Barry Cowsill, 51, 1960s Singer Died During Katrina
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A body found on a New Orleans wharf in December has been identified as that of Barry Cowsill, a member of the popular 1960s singing family the Cowsills, a Louisiana coroner said Thursday.
Cowsill’s body was recovered December 28 from the Chartres Street Wharf and identified from dental records, Dr. Louis Cataldie, the Baton Rouge coroner, said. No cause of death was determined, but it was believed to be related to Hurricane Katrina, which hit the city August 29. Cowsill, who had lived in New Orleans on and off for several years, left messages on his sister’s telephone answering machine on September 1, but had not been heard from since.
In the 1960s, Barry Cowsill and three of his brothers formed a popular musical group that was eventually joined by their mother and little sister. It became the inspiration for the TV series “The Partridge Family.”
The family recorded a series of hits between 1967-70 including “The Rain, the Park, and Other Things” and “Hair” and were spokespersons for the American Dairy Association, appearing in commercials and print ads for milk.
The band broke up in the 1970s, amid acrimony that reportedly left some members estranged.
