The Cowsills In Magazines

Wandering around home with Bob Cowsill is a bit less chaotic than one would expect.

People tend to think that the lives of the Cowsills must be ever-hectic and constantly on the run. But like most large families they have a relative sense of organization. And like most musical groups, they hang together enough to get the things done that have to be done.

Bob, as the oldest son at home now, is more or less in authority when his folks aren't around, but he is not dictator.

He's a casual, easygoing, real kind of guy who's easy to look up to.

When he shows you around the Cowsill home in Santa Monica, Calif, it can take hours, for it's a big, sprawling old house on many levels.

From the outside the house might look like any other in the neighborhood, but it's evident that this house is lived in by real people and isn't just a show place.

There's a telescope peeking through one window and cars and bicycles are parked everywhere.

Bob arrives in a car that he's using until he can buy a new one. He had a dark blue Firebird, but he says, "It was just a jinxed car; you know, everyone who drove it had an accident."

He strides casually into the living room and sorts out the day's mail— most of it is for John and Barry.

The living room is a step down from the entry hall and is dominated by a number of large chairs and a couch, all aimed at the television. There's also a small, white piano in the corner, and an enormous fireplace that looks as though one could walk into it.

Bob explains quickly what the family is up to—Susan's going to film a Gene Kelly Special and then the whole family's going to Las Vegas for two weeks at the Flamingo Hotel.

As we go out to the front yard, he notes the usual collection of cars in the circular driveway and adds that since he, his mother, father and Paul all drive, it takes a lot of cars to keep them all mobile.

"It's weird when you get up first in the morning and you're in the middle. It happened to me once and it took me 45 minutes to get out."

There's a tent over to the side by a fence that the two younger boys have put up, but at the moment its only occupant is a neighbor cat.

Watching Bob as he points out

everything in the yard and tries to make you see just how his life really is, you can't help but feel comfortable around him.

His birthday is August 26 and that makes him a Virgo—logical, thoughtful, modest and hardworking. And it's easy to see how he can keep the group together and " functioning with the least amount of resistance.

He points out the pool which isn't being used much, as it is about to rain. There's a surf board nearby which he says they do use in the pool.

Behind the pool is a large trampoline and a tennis court which doubles as a basketball court.

Then the rest of the family begin to arrive. Barbara, rnother of the whole collection, arrives first, looking like a model in a fashionable wool pants suit. She's off again soon to get the vacuum cleaner fixed.

Then the rest of the family arrives with Paul driving and Bob asks if we'd like to see a rehearsal.

It sounds good so he says, "Let's rehearse for a few minutes" and they all file obediently into the small room they use for rehearsals.

You can tell they practice a lot, for all the instruments are set up and ready to use. Everyone falls into his place and Bob sings lead on a very beautiful version of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix."

While he's tuning for the next song, Paul gives us a few bars of "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" and Susan shows off her orange Snoopy watch that one of her brothers gave her.

Then a treat—a sneak preview of their next single, "Two By Two."

It's a rousing, almost gospel sound and certainly something, new in the way of Cowsill singles, but Bob feels somewhat confident that it'll do well.

Then Bob dismisses everyone and they all head off in different directions. Susan makes a mad dash to the house to change from her dress into pants so she can play on the trampoline.

We go back to the house too, for a quick look at the telescope that Bob gave Barry for Christmas, and then to Bob's bedroom where he has a tape system set up.

He's got a tape of the new single he wants us to hear, but has a bad time trying to find it among the yards and yards of tape all over the room.