Marlow and Frances Cowan, the Iowa couple whose piano duet in the atrium of Mayo Clinic’s Gonda building has been viewed more than 2 million times since April 7, were featured this morning, May 26, on Good Morning America, live from ABC’s Times Square studio in New York.
I had an opportunity to interview Mr. and Mrs. Cowan last week in their Ankeny, IA home. They shared the story of their trip to Mayo Clinic and how their impromptu concert made its way to worldwide fame, as well as the philosophy of life that shows in their YouTube performance:
Mr. Cowan was 89 last September when the original video was shot; he turned 90 in February, which officially makes him a “nonagenarian idol.”
See the original post that includes their piano duet here, and click here to see the story of Sharon Turner, the Mayo Clinic patient who shot that video, as told by her daughter Jodi Hume, who uploaded the video to YouTube.
See also Mayo Clinic’s YouTube channel, Facebook “fan” page and Twitter account.
Update: See the Cowans’ Good Morning America appearance on the ABC Web site.
Tags: Atrium, Frances Cowan, Gonda, Marlow Cowan, Mayo Clinic, music, Older couple, Piano
October 15, 2009 at 6:06 pm |
AMAZINGLY DELIGHTFUL. MY MOTHER PLAYS PIANO AT 91. I WAS A PROFESSIONAL SINGER FOR 20 YRS. WOULD LOVE TO SING FOR RE-TIREMENT HOMES AND HOSPITALS. THE COUPLE ARE DELIGHTFUL.
IT BEATS RAP ALL TO PIECES!
June 22, 2009 at 8:04 pm |
My kids and I enjoyed your wonderful music. I loved how you shared in your interview our purpose: to praise the Lord. That really blessed me.
As a Christian musician and piano teacher, I especially appreciated your joyful playing. Thanks for sharing your gifts. May our Lord continue to bless you with good health!
June 3, 2009 at 10:13 am |
[...] There are now agressive social media efforts throughout American health-care systems. Mayo’s work, though, is among the most successful. It maintains its own set of blogs, Twitter accounts, a YouTube channel and the like. But it also promotes the patient-generated media it can’t control — like this video of an old couple playing the piano. The so-called Octogenarian Idols (and, through them, Mayo) later appeared on Good Morning America. [...]
June 1, 2009 at 9:12 am |
[...] Idols” on his second to last show. (See the YouTube video that made them famous below.) The golden piano duo from Ankeny was featured in the Register May 10, on Good Morning America May 26 and on MSN on May [...]
June 1, 2009 at 6:39 am |
[...] 5) Bridged Online With Offline. Lee also knows media relations and there’s no better way to spread the word about a good story than by letting as many people as possible know about it. The Des Register Star recently ran a story about the Cowans and bloggers (count me in) have run with sharing the video as well. UPDATE: The Cowans were also featured on Good Morning America! [...]
May 31, 2009 at 10:26 pm |
[...] you have to watch the interview that Lee does of them in their home. It’s too cute listening to 80 yr old’s talk about [...]
May 31, 2009 at 4:28 pm |
[...] 5/25/09: See this post for an interview with Mr. and Mrs. Cowan at their Ankeny, Iowa [...]
May 27, 2009 at 7:04 am |
What a wonderful talent God has given you both. Wish you were there 59 years ago when I was a patient!!Carry on the good work.
May 27, 2009 at 5:45 am |
Bless you for using your God given talents. Keep on making that wonderful joyful noise.