances throughout the late 1960s and into the early 1970s, including on their own television special. They were approached at one point to play the roles of the children on the television series The Partridge Family, a sitcom inspired by their success. But they were not willing to have actress Shirley Jones play the role of their mother instead of their real mother Barbara. The Cowsills were also known as spokespeople for the American Dairy Association, appearing in advertisements promoting milk. Also, during the first season of Love American Style (1969-1970), The Cowsills sang the theme song to the show. The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979. ... The Partridge Family was an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children, living in San Pueblo, a small fictional town in Northern California. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... Shirley Jones, in a still from the opening credits of The Partridge Family Shirley Mae Jones (born March 31, 1934) is an Academy Award-winning singer and actress, perhaps best known for her role as Shirley Partridge, the widowed mother of five children, in the television series The Partridge Family... A glass of cows milk. ... Love, American Style is an hour-long television anthology which originally aired between September 1969 and January 1974. ...

Breakups and Reunions

In 1971, following a series of personal problems among the family members, and squabbles and disagreements between each other, the Cowsills stopped playing together as a band. The individual members went on to various career attempts within and outside of the music industry, and some produced albums and performed from time to time, albeit not as the Cowsills in their full membership during the remainder of the '70s and up through the majority of the following decade. One project in particular was the band Bridey Murphy, which was formed in the mid-'70s and featured Paul, Bill, Barry, and Waddy Wachtel, and performed to varying degrees of success. 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... Bridey Murphy is the name of a woman that U.S. housewife Virginia Tighe (April 27, 1923 - July 12, 1995) claimed to have been in her previous life. ... Robert Waddy Wachtel (born May 24, 1947 in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City) is a Los Angeles session musician and producer, most notable for his guitar work. ...

One notable project during this period occurred in 1978, when several of the Cowsills — Paul, John, and Barry — recorded an album entitled "Cocaine Drain". The album was produced by Chuck Plotkin. However, due to difficulties between some of the family members over the final version of the album, it was shelved and has never been released. To this day the surviving members of the band prefer not to talk about a release date for the album.^{[citation needed]} Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

Of the separate members, the one with the most notable degree of success is Susan, who gained a significant degree of critical success as a member of The Continental Drifters, along with her husband, Russ Broussard. She was also part of Dwight Twilley's band in the mid-1980s, and currently has a solo career as the leader of her own band, the Susan Cowsill Band. Her album "Just Believe it" was released in late 2005 by Blue Corn Music. The Continental Drifters were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in the early 1990s and dissolved in New Orleans, Louisiana about a decade later. ... Dwight Twilley (born June 6, 1951, Tulsa, Oklahoma) is an American pop/rock singer and songwriter, best known for his bands 1975 hit single Im on Fire. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ...

Billy Cowsill, who had moved to Canada in the 1970s, also did well in that country as a solo artist and as a member of Vancouver's Blue Northern before forming the nationally acclaimed Blue Shadows and recording two albums for Sony Canada.

In 1990, Bob, Paul, John, and Susan again regrouped, this time as The Cowsills. The original plan was to simply hit the "oldies circuit", but after some deliberation, they decided to incorporate and showcase new material written by Bob and his wife, Mary Jo, into the act. This incarnation of the band started playing small clubs and showcases in the Los Angeles area and eventually spread out to similar venues across the country and into Canada. Their performances generated positive reviews from critics and fans alike, including a very well-received performance on The Joan Rivers Show where Susan voiced her frustration as to never being able to figure out which of the two girls on The Partridge Family was supposed to represent her. The Partridge Family was an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children, living in San Pueblo, a small fictional town in Northern California. ...

The success of this reunion led the Cowsills back into the studio, which resulted in the album "Global". This has also led to several reunions over the years in various forms, ranging from a few concerts to special feature performances at major events. Most notable of these events were "A Taste of Rhode Island in 2000", which featured all seven surviving Cowsills, and "A Family Thing 2", which was a benefit concert in 2004 for Bill's medical and financial difficulties at the time. During this period, Barry also released a solo CD, "As Is", with the proceeds going towards Bill's relief.

More recently, the Cowsills were asked to sing the National Anthem at Fenway Park in 2004, and Susan's first solo release, "Just Believe It", was released in 2004 in Europe and 2005 in the US.

John expanded his interests to include not only music but acting. During the 1980s he performed with Jan and Dean and was also part of the Dwight Twilley Band along with Susan for a time. He has appeared on the ABC sitcom Full House and the long-running soap opera General Hospital. Currently, John is a member of the Touring Beach Boys Band playing keyboards and singing lead on some of the Beach Boys tunes. Jan Berry (April 3, 1941, Los Angeles – March 26, 2004) and Dean Torrence (born March 10, 1940, Los Angeles) were a rock and roll duo popular from the late 1950s through the mid-1960s. ... Dwight Twilley (born June 6, 1951, Tulsa, Oklahoma) is an American pop/rock singer and songwriter, best known for his bands 1975 hit single Im on Fire. ... Full House is a popular American television sitcom that ran from 1987 to 1995 on the ABC network. ... General Hospital (GH) is the longest-running daytime American soap opera on the American Broadcasting Company television network, and is also the longest-running soap opera produced in Hollywood (having been taped at the Prospect Avenue ABC Television Center West and Sunset-Gower Studios). ...

After working as a sound engineer for Helen Reddy, Paul left the music industry for a career in the construction industry. While he still performs with The Cowsills, his primary occupation is that of a farmer in Oregon. 2003 Greatest Hits compilation Helen Reddy (born October 25, 1941 in Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian pop singer and actor. ...

Of the Cowsills, Bob has had his best success outside of the music industry. He currently works in the medical industry helping to train hospital emergency departments to use a software package called EDITS (Emergency Department Information Tracking System) that manages data capture and billing issues associated with emergency room accountancy. In addition to providing training, Bob was part of the actual development and coding team for the software package.

In 2007, the surviving members of the Cowsills toured as part of the "Original Idols" show hosted by Barry Williams (Greg Brady). The "Original Idols" road show also included the Bay City Rollers, Leif Garret and Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods for a super-blast from the past. {{Infobox musical artist | Name = Bay City Rollers | Img = Baycityrollers. ...

Deaths

The following members of the Cowsills are deceased:

Barbara

In January 1985, Barbara Cowsill died of emphysema while living in Arizona. The funeral was the first real reunion of the family members since the band's breakup. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Official language(s) English Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Area  Ranked 6th  - Total 113,998 sq mi (295,254 km²)  - Width 310 miles (500 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ...

Bud

Bud, the father of the Cowsill children, died of leukemia in September 1992 while living in Mexico. Leukemia or leukaemia (see spelling differences) is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow and is characterized by an abnormal proliferation (production by multiplication) of blood cells, usually white blood cells (leukocytes). ... Look up September in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

Barry

Both Barry Cowsill and his sister Susan were living in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck on 29 August 2005. According to cowsill.com, Susan and her husband left New Orleans and were accounted for; however, most of her belongings at her New Orleans home were destroyed. It was reported that Barry was spotted at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on August 29, but was not heard from after leaving phone messages for his sister on September 1. He was believed to have been spotted in some tape footage taken by a TV news crew on or about September 5, although the person seen living on the street in the footage is not clearly resolved. Tragically, a badly decomposed body recovered from the Chartres Street Wharf in New Orleans on December 28 was identified on 4 January 2006 as Barry. [1] The official cause of death is believed to be drowning; the New Orleans coroner found no signs of foul play. Barry Cowsill (September 14, 1954 - September 2005) was an American musician and member of the musical group The Cowsills. ... Lowest pressure 902 mbar (hPa; 26. ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is a collection of buildings in New Orleans, Louisiana. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ...

Barry is survived by his two daughters, one son and two grandsons, as well as a step-daughter and two step-granddaughters.

Two memorial services were held for Barry. One was held on 18 February 2006 in his native Newport Rhode Island at the Hotel Viking. The second was held on 26 February 2006 in New Orleans. February 18 is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Bill

Bill Cowsill died on 17 February 2006 in Calgary, Alberta, on the eve of brother Barry's Newport memorial service. Although the cause of death was not confirmed at the time of the announcement, it has since been officially listed as due to complications from a variety of ailments that Bill had suffered from for years, including emphysema, osteoporosis and Cushing syndrome. In addition, according to Paul Cowsill, Bill's health had been further damaged from the effects stemming from a history of problems with drug and alcohol abuse. Bill had spent the last 35 years in Western Canada, residing in Edmonton, Vancouver and Calgary. Bill is survived by two sons. Bill's good friend and former roommate, young Dylan Sadlier- Brown, son to Mark Sadlier-Brown of Calgary's Highwater Jug Band, was Bill Cowsill's unofficial musicial prodigy. Dylan is expected to carry on Billy's tradition of excellent musicianship. Bill Cowsill, William Cowsill or Billy Cowsill (born January 9, 1948 - died 17 February 2006) is an American singer best known as lead singer and guitarist of The Cowsills who had two top 5 singles in the late 1960s. ... February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Osteoporosis is a disease of bone in which the bone mineral density (BMD) is reduced, bone microarchitecture is disrupted, and the amount and variety of non-collagenous proteins in bone is altered. ...

Recognition Efforts

Recently some long-time Cowsill fans — most notably Marsha & Martha Jordan, Jo Malone, Lynn Mathis and Becky Presley — have formed the Committee for the Nomination of The Cowsills for Induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which as the name implies is a lobbying effort to have the band inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The original plan was to have the induction occur in 2005 — the 40th anniversary of the first recorded release by The Cowsills — but these efforts were unsuccessful. The Committee, however, is still pressing forward with their efforts, and fans wishing to assist can do so by signing an on-line petition they have set up for this purpose. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, showing Lake Erie in the background The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, dedicated, as the name suggests, to recording the history of some of the best-known and most influential rock and...

During their research, the Committee compiled the following facts about The Cowsills and their careers:

• The Cowsills hold more gold records than 115 of the 147 current Hall of Fame members inducted as performers.
• Billy played guitar on the song “Right On” recorded by Ike Turner.
• Susan is the youngest rock performer to have a Top Ten hit.
• John was part of the first American rock group to play in the Republic of China.
• The Cowsills had the first live album to feature a studio track when In Concert featured “Hair”.
• Hall of Famer Bob Marley used to cover Cowsill songs.
• The Guestbooks on robinrecords.com and cowsill.com have posts from all 50 states, 19 foreign countries, and six of the seven continents.
• The Cowsills were the first of only five album covers done for rock bands by famous cartoonist Jack Davis.
• Billy once recorded with a guitar borrowed from John Lennon.
• The band’s true worth is illustrated by the fact that they were initially "discovered" by Johnny Nash’s all black R&B label, JODA and they were asked to headline with future Hall of Famers Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and The Beach Boys before they had their first hit record at Soundblast ’66 in Yankee Stadium.

Discography

Singles

20th Century Masters — The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Cowsills [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

25 All-Time Greatest Bubblegum Hits: The Ultimate Bubblegum Collection

1. "Most Of All"/"Siamese Cat" (Phillips, 1966) US #118
2. "The Rain, The Park, and Other Things"/"River Blue" (MGM, 1967) US #2
3. "We Can Fly"/"A Time for Remembrance" (MGM, 1968) US #21
4. "In Need of a Friend"/"Mister Flynn" (MGM, 1968) US #54
5. "Indian Lake"/"Newspaper Blanket" (MGM, 1968) US #10
6. "Poor Baby"/"Meet Me at the Wishing Well" (MGM, 1968) US #44
7. "Path of Love"/"Captain Sad and his Ship of Fools" (MGM, 1968) US #132
8. "The Impossible Years"/"The Candy Kid" (MGM, 1969) US #118
9. "Hair"/"What is Happy?" (MGM, 1969) US #2
10. "The Prophecy of Daniel and John the Divine"/"Gotta Get Away from It All" (MGM, 1970) US #75
11. "Silver Threads and Golden Needles"/"Love American Style" (MGM, 1970) US #74
12. "On My Side"/"There is a Child" (London, 1971) US #108
13. "Christmastime" (Song for Marissa)"/"Some Good Years" (Rockville, 1993) - 1990s incarnation

Image File history File links Cowsills1. ... Image File history File links Cowsills1. ... Image File history File links Cowsills2. ... Image File history File links Cowsills2. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Albums

1. "The Cowsills" (MGM, 1967) US #31 (released on CD in 1994 with two bonus tracks: "The Impossible Years" and "Love American Style")
2. "The Cowsills plus The Lincoln Park Zoo" (Wing/Mercury, 1968)
3. "We Can Fly" (MGM, 1968) US #89
4. "Captain Sad and His Ship of Fools" (MGM, 1968) US #105
5. "The Best of The Cowsills" (MGM, 1969) US #127
6. "The Cowsills in Concert" (MGM, 1969) US #16
7. "IIxII" (MGM, 1970)
8. "The Cowsills Greatest Hits" (MGM, 1970)
9. "On My Side" (London, 1970) US #200
10. "The Best of the Cowsills" (Polydor, 1988 - re-released on Rebound in 1994 with a new cover)
11. "Global" (Robin, 1998 — first all-new album since 1970)
12. "The Best of the Cowsills: The Millennium Collection" (Universal/Polydor, 2001)
13. "Painting the Day: The Angelic Psychedelia of the Cowsills" (EI, 2006)

External links

• The Cowsills official site alternate name
• The Cowsills — a comprehensive fan site
• 2005 Benefit Concert Photos
• "William Cowsill - Lead singer of The Cowsills dies in Canada"
• http://www.susancowsill.com/
• http://www.srv.net/~roxtar/cowsills.html