Cowsills In Europe
April 1968
Datebook Magazine
This is the San Remo Music Festival stage where the Cowsills sant "Opere di Bartolomeo."
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The New Year started off with a bang for the Cowsills — their collective horoscope read travel, travel, travel.
There was a week in Barbados, just fine for Barry who loves "anywhere where it's sunny, and I can get a suntan fast!" Then late January, they left for Europe.
Datebook talked to Barbara Cowsill and the four younger members of the family before they left.
Barbara: We're most terribly excited about the trip — it's our first.
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My husband was in the service for 20 years so he's been around the world, but none of the rest of us has been abroad."
Originally the Big Tour was going to encompass Italy, England, France, Holland and Denmark, but plans changed to make the trip in two parts.
Barbara: "Our first stop will be San Remo for the Song Festival. They've sent us the songs we're going to do, so right now, we're all busy trying to learn Italian. I'm
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particularly looking forward to seeing Italy because I love its history."
Next stop —England. John: "I'm dying to get to London, because I've heard it's just such a neat place. Besides, the Beatles come from there."
Barbara: "The Beatles are favorites in this family — the kids don't buy many records, but they do buy theirs."
Because of the English laws, the Cowsills weren't planning any public appearances — this is because
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John loves the Barbados sun.
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two of the family are under 13. However, they made two color shorts — one of which was shown in England previously for their first hit record, "The rain, the park..." and the second would be going along with them to be shown while their second record. "We can fly" was playing.
But they were expecting to do radio and television promotion in England, including a session with London DJ, Kenny Everett.
A FASHION SENSE
Whenever Barbara goes on a tour, whether in the U.S. or abroad, you can bet she'll be wearing a dress that the boys chose.
Barbara: "All the guys of the family get together to choose my clothes. I wear them perhaps a little shorter than I would if I were not in show business because they asked me to. And they've been doing what I asked them for 20 years, so it's the least I can do for them."
John: "We like her to wear what's uptodate, but not too wild. She does look young, but it's not because she tries to look young. I like her in a dress that's fashionable, but that still looks good on a mother. My favorite outfit is her black and white checked suit—it
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The Cowsills set up for an outside performance in Barbados.
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comes with a skirt and pants." When we spoke to her, Barbara hadn't decided what to wear at the San Remo Music Festival, but confided it would be something simple and straightforward.
SCHOOLING
When the Cowsills are in Europe, what happens to their schooling? Like everyone else, Susan, Barry, John, and the others all have to do homework and study.
The answer is that the schools plan what work the kids are going to do before they go on tour. While on tour, they work with a tutor
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and send the work back.
Back home in Newport, many of the teachers would complain because the family was never in school, but now they go to the Professional Children's School. Here, they get a weekly work sheet with their lessons, and if they're going to be on tour, this is taken into account.
Bill and Bob started college this
February, which just goes to show,
even though they've been entertaining for four years, they were
still good students. Bob maintained
the honor roll during all his high
school years, and also made the
National honor roll.
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Pinup
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