Posted on 02/21/2006 1:22:41 PM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
William "Billy" Cowsill, lead singer of Sixties singing family the Cowsills, died on Friday at his home in Calgary at the age of fifty-eight. He had been in poor health, suffering from emphysema, Cushing's syndrome and osteoporosis. The Cowsills, the real-life family that inspired the hit TV series The Partridge Family, scored two Number Two hits, "The Rain, the Park and Other Things" and the title track to the hit rock musical Hair. The Newport, Rhode Island, band, which included brothers Billy (guitar), Barry (bass), Bob (guitar and organ) and John (drums), would later also feature brother Paul (keyboards) and their kid sister Susan (vocals), as well as their mother Barbara.
The group disbanded in the Seventies, and Billy moved to Canada where he continued to play music with such outfits as the Co-Dependents, Blue Northern and the Blue Shadows.
The Cowsill family learned of Billy's death while holding a memorial service for his brother and fellow bandmate Barry, who was discovered dead on December 28th in New Orleans. Local authorities believe Barry died in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which hit the city on August 29th.
Billy Cowsill is survived by his two sons, Travis and Delaney.
Didn't the Cowsills sing Indian Lake?
Yes, they did.
Yes they did sing that..How awful! the brother in NO had a terrible death as well...
Yeah, I think "Indian Lake" was theres.
Boy this family has two tragic deaths in less than a year, got to be hard on the family.
Moving on to that pasture in the sky.
"the brother in NO had a terrible death as well..".
How did he die?
I believed he drowned....
Cuz I remember reading a story that he made it thru the intitial storm and a couple days later he called the family and asked for help.
right...but then he went missing and I think the family believed he drowned....
I don't know if his body was ever found or claimed...
Oh. Sad
every body thought Fats bought the farm, but he got out. Barry was found weeks later after the place was pumped out and then they had to use DNA to determine who he was.
bad scene.
Cripes! The cat was hoping for a re-union concert at next year's Super Bowel!
Oh. Thanx for the info.
Sad couple of months for the family
I remember seeing the Cowsills had at least one benefit for Billy, because the socialized Canadian medicine didn't seem to be filling his needs.
My prayers go out to the family. Two brothers lost in so short a time - that's got to be hard.
Mike
Well, I tell ya, the heavenly bubble gum band has been short of qualified bubble gum performers, who, unlike rock'n'rollers and bluesmen tend to live to old age. I mean, they're still wating for their lead singer Pat Boone up there. So in this respect, it's a silver lining.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.