Exclusive: Hear The Cowsills Pay Tribute to Mister Rogers with “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” Cover

In our dire and divided times, the simplest acts of everyday kindness are more important than ever, and one man who personifies that spirit is being appreciated anew for the treasure that he was. Musical tribute Thank You, Mister Rogers: Music and Memories arrives tomorrow, Oct. 25, joining the likes of Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and the forthcoming A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood among new pop-culture paeans to the late, great Fred Rogers, and Paste is proud to premiere the opening song from the new release: a cover of Mister Rogers’ beloved “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” courtesy of American pop institution The Cowsills.

The sibling singers apply their ‘60s-sunshine sound to Rogers’ already-delightful invitation to caring companionship, slowing the jaunty Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood theme song down, as if to bask in its warmth for as long as they can. The original TV show’s own Mr. McFeely, aka David Newell, praises The Cowsills’ performance in a statement to Paste, saying, “In a way, The Cowsills’ musical harmony reminds me of the harmony and neighborliness that Fred Rogers taught to children on each Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood program.”

Produced by two-time Grammy winner Dennis Scott, Thank You, Mister Rogers also features performances by Kellie Pickler, Vanessa Williams, Lee Greenwood, Jaci Velasquez, Jim Brickman, Jon Secada, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr., Micky Dolenz of The Monkees, Tom Bergeron and Sandi Patty, as well as actor and singer Rita Wilson, whose husband Tom Hanks portrays Mister Rogers in the forthcoming A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. The album’s arrival coincides with a push to designate November “Thank You Mister Rogers Month.”

Listen to The Cowsills’ “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” cover below, and watch a trailer for Thank You, Mister Rogers and find the details of the album further down. You can preorder Thank You, Mister Rogers right here.

Thank You, Mister Rogers: Music and Memories Tracklist:
01. Won’t You Be My Neighbor – The Cowsills
02. You Can Never Go Down the Drain – Jaci Velasquez
03. Sometimes People Are Good – Rita Wilson
04. Perfectly Beautiful Day – Micky Dolenz
05. Many Way to Say I Love You – Vanessa Williams
06. Some Things I Don’t Understand – Tom Bergeron
07. This Is My Home – Jim Brickman
08. Let’s Be Together Today – Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.
09. Please Don’t Think It’s Funny – Sandi Patty
10. It’s Such a Good Feeling – Kellie Pickler
11. When the Day Turns into Night – Lee Greenwood
12. Podemos ser Amigos? – Jon Secada
13. Thank You for Being You – Ensemble

Thank You, Mister Rogers: Music and Memories Album Art: