Bill Cowsill
William Bill Joseph Cowsill, Jr., most commonly known professionally as Billy Cowsill, was an American singer, musician, songwriter and producer. He is particularly notable as the lead singer and guitarist of The Cowsills, who had three topsingles in the late 1960s. From the mid1970s until his death, he developed a career in Canada as an altcountry artist, as well as being the producer of a diverse number of Canadian artists.
William Cowsill was born in Middletown, Rhode Island, on January 9, 1948. He was the eldest child of the seven Cowsill children, six boys and one girl, and was named after his father, William Bud Joseph Cowsill, Sr. . At a young age, Bill began singing with his younger brother, Bob , playing guitars provided for them by their father, Bud, then serving in the U.S. Navy. The brothers had originally wanted to form a rock band. At their fathers insistence, Bill and Bob Cowsill formed The Cowsills in 1965 with their brothers Barry on bass and John on drums. Their father became their fulltime manager, following his retirement from the Navy. He was physically and emotionally abusive towards his family, in both his spousal and parental roles. Such abuse continued during his role as the groups manager.
Source: Wikipedia