‘60s psych-pop family band the Cowsills inspire more than just revelry with their air-tight harmonies – the group was also the inspiration for the legendary Partridge Family TV show, which was loosely based on the prodigious talent of the group’s young siblings. While some of the band’s founding members have passed away in the course of their half-century together, the Cowsills have kept it a family affair, filling musical roles with their children, spouses, and other kin. On their 2013 tour dates, the band delivered delightfully nostalgic performances of hits like “The Rain, The Park & Other Things” and “Hair” amid friendly banter and familial ribbing between members, setting hopes high for another round of feel-good shows in 2014.
BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT:
The Cowsills were formed in 1965 by brothers Bill, Bob, Barry, and John, expanding to six siblings ranging from 8 to 19 years old by the time of their 1967 US No. 2 hit “The Rain, The Park & Other Things.” An overnight sensation as much for their precocity as for the novelty of the band’s configuration, the Cowsills rode a wave of popular success that eventually inspired the Partridge Family TV show. As one of the most popular and dedicated acts on the road in the late ‘60s, the band established a legacy that has served them well over the years, allowing them to weather breakups, make-ups, and more than a half-century of shifting family lineups. During that time, they’ve lost none of the wide-eyed, harmony-filled wonder that made them famous, continuing to thrill audiences on tour in 2014.
