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He is a former teen idol who topped the charts with hits in the 1960s.
Now he performs each weekend at a pub in Woodland Hills.
“I like it,” said Bob Cowsill, referring to his appearances at Pickwick’s Pub. “I get up there, play a bunch of Beatles songs and other oldies, and the crowd really gets into it. They sing along. And I occasionally sneak in my own material.”
Cowsill and his band of brothers, mother and sister recorded – as the Cowsills – Top 10 hits from 1967 to 1970: “Hair,” “The Rain, the Park and Other Things” and “Indian Lake.” The band broke up in 1978.
For years Cowsill said, promoters have tried to persuade his family to get back together to do a reunion tour. At first, because of personal reasons, the Cowsills couldn’t find the time. Plus Cowsill, 40, has been reluctant to follow the trail of other nostalgia acts. “I didn’t want us to be a Vegas rendition.”
But times have changed. He says now that he would feel comfortable touring with family members – all still perform except for his mother Barbara, who died in 1985 – and that he is reviewing proposals to do just that.
“As I’ve gotten older, I realize that I wouldn’t be merely going down memory lane,” Cowsill said. “This was excellent music back then, and it would be now. And we wouldn’t just do oldies. We’d say things that are relevant now.”
Toward that goal, Cowsill said he has written two songs, “Christmas Time” and “Some Good Years,” which he hopes to release next year. So far, he said, record executives have praised his work, but none have been willing to sign him to a recording contract. “They say it’s the right song but the wrong label. It’s very frustrating.”
At Pickwick’s, Cowsill also plays themes from such popular televisions shows as “Gilligan’s Island” and “Rawhide.” Joining him occasionally on vocals are his sister former band member Susan Cowsill, and singer-guitarist Lewis Lustman. The weekend performances begin at 9 p.m. and cost $2.
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