The Cowsills

The Cowsills
The Cowsills from their Billy Cowsill Benefit Concert in 2004. Left to right: Bob, Barry, Paul, Richard, Susan and John (Bill not pictured)
Background information
Origin	Newport, Rhode Island, USA
Genres	Bubblegum pop, psychedelic pop, pop, rock and roll
Years active	1965–72, 1978–80, 1990–present
Labels	MGM Records, Polydor Records
Associated acts	Continental Drifters, The Blue Shadows, Beach Boys, Tommy Tutone, Waddy Wachtel, Dwight Twilley
Website	cowsill.com/home.html
Members	Bob Cowsill Susan Cowsill Paul Cowsill
Past members	John Cowsill Bill Cowsill (deceased) Barry Cowsill (deceased) Barbara Cowsill (deceased) Richard Cowsill (deceased)

The Cowsills is an American singing group from Newport, Rhode Island. They specialized in harmonies and the ability to sing and play music at an early age. The band was formed in the spring of 1965 by brothers Bill, Bob, and Barry Cowsill; they shortly thereafter added their brother John. Originally Bill and Bob played guitar and Barry was on drums. When John learned how to play drums and joined the band, Barry went to bass. After their initial success, the brothers were joined by their siblings Susan and Paul and their mother Barbara. Bob's twin brother Richard was the road manager. When the group expanded to its full family membership by 1967, the six siblings ranged in age from 8 to 19. Joined by their mother, Barbara Cowsill (née Russell), the group was the inspiration for the 1970s television show The Partridge Family.

The Cowsills' musical interest started while their father Bud Cowsill was stationed in Canton, Ohio, in the late 1950s as a US Navy recruiter. Billy and Bob taught themselves how to play the guitar. The boys developed their musical talent and harmonized vocals, and they performed at school church dances in Stark County, Ohio. The boys' first television appearance was on the Gene Carroll Show on WEWS in Cleveland.

After Bud retired from the Navy, he and his wife managed their children's career.

In late 1965, the Cowsills were hired as a regular act on Bannisters Wharf in Newport, where they sang Beatles songs hour after hour. A handful of singles were released on JODA Records and Philips Records in 1965 and 1966, to only modest success. After Leonard Stogel took over management of the band, he got them signed to MGM Records in 1967. Barbara, who would become known to their fans affectionately as "Mini-Mom" due to her diminutive stature, joined the group just in time to record the band's first album, including the hit single "The Rain, The Park & Other Things" with Bill on lead vocals. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold record. Shortly thereafter the band was expanded, yet again, to include siblings Susan and Paul.