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Still To Come
On May 10, 2007 Cowsill Fan Club President, Marsha Jordan posted:
Just received an update from Danny Casavant, a former bandmate of Billy's:
There is post production work in progress now on the Railway Club tribute show!
There are plans for another tribute to Billy in Vancouver which will be at a considerably larger venue--500+ people! The venue for this show has not yet been secured.
Also, the establishment of a Billy Cowsill Legacy Fund for charitable causes is in the works!
I'll be sure to post any further updates that I receive.
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Vancouver -
April 20 - This Thursday The Railway Club at 9 PM
Billy Cowsill Tribute "Thank you and Goodnight."
Billy's past band-mates and musical associates pay tribute. Featuring Lindsay Mitchell (prism, the seeds of time), Jim Byrnes, Colin James, Barney Bentall, Chris (the wrist) Norquist, El Mar, Wendy Bird, Jeff Hatcher, The original Blue Shadows and special guest Del Cowsill.
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Thanks to Ginny for finding the following videos shot at this tribute show !!
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Calgary -
May 18th, 2006 - Knox United Church hosted "On the Floor of Heaven - Remembering Billy Cowsill," a tribute featuring Billy's Co-Dependent bandmates. The event was hosted by Stewart MacDougall and, along with the Co-Dependent bandmates Tim Leacock, Steve Pineo and Ross Watson, featured fellow musicians Jenny Allen, Allen Baekeland, Christopher Duthie, Jane Hawley, Ralph Boyd Johnson, Julie Kerr, Craig Korth, Danny Patton, Tom Phillips, Dylan Sadlier-Brown, Mark Sadlier-Brown, Mike Stack and Charlie Veilleux. The event was sold out and an overflow in the basement with audio/video feeds also.
Thanks to Norma K for sharing the phamphlet from this service.
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Neil has put together this BEAUTIFUL slide show from Billy's Calgary Memorial. Click on Billy Cowsill and then click "Watch Slideshow." What will play is different than the slide show showing on page. Thanks to Ginny for sending this link along !
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added 1/3/08 ---> The following is a little more info posted by Mike on a Steve Hoffman message board.
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Just returned from the 2nd of two tribute concerts, On the Floor of Heaven: Remembering Billy Cowsill Thursday evening May 18, 2006 at the Knox United Church in Calgary. What a beautiful show. (First was in April in Vancouver.)
The concert featured the members of Billy's band The Co-Dependents - Steve Pineo, guitar, vocals, Tim Leacock, bass, Ross Watson drums along with several other musicians including Stewart MacDougall (host), Jane Hawley, Ralph Boyd Johnson, Tom Phillips and more.
There were also remembrances by 4 people including Peter Conroy (Billy's counselor, mentor for years), and music writer Peter North (see above post).
One of the big highlights of the evening for me was when Allison Brock from CKUA Radio (http://www.ckua.org/) radio came on stage to introduce 2 people. The first was Ralph Boyd Johnson. Ralph was friends with Billy for years a co-wrote a song on the first Blue Shadows album. The second person introduced (surprise guest) was Susan Cowsill.
Susan joined Ralph in singing a wonderful version of Warren Zevon's song "My Ride's Here". Ralph told the audience that Billy was good friends with Warren. Then Susan talked to us for about 5 minutes telling a funny story from the early years with The Cowsills and then about all the years the boys and her had been apart. "Even though we were far apart geographically we were a very close nit family." Susan said she almost was not able to come to Calgary as Billy's memorial service is on Saturday in Rhode Island. But she came. Said she felt she needed to be here.
At the end Susan turned to all the musicians and people in the front thanking them, "My brothers (the ones that are left, good thing I have so many) :) and I thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for taking such good care of Billy during the past year, washing his clothes, cleaning, helping him. Thank you."
I'd now like to do a song written by my brother Barry." This gorgeous alt-country song was called "River of Love". (It has not been recorded.) At the end of the song, Susan received a spontaneous standing ovation. She later came back at end of the concert with all 15 or so musicians for a rousing version of "Will The Circle Be Unbroken."
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Newport -
Bob posted the following on May 13th, 2006:
Next Saturday, May 20th will be the church service for Bill in Newport, Rhode Island. It's at 10:00am at St. Augustin's church in the fifth ward. Once you're heading towards Wellington Ave. on Thames street just keep going straight instead of turning right and the church will eventually come up on your right. This was our church and elementary school while we lived up in Halidon Hall. Anyone who wants to make it to this service is welcome to do that. It will be a Catholic mass/service that will run about 40 minutes. Father Kevin, who presided over Barry's service in the same church in February will again do the honors. That's all we'll be doing since Bill's celebration of life is taking place up in Calgary that same week. There are no other events scheduled. Again, anyone who would like to be there at the church, you're more than welcome.
Bob posted the following on March 12th, 2006:
A couple of things....things are moving along in terms of laying Billy to rest. There is still no cause of death established and that will still take some time (things go slow in Canada). Of course we will be taking Billy to Newport (his wishes) and we don't know when that will be yet. He was more of a reclusive type so there won't be the "party" that was given for Barry....just a quiet mass/spreading of ashes. There will also be a memorial event in Calgary (much more festive/musical and along the "party" line of Barry's evening at the Viking) but that hasn't been scheduled yet....probably sometime in early April (this is his community doing this and we're not controlling that). It's all very overwhelming right now but life does return to normal eventually but honestly I don't know if it ever will for us.
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Steve Pineo -
Steve Pineo was a bandmate of Billy's for years. As part of The Co-Dependents, I sure those two (with Ross and Tim) played millions of songs together.
Steve has written a wonderful song as a tribute to Billy that is on his new CD, When I Grow Up. You can purchase this CD through Megatunes in Canada.
Steve writes, "I struggled with this tune. It took a long time after Billy Cowsill passed away for me to write something about him. Tom Phillips and Ralph Boyd Johnson had written beautiiul tributes to him and I wanted to make sure my song honoured the memory of my friend and band mate. Billy named everything. Blue was his car and Rosie was his guitar. I miss him a lot ."
Make sure to get a copy of Steve's CD, but until you do, here are the lyric's to Steve's song.
Good bye old friend,
With your cigarettes and shaky hand,
You were born the leader of the band,
It was what you had to do.
Good bye old friend,
No one could touch you on a Friday night,
You couldn't sing a note that wasn't right,
We were kinda scared of you.
People come and go,
But there aren't many who can move me so,
A child star with an ancient soul,
A fallen angel on the mend.
Good bye old friend,
With your candles and your comic books,
With your stubborn stares and sideways looks,
With your "Rosie" and your "Blue",
Good bye old friend,
With your battle scars and checkered past,
I sure hope you've found your home at last,
But man we sure are missing you.
And when you let it flow,
There was nowhere else you had to go,
I thought I'd lost my faith in rock and roll,
Til you brought it back again,
Good bye old friend.
And when you gained control it was
Only 'cause you made it so,
But time must take its mortal toll,
And every song has got to end,
Good bye old friend.
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Tom Phillips -
Tom has written two songs as tributes to Billy.
Blue Shadows
(Chorus) Blue Shadows on the wall
Blue Northern, Comin' On
There's 'How lonesome' on the wind,
When a Blue Songbird spreads his wings.
Gamblers bet their luck against the wolves
Rock and roll and country western tunes
Not leaving any footprints, just a sound
An angel makes before it hits the ground
Chorus
There's ghosts on the stages where he played
Boot beats, wine, the footlights start to fade
Gunslingers with guitars
Coming down to catch you from the stars
Chorus
Cold hearts break with your cheatin game
It always seems the cards are stacked this way
Go With Him it always slips way
That don't stop the song that I hear rain, rain, rain
Will the roar of the crowd bring you down
Bull fighters one last round
Standin' tall try to turn it on
Spin your wheels like an endless merry-go-round
Chorus
There's 'How lonesome' on the wind,
When a Blue Songbird spreads his wings.
Sing Like An Angel
You make me want to sing like an angel
Play guitar like a train
Turn my body into breath
For a love songs refrain
Hear the voices of the great ones
Rock around in my brain
You make me want to sing like an angel
Play guitar like a train
(Chorus) Hold on to what you got boy
Never let it go
Hitch a ride on a final comet
Even if it blows out too soon
You shouldn't be blue
You give me what I need when I want it
What I want when I need
Take me places that I've been to
I just didn't see
Shine a light through a window
I'll follow, you lead
You make me what to sing like an angel
Play guitar like a train.
Chorus
Chorus
You make me want to sing like an angel
Play guitar like a train
Turn my body into breath
For a love songs refrain
Hear the voices of the great ones
Rock around in my brain
You make me want to sing like an angel
Play guitar like a train
You make me what to sing like an angel
Play guitar like a train.
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