Susan Cowsill Joined the Band at 7 — Now She's Back on Tour with the Cowsills

SAN DIEGO — Susan Cowsill distinguishes herself in various aspects on the 2025 Happy Together Tour.

She is the sole female performer included in this year's roster for the annual tour. The event showcases Little Anthony along with the present-day versions of the Turtles, Jay and the Americans, Gary Pucket and the Union Gap, the Vogues, and the Cowsills — the band through which Susan Cowsill gained recognition during the latter part of the 1960s.

She is the youngest performer included on this year's tour at age 66. Little Anthony is 84, and Gary Puckett is 82.

Cowsill is the sole performer from the Happy Together Tour who is also an essential member of another established group—the independently minded Continental Drifters—which attracts a younger demographic with little overlap compared to the typical fanbase of other artists on the Happy Together Tour.

And she is the sole individual who, as a highly sought-after studio musician, has contributed vocals to records featuring a wide range of artists including Nanci Griffith, Hootie & the Blowfish, Dwight Twilley, Giant Sand, Red Kross, and various musicians from Louisiana like the Radiators and Zachary Richard.

I worked as a 'singer/performer' until I turned 30, at which point I started learning how to play the guitar," explained Cowsill, who spoke from her residence in New Orleans. "Afterward, I discovered how to become a musician and writer of music, and this transformation made all the difference for me. It enhanced my already fulfilling and remarkable musical journey.

Cowsill's career in music started remarkably young compared to most people.

She was just seven years old in 1966 when she became part of her family's musical group, the Cowsills, which inspired the popular 1960s television series "The Partridge Family."

The Cowsills consisted of her five elder siblings—John, Paul, Barry, Bob, and Bill—as well as their mother, Barbara. Their father, William "Bud" Cowsill, served as their manager up until a year after Susan joined the band. The group released six albums between 1966 and 1971. Among their popular tracks were "The Rain, The Park and Other Things," "Indian Lake," and the number-one hit "Hair," which was the theme song from the musical with the same title.

It was clearly not ordinary daily life, yet I never saw being part of the Cowsills as anything different from being with my family," Susan Cowsill remembered. "We turned our time on the road into something enjoyable. Once, we had an early performance on Halloween, and my father let me go trick-or-treating in whichever city we were staying.

We had a tutor traveling with us for just about a single year. We attended 'professional schools' for a year in both New York and Los Angeles. Both institutions offered options through which we could submit our assignments while on the move, and that's exactly what we did. No one actually gained any knowledge! We were constantly copying each other's notes. It was completely abnormal in every possible sense.

Due to their positive image, intricate vocal blends, and carefully composed yet non-confrontational tracks, the Cowsills were seen as a neat-pop substitute for the growing gritty sound of 1960s rock.

Was Susan along with her siblings enthusiastic about rebelling and producing less commercially driven, more complex music compared to what their record label permitted?

Absolutely, but mainly my brothers," she said. "I was the youngest one who used to tag along but still kept my eyes open. My siblings were incredible musicians and composers. They began as an R&B group and took their work very seriously. Often, the band's image ended up being controlled by the record label, leading them down the path of the 'good-hearted family' concept. It wasn't bad, but the music itself lost some of its original direction.

‘The band was done’

After releasing their compelling 1971 album "On My Side," which drew inspiration from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, The Cowsills went their separate ways. Susan was just 12 years old at the time. By age 14, she entered into a recording contract as an individual performer with Warner Bros., though she only issued two singles under the label. Her initial single, "I Think of You," marked the first cover interpretation of a song by Sixto "Sugarman" Rodriguez performed by any artist.

When the band ended, it was over," Cowsill stated. "I had no idea what I should do next. I was forced to fend for myself. We hadn't truly been ready for real life after leaving the Cowsills. I was the youngest one, struggling to decide what kind of music I'd pursue—or whether I'd even continue making music at all. Maybe I’d end up becoming a schoolteacher instead?

The family-based musical group initially came together again in 1978, followed by further reunions in 1989, 1993, and 1998.

"The Cowsills never truly disband; we simply take pauses. And then we all return," Cowsill stated.

Both of Susan's parents have deceased; her mother, Barbara, in 1985 and her father, William, in 1992. Her brothers, Barry and Bill, passed away in 2005 and 2006, respectively. The family was featured in the 2010 documentary "Family Band: The Cowsills Story," which had its debut in their hometown state at the Rhode Island International Film Festival.

In much the same way as with almost all of the dozen or so Happy Together tours featuring the Cowsills, Susan Cowsill remains the sole woman performing music.

" Susan is really awesome," said Ron Dante, lead vocalist of Turtles.

She makes everyone feel as though they belong to the family. She is an excellent vocalist and serves as a driving force that keeps everything moving forward. Her presence adds vitality wherever she goes. She is truly remarkable.

Another artist from the Happy Together tour, Gary Puckett, also enthusiastically praised her.

Susan is truly amazing," he stated. "She acts as a nurturing figure who looks after everyone during the trip. She brings joy into every moment.

The Cowsills were honored with induction into the California Music Hall of Fame and New York's Long Island Hall of Fame. Susan Cowsill enjoys being able to tour with her brothers Bob and Paul each year.

What surprises me," she remarked, "isn't that I'm hanging out with the boys—we'll keep doing that till the end of our lives—but that we actually have a consistent job. The Happy Together Tour is the first real sense of stability I've experienced in my musical career.

This marks our 11th year participating in the tour. I often mention that we have employment, yet our schedules and payroll cycles differ from those of regular workers.