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Not too long ago we received a letter from a disgruntled 17-year-old who accused us of trying to turn teens on with “stuff far-out and funky” and indicating we should try to “improve” our work by catering more to those whose interests are “normal and neat.”
So we figured we might try a step in that direction by doing a bit on the Cowsills. After all, what could be more normal, neat, all-American and apple pie than a mother who was probably president of the PTA, four boys who would pass anybody’s dress code and a too-cute-for-words eight-year-old girl?
Actually, the Cowsill success story is rather brief. Little more than a year ago the nine members of this Rhode Island family (in addition to the six performing members there’s Papa Cowsill and two other boys who handle the equipment and business matters) were chopping up furniture for firewood in order to heat their 22-room home and wondering how long they were going to have a roof over their heads. They performed at local events and for their own pleasure
Then along came the talent management team of Lenny and Myrna Stogel. The Stogels put them in touch with producer-writer Artie Kornfeld, who took over their personal management and in short order came up with a song – Rain, the Park, etc. – and a recording contract. It was enough to make the family unit one of the top groups in the country.
Today the Cowsills have: a second LP just out – We Can Fly; several more appearances lined up on the Ed Sullivan Show; a proposed TV series in the works and plans for a European trip.
It is estimated that in 1968 they will make at least $1 million.
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