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REMEMBER the time you were so embarrassed you just wanted to crawl into the nearest ditch? Remember that time it seemed your ears - your whole face - was practically on fire? Remember all those moments of humiliation you've somehow managed to live through? And more important, remember why they happened?
The Cowsills remember. Some of their most embarrassing memories are old ones...some are painfully recent. Some may be familiar to you...some very unusual. Some are pretty funny...others are rather sad. But there's no confusion about one thing - they're all very true.
For BARRY COWSILL, the subject of school brings back a very upsetting memory - one that's somehow mixed up with the whole idea of being a performer. What happened was simple ... The Cowsills took a trip back to Newport, Rhode Island to visit after moving to California and Barry went back to his old school to say hello. As might be expected, his former classmates were knocked out by seeing him and wanted him to sing and play something for them. Well, (would you believe it?) Barry just couldn't do it! Call it nerves or fear or embarrassment or something - but Barry couldn't perform in front of kids who were once his friends!
"The funny thing about this is how unreasonable it was," Barry said, "I'm never nervous performing. It was just that one time. And man, was that an awful moment for me!"
The memory that makes JOHN COWSILL blush the most is a very recent one and has to do with the fact that he's a born kidder. It happened in a hotel during one of the family's many tours across the country to play colleges. Johnny, being in a playful mood, decided to get on the phone and have some fun with the telephone operator.
"Could you tell me the time?" he asked in a special "phone voice" he used just for moments like this when he didn't want to sound like the young gentleman he is.
"Certainly, Madam," the operator began.
Johnny didn't wait to hear more. He was so embarrassed, he just put the phone back on the hook. (And so far, he hasn't tried his special "phone voice" out on any other operators!)
An attitude BOB COWSILL had just about a year ago makes him cringe when he remembers it. The reason for his attitude was the family move to California last September. Bob didn't want to go. In fact, once he realized the family was going whether he like it or not because of business reasons, he made up his mind to hate it. And he also decided to make everyone else miserable by complaining as much as he could.
"I really made a pest of myself," he admitted. "I kept talking about how awful it was in California, how much I missed home. But gradually, the weather got good and I made friends, I stopped complaining when I realized California was okay and that I could like it if I tried." He smiled and added, "Everyone knew why I stopped complaining. I guess they were relieved - but I knew what they were thinking. I get a little sick when I think of it today!"
It's been along time since PAUL COWSILL'S memory was really happening, but he hasn't forgotten it. It was in the early days of the family's career when The Cowsills weren't very well-known or very important or even very well paid. They sang wherever they could and whenever they could - including restaurants in the neighborhood.
"I used to look at the people and sometimes I'd think that maybe they'd rather eat than listen to us. And I'd wish I didn't have to do it or that I didn't have to be there at all." He smiled and added, "I realize now what good experience that was. But I can't help remembering how awful I felt at the time."
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