Barbara Cowsill
July 12, 1928 – January 31, 1985
Barbara Cowsill was the performing mother of the Cowsills, the real life inspiration of The Partridge Family. The family began playing together in the late ’50s and began making records in 1965. In 1967, the group was signed to MGM Records and Barbara joined her children in time to record their first album. The album included the single, “The Rain, The Park and Other Things” which climbed to #2 on the pop charts and sold in the neighborhood of three million copies. Over the next few years, the group scored million-selling hits with “Indian Lake” and “Hair.” In 1969, the family were offered their own sitcom playing themselves, but that the part of Barbara would be played by actress, Shirley Jones. They declined the offer without Barbara, so the show was re-cast and re-christened The Partride Family. Since the ’70s, the group has continued to peform and record in various forms. Barbara Cowsill passed away from emphysema on January 31, 1985. She had been a heavy smoker since the age of 15.
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