On this day, September 14, 1954, Barry Cowsill was born.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Wed Sep 14, 2022, 02:57 PM - Edit history (2)

Fri Aug 26, 2022: On this day, August 26, 1950, Bill and Dick Cowsill were born.

Barry Cowsill

Background information
Birth name: Barry Steven Cowsill
Born: September 14, 1954; Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.
Died: c. September 2, 2005 (aged 50); New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.

Barry Steven Cowsill (September 14, 1954 – c. September 2, 2005) was an American musician and member of the musical group the Cowsills.

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Career



Cowsill in 1967

Cowsill was born in Newport, Rhode Island, the fifth of seven children. As a teenager, he became the drummer (and later the bass guitar player) of the band initially formed by his brothers Bill and Bob Cowsill, playing popular tunes at local dance clubs. By the late 1960s, the band expanded to include younger brother John (on drums), his mother Barbara, older brother Paul, and younger sister Susan. The Cowsills went on to churn out a string of hits ( including the #2's "The Rain the Park and Other Things" and "Hair" ) before officially disbanding by 1972.

After the group broke up, Cowsill moved frequently and worked various jobs including construction and waiting tables. For a time, Cowsill owned a bar in Austin which he admitted he lost because he "drank it dry. I was drinking my face off in those days." Throughout his life, he continued to play music and participated in various post-heyday incarnations of the Cowsills. In 1998, he released his first solo CD, As Is. In 2002, he relocated to his hometown of Newport, Rhode Island. In 2005, Cowsill relocated again to New Orleans. Shortly before his death, he had made plans to enter a Los Angeles rehab facility to seek help for his alcoholism. His flight to Los Angeles had been scheduled for August 28, but those plans were stymied when Hurricane Katrina hit the city on August 29.

Personal life

In 1987, Cowsill married Deborah Scott with whom he had two children (he also had an older daughter). Cowsill and his wife were divorced in 2003.[3]

Death
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the city of New Orleans. Cowsill, who chose not to evacuate, weathered the storm in an abandoned warehouse. Cowsill survived the storm but was in need of help. He called his sister Susan from a pay phone (Susan also lived in New Orleans with her family but chose to evacuate) and left four voice mail messages saying he was surrounded by looters and people shooting. Susan Cowsill did not receive the messages until September 2. Cowsill was never heard from again. After an extensive search, Cowsill's body was found under a wharf on the Mississippi River on December 28, 2005. His body was subsequently identified by comparison to dental records. Cowsill's death was attributed to drowning as a result of the flooding following Hurricane Katrina.

The Cowsill family held two memorials for Barry in Newport and New Orleans.

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The Cowsills Hair 1969 IN COLOR !!
3,039,660 views Aug 18, 2016

looker1208
2.74K subscribers

A video made for the Wonderful World of Pizzazz TV special, aired on March 18, 1969. Sorry for the logo but it arrived to me that way. As a side note, they also filmed a video as well for the song What is Happy for this special. It can be found elsewhere on YouTube.

[George McGovern]

1. Thank You So Much mahatmakanejeeves! The band was wonderful, the family life another story.

They made great music nonetheless. At seventy I still marvel at and get goosebumps from "The Rain the Park and Other Things."

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. "The Rain, the Park, & Other Things"

From moniss, at https://www.democraticunderground.com/103481060#post3

Great song

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rain,_the_Park_%26_Other_Things