Biography
At thirteen, Barry Cowsill watched his family pop ensemble the Cowsills reach national prominence through the buoyant sunshine-pop staple "The Rain, the Park and Other Things." Serving as the group's bassist and an essential contributor to its pure vocal blend, he displayed uncommon musical ability at such an early age. Born September 14, 1954, in Newport, RI, he was only ten when older brothers Bill and Bob drafted him into the family rock outfit. Amid the height of Beatlemania the teenage unit played school dances and church socials before securing steady weekend work at Bannisters Wharf. The Cowsills cut their first single, "All I Really Wanta Be Is Me," for Joda in 1967; although it attracted scant notice, an NBC Today Show appearance led to a Philips contract and three further singles that likewise failed to register. Philips staff producer Artie Kornfeld nevertheless believed in their market potential and, working outside the label, booked another session, persuading their mother Barbara to add her voice; the result was the arresting "The Rain, the Park and Other Things." Capitalizing on the act's wholesome family appeal, Kornfeld secured an MGM deal that released the single in fall 1967; it climbed to number two and sold more than a million copies. The self-titled debut album followed quickly, and as popularity surged Barry became the band's adolescent idol, frequently featured in 16 and Tiger Beat. The title track of 1968's We Can Fly gave them a second hit, and the title song from the rock musical Hair delivered their highest-charting single in 1969.
Columbia Pictures Television sent writers to document the Cowsills' everyday routine for a prospective series; the project never materialized, yet its premise later inspired The Partridge Family. By the time that program premiered in 1970 the Cowsills' momentum had faded, and the 1971 LP On My Side preceded an angry breakup that fractured the family. Barry reportedly struggled most with the dissolution and thereafter lived a transient life while contending with addiction. Most Cowsill siblings remained musically inactive through the rest of the 1970s; mid-decade Barry briefly played with brothers Bill and Paul plus guitarist Waddy Wachtel in the short-lived Bridey Murphy, which issued the single "The Time Has Come" without success. He declined to join the 1979 reunion that produced the unreleased Cocaine Drain and stayed apart from later lineups, instead launching a solo career. His only solo album, As Is, appeared on Lüd Von in 1998; two years afterward he finally rejoined his siblings as the Cowsills. In mid-2005 he moved to New Orleans, where sister Susan already resided. Weeks later Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast; he vanished, prompting widespread searches for news of his fate. His body was recovered December 28 yet not identified until nearly a week afterward—he was 51.
Columbia Pictures Television sent writers to document the Cowsills' everyday routine for a prospective series; the project never materialized, yet its premise later inspired The Partridge Family. By the time that program premiered in 1970 the Cowsills' momentum had faded, and the 1971 LP On My Side preceded an angry breakup that fractured the family. Barry reportedly struggled most with the dissolution and thereafter lived a transient life while contending with addiction. Most Cowsill siblings remained musically inactive through the rest of the 1970s; mid-decade Barry briefly played with brothers Bill and Paul plus guitarist Waddy Wachtel in the short-lived Bridey Murphy, which issued the single "The Time Has Come" without success. He declined to join the 1979 reunion that produced the unreleased Cocaine Drain and stayed apart from later lineups, instead launching a solo career. His only solo album, As Is, appeared on Lüd Von in 1998; two years afterward he finally rejoined his siblings as the Cowsills. In mid-2005 he moved to New Orleans, where sister Susan already resided. Weeks later Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast; he vanished, prompting widespread searches for news of his fate. His body was recovered December 28 yet not identified until nearly a week afterward—he was 51.
Albums