Newspaper Articles





The Sound
September 8, 1969
Chicago Tribune
Chicago, Illinois

A lot of people have objected to my objections to the Cowsills after their performance in the Auditorium. Great.

Here are a few of the most interesting letters. First from a mother:
“It really distresses me that just about every time something clean and wholesome comes to town, you reviewers have to ‘bum rap’ it. You are all probably very sophisticated and too ‘intellectual’ to enjoy mere family-type or plain, wholesome-type entertainment. … My daughter attended the concert with some of her friends and they enjoyed it immensely. She didn’t like all the yelling either, but she did enjoy the show.

“She does go to a Catholic high school, but it happens to be co-educational and she isn’t boy-starved (I can vouch for that!) … I’m delighted that she could enjoy this type of show as a change of pace from the noisy rock ‘n roll hysteria. Why won’t you reviewers give the decent people a break and help promote something (corny as it may seem to you) that is plain, clean, and entertaining?”

From one who has to be the Cowsills’ greatest fan:
“Who do you think you are saying that stuff about the Cowsills? You’re probably just plain ignorant and jealous. The Cowsills are the greatest, especially John. If you think they’re conceited, why don’t you meet them? One reason I’m mad is that I write them every day. I have sent 105 letters and haven’t got an answer. At the concert, I never cried or screamed so much in my life.

“I brought five rolls of film and just had to get one picture of John. When he waited at the end I had one flash bulb left and I prayed for it to work, and the dumb thing wouldn’t go off, and I cried more than before. Do you know of any way I can get an answer to my letters?”

Anyone who writes 105 letters to anybody deserves an answer, and we will try to get her one. As for the rest of your comments, thanks.

From “A loyal fan of the Cowsills:”
“Sally Simpson, who the heck do you think you are saying what you did about the Cowsills? They happen to be a great group more worth listening to than a lot of other great groups. I don’t go to a parochial school and thought that what you said about the girls that did was in bad taste. You must have never heard the Cowsills. Your eyes were open but did you really hear? Because your taste in music differs, is that any reason to say what you did about them? I was in the front row and I thought the concert was the best I have seen for quite a while.”

From the girl who held the sign reading “Barry is the Greatest:”
“Dear Miss Know-It-all:
“You should be ashamed of yourself. In the beginning of your article, you said the girls wore lace dresses. For your information, my girl friends (Carmen, 15; Sandy, 13) and myself wore bell-bottoms. I saw many other girls wearing them, too. My mother went to the concert and that doesn’t mean she was jealous over the Cowsills’ good looks. She just came to take us and to listen to the music. I’m sorry you hate the Cowsills, but the majority is on my side.”




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