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IT HAPPENED a few months ago, at the very beginning of the summer. It was a beautiful day in California—sunny, hot, bright, lovely. It wasn't a day for a fight. But The Cowsills had one anyway—a good one! Such a good one, in fact, that it almost broke The Cowsills up!
In a way, you could say it was a family fight, a personal fight. On the other hand, you could say it was a professional fight, too. You see, it involved Bill's decision to leave the group and strike out on his own ... so it was both personal and professional.
Before you get the wrong idea, nobody was mad at Bill. The family understood that this was the decision he felt he had to make. And nobody was blaming him for making it.
"We all knew Bill was thinking of going solo," Barry said. "So it didn't come as a surprise. It was just a question of time, really. Bill even talked it over with Mom and Dad, just to make sure he was doing the right thing. And everyone agreed on it."
What was the fight about, then? Mostly what to do next! Bill wasn't just the oldest brother in the family, one of the voices and musicians. He was also half of the Cowsill song writing team, a music arranger, a record producer, a few other things, too. With him gone, what kind of direction would the family take? Would the music change?
"We sat down to talk about it one day," Bob said. "We just wanted to toss around a few ideas, see what everyone thought. Because we all have a stake in what the group does professionally, Mom and Dad like us to be in on the decisions that concern us."
The discussion started out peacefully enough. Somebody said something. Then somebody else said something else. But it didn't take very long for practically every Cowsill to get pretty worked up! One (and we promised we wouldn't mention any names) thought Bob might miss working with Bill so much, perhaps it would affect his writing! Another thought just the opposite! A third thought perhaps some of the other boys should do some song-writing. And so it went.
Louder and louder . . . more and more frantic—until everyone was trying to get his own ideas said so much, nobody could hear anybody else!
"Hold it!" Bud finally shouted. "I have the answer."
Everyone settled down to hear what the answer would be.
"We just continue the way we've been going and do the best we can," Bud announced.
Everybody looked at everybody else. It was so simple. Besides, it was the only thing they could possibly do, the only thing they'd want to do.
And that's what they did. It's worked out pretty well, too.
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In happier days, they line up in front of their home for a togetherness family portrait!
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