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NEWPORT - Part of the memorial service and celebration of Barry Cowsill's life next weekend will be private.
Initially, the Cowsill family wanted to open the entire event on Saturday, Feb. 18, to the public, but the scattering of Barry Cowsill's ashes at Halidon Hall will be only for family and close friends.
Richard Cowsill said former U.S. Rep. Fernand St Germain, who now lives in the Cowsills' 1960s home, requested the Halidon Hall portion of the day be kept private. A remembrance ceremony at King Park at 1 p.m. will be open to the public, Richard Cowsill said, with the private portion to follow at Halidon Hall immediately afterward.
"(St Germain) has been great to us, but he had concerns about a big crowd on his property," Cowsill said. "And we can understand that."
The day will end with a party at the Hotel Viking from 7-11 p.m., where the Cowsills will perform along with other musicians. Richard Cowsill said it would be a relaxed format, including local musicians who want to perform.
Barry Cowsill's body was identified on Jan. 3 through dental records after he was reported missing in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Cowsill, 51, had moved from Newport to New Orleans last summer. Police found his body on a New Orleans wharf on Dec. 27, and medical officials ruled his death a drowning.
The Cowsills rose to fame in the late 1960s, scoring Top 10 hits, "The Rain, the Park and Other Things" and "Hair," and appearing on national TV shows. They broke up in the 1970s and have played several Newport reunion shows in the past 15 years.
Barry Cowsill, who leaves three children, spent most of the past few years playing gigs in Newport bars and working construction jobs.
Richard Cowsill said five of his siblings are expected to attend the ceremonies. Brother Bill Cowsill, who lives in Canada, has emphysema and other health problems and is unable to travel, he said.
The Cowsills are expecting friends and fans from across the country to attend. The capacity for the Viking party is 400 people.
"I know this is what Barry would've wanted," Richard Cowsill said. "He wanted a party. And we're going to give him a party."
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