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I realize that the opportunity of being with beautiful people for seven weeks does not always present itself. Touring with the Cowsills was one of those rare mixtures of happiness and love. For them, the tour was just the beginning of new horizons, and I count myself privileged to have shared in this new venture.
The Cowsills corporation ranges from Bill, 19, Bob, 18, Barry, 13, John, 11, Susan, 8, and Mom who sings with the group to their two non-performing brothers, Dick, 18 and Paul, 15. These goodlooking guys handle the equipment, arrange the staging, and handle the lighting.
The Cowsills are a close-knit family. In command is Dad, Bud Cowsill as the kids tease him: "He's the head of production and reproduction!" Bud is determined, forceful and, at times, overwhelming. He says of his family: "We love, hate, are happy and sad passionately. We are a violent people."
The 33 city tour, although a new adventure, was also very hard work. We managed to have some moments of fun, but these were always moments captured after the work was finished.
OFF AND RUNNING
On the morning of our departure from Newport, R.I., I was awakened by two wide-eyed, extremely anxious faces looking down at me, and murmuring: "How could she still be asleep when we're leaving today? Isn't she excited at all?" These comments came from John and Susan Cowsill. Susan had been up since 6:00 a.m. that morning, and John followed her by one hour. Before we left that morning, at 11:00 a.m., Mayor Shea of Newport, R.I., officiated during a beautiful ceremony at Town Hall, sending the Cowsills off on their way with all Newport's blessings.
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It seems that after that one comparatively peaceful day, things were never quite the same. Days flew past in a whirl of activity ... we all lost track of dates and time.
The cities we visited all held individual charm and beauty, but we were never able to stay for long enough to explore all the places of interest The first stop was Boston, and that night, th« performance was held for an audience of 350 members of the music industry. It was a smashing start.
The second day of the tour, on our way to Hartford, Conn., a big suitcase fell off the luggage rack inside the bus and fractured Bill's shoulder When we reached Hartford, he refused to even see a doctor because rehearsal was called and I was almost time for that night's performance.
That night, sitting with managers, Lenny and Myrna Stogel, I watched Bill. I knew that every move was agony and every note brought extreme pain, but from his face alive, bright, and totally involved in his music you would never know it.
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INSIDE STUFF ON THE FAMILY
Everywhere we went there was usually a huge pool, so of course, the minute we were settled in our rooms at the hotel, the boys would dash for it. Bob and Paul are excellent swimmers, excelling in high dives. They are teaching their little sister, Susan, the techniques, and I must admit that on the day she proudly called everyone to the pool-side to watch her first perfected attempt at the high dive, my heart was in my mouth. But she went in gracefully and confidently, and came up smiling.,
Susan is a strange little girl. She has all the joys and fears of a normal eight-year-old, yet she is much more self-possessed and mature than any I have ever seen. Bill has often said: "Sue is eight going on 30." Sometimes she almost frightens me with her statements about life in general. She loves to make up her own little philosophies.
In Los Angeles, we visited Disneyland. Manager, Lenny Stogel, was afraid to go on one of the rides called the Himalaya a kind of two-seated roller-coaster which rips round the curves of a tremendous mountain at break-neck speed. Sue, sensing Lenny's fear, strutted up to him, took his hand and said: "Don't worry, Lenny, you can just sit right in back of me and hang on to me, and then you won't be frightened."
If I were to try to relate to you all the experiences that happened during the tour, it would take up the whole of DATEBOOK, and more! So, I can only share with you a very small portion of their life. The Cowsills love people, they love life. They are not preaching, not protesting; they are not hippies, nor are they squares. They just love music.
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The family makes good use of the tour bus facilities
by studying the three Rs. From l-r. Barry, 13,
Bobby, 18, Sherryl, 20 (friend), Bill, 19, Mom,
Susan, 8, John, 11.
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The singing family on stage, and all dressed up to take in the enthusiastic applause for their 'neighborly' music.
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