|
. . .
Before inspiring the creation of television’s best known family band, the Cowsill brothers were finding their own inspiration from those lovable mop-tops, The Beatles.
It wasn’t long after that Barbara (“mini-mom”) and 7-year-old Susan joined in to record the group’s first fully fledged family album, The Rain, The Park and Other Things. Bob Cowsill remembered it like this. “The family angle just evolved … first Bill and me, then Bill me and Barry, then Bill, me Barry and John, then Bill, me Barry, John and Mom, then Bill, me, Barry, John, Mom and Paul, and later, me Paul, John, Barry, Mom and Susan, then back to Bill, me Barry and John (very briefly in the end) and then to me, Paul, John and Susan.”
They got their first big break on The Today Show where a scout from Mercury Records caught wind of the young phenomenon. The Cowsills were everywhere in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s as guests on television shows, as spokes-folks for milk, and on their own television special. Studio musician Waddy Wachtel of the so-called L.A. mafia (Linda Rondstadt, Keith Richards) played much of the music on the band’s records.
Two of the brothers, Barry and Billy, have passed away, one lost in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (Barry). Susan continues to live and perform in New Orleans. The Cowsills perform their numerous gold record hits for two shows at Rams Head O State in Annapolis tonight (6:30 and 9:30 p.m.).
. . .
|
