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GRAND RAPIDS -- Music took a big hit when Hurricane Katrina plowed through New Orleans two months ago.
Among the poignant tales of musicians rescued from rooftops, of bands losing their instruments and livelihoods, few might be as compelling, as tragic and as hopeful as that of singer-songwriter Susan Cowsill and her family.
Yes, this is the same Susan Cowsill who soared to fame as a child in the 1960s with The Cowsills, the family band that scored hits with "Indian Lake" and "Hair," and inspired "The Partridge Family" TV show. Not only did Cowsill, now 46, lose her New Orleans home, her possessions, and most of her musical gear, but her older brother, Barry, remains missing amid the devastation the hurricane left behind.
"It's one of those little nightmares you don't get to wake up from," Susan said by phone from the road between Birmingham, Ala., and Nashville, Tenn. "But we're of pretty healthy stock and we can take a lot, we Cowsills. It's just life."
In this case, life dealt those Cowsills a hefty blow when Hurricane Katrina pounded The Big Easy, where Barry worked in construction. While Cowsill and her husband, Russ Broussard, a drummer in her band, quickly fled to Nashville, Barry decided to ride it out.
"He made it through the initial storm and then the levies broke and everything got a little crazy," Cowsill said, noting he later left her voicemail messages indicating "he was desperate to have somebody come get him" but never followed up with details to help rescuers.
The family hasn't heard from him since, despite an intensive search for the singer and guitarist. They've put photos of him on their Web site (robinrecords.com/cowsills). CNN, Inside Edition and Fox News have aired interviews with family members who hope someone comes forward with information about Barry.
Cowsill hasn't given up hope. "I never don't have hope for anything or anyone," she said. "I know we'll find him."
That positive attitude pumps through the veins of this resilient artist, who performs Wednesday in Grand Rapids.
Even without Barry's disappearance, she would have ample reason to cry and mope about the hurricane's impact: The storm hit just six weeks before U.S. release of her first solo CD, a much-anticipated debut featuring guest appearances by Lucinda Williams and Counting Crows' Adam Duritz.
The diverse and exquisitely produced album -- which comes after Susan spent 10 years performing with the roots-pop group, the Continental Drifters -- features songs ranging from the Go-Gos-style rock of "I Know You Know" to tracks with a country/bluegrass flavor, to those with a pop gloss reflecting her work with The Cowsills, who still perform from time to time.
Although the hurricane didn't alter the CD-release date, it turned Susan and Russ' life and performance schedule upside down, partly because they lost nearly all their belongings in the flood.
"Pretty much everything went swimming," she said. "But people have been remarkably generous and supportive and caring."
Those people include longtime pal Jackson Browne, who sent Cowsill a new electric guitar and amplifier "so I had something to start with at my first gig."
The hurricane also led to a disjointed tour because band members were dealing with storm-related issues. So, some dates feature Cowsill and her husband; others have a full band, with Rob Savoy on bass and Chris Knotts on guitar.
Cowsill conceded it's "a bittersweet time," trying to promote a much-praised new album while fretting about the situation back in New Orleans. It even inspired a new song, "Crescent City Snow," which describes the rare Christmas snowfall that hit New Orleans last year. "I just kept wishing for that really sweet Christmas Day that was so peaceful and calm," she said.
"It is hard. I've never lost a city and a home before. But it's home and we're going back."
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