Rick Coonce
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Rick Coonce | |
---|---|
Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
Died | February 25, 2011 Canada | (aged 64)
Genres | Folk, rock, country, pop |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument(s) | Drums, fiddle, percussion |
Years active | 1966–2011 |
Formerly of | The Grass Roots |
Erik Michael Coonce (August 1, 1946 – February 25, 2011) was the drummer for American rock band The Grass Roots from 1966 to 1972.
Early life
Coonce was born in
Career
At age twelve, Coonce switched from guitar to drums, and he was given a used drum kit by his mother.
In 1966, The Beethovens played at a Battle of the Bands in Hollywood and took second place. A future bandmate, Rob Grill was a singer in one of the other competing bands that night. They actually did better than The Beethovens but were disqualified because one of their band members was a professional musician, so Coonce's group moved up in rank.[6]
Creed Bratton and Warren Entner were in the audience that night and saw Coonce play. They called him later and asked him to join their band, The 13th Floor. Kenny Fukomoto played bass and sang in the group. Through Coonce's relationship with music store owner Herb Wall, the struggling new group was allowed access to the store's equipment. The 13th Floor played wherever they could. Eventually they put together a demo tape and sent it to Dunhill Records.[7]
In 1967, the group changed their name to The Grass Roots to take advantage of prior name recognition and recorded "Let's Live For Today". The iconic song peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Capturing the mood of the era, "Let's Live For Today" kicked the group into stardom.[9]
With the help of producers like
Coonce left the band in 1972 and moved to Vancouver, Canada, where he played in many local groups and recorded music in his home studio.[11]
Coonce died of heart failure on February 25, 2011.[12]
Discography
Singles
Release date | Title | Flip side | Record label | Chart positions | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Billboard | US Cashbox | UK | |||||
1967 | Let's Live for Today | Depressed Feeling | Dunhill | 8 | 5 | ||
Things I Should Have Said | Tip Of My Tongue | Dunhill | 23 | 36 | |||
Wake Up, Wake Up | No Exit | Dunhill | 68 | 61 | |||
1968 | Melody For You | Hey Friend | Dunhill | 123 | |||
Feelings | Here's Where You Belong | Dunhill | |||||
Midnight Confessions++ | Who Will You Be Tomorrow | Dunhill | 5 | 5 | |||
1969 | Bella Linda+++ | Hot Bright Lights | Dunhill | 28 | 20 | ||
Melody For You | All Good Things Come To An End | Dunhill | |||||
Lovin' Things | You And Love Are The Same | Dunhill | 49 | 35 | |||
River Is Wide, The | (You Gotta) Live For Love | Dunhill | 31 | 16 | |||
I'd Wait a Million Years | Fly Me To Havana | Dunhill | 15 | 12 | |||
Heaven Knows | Don't Remind Me | Dunhill | 24 | 13 | |||
1970 | Walking Through The Country | Truck Drivin' Man | Dunhill | 44 | 30 | ||
Baby Hold On | Get It Together | Dunhill | 35 | 25 | |||
Come On And Say It | Something's Comin' Over Me | Dunhill | 61 | 39 | |||
Temptation Eyes | Keepin' Me Down | Dunhill | 15 | 16 | |||
1971 | Sooner Or Later | I Can Turn Off The Rain | Dunhill | 9 | 12 | ||
Two Divided By Love | Let It Go | Dunhill | 16 | 8 |
++- Gold Record –
+++ – Composed by Italian superstar Lucio Battisti
Albums
Release date | Title | Record label | Chart positions | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Billboard | US Cashbox | UK | ||||
1967 | Let's Live for Today | Dunhill | 75 | |||
1968 | Feelings | Dunhill | ||||
Golden Grass ++
|
Dunhill | 25 | ||||
1969 | Lovin' Things | Dunhill | 73 | |||
Leaving It All Behind | Dunhill | 36 | ||||
1970 | More Golden Grass | Dunhill | 152 | |||
1971 | Their 16 Greatest Hits ++ | Dunhill | 58 | |||
2000 | Lackadaisical Day | RC |
++- Gold Record –
References
- ^ The Grass Roots Official Site(retrieved December 1, 2016)
- ^ The Grass Roots Official Site(retrieved December 1, 2016)
- ^ The Grass Roots Official Site(retrieved December 1, 2016)
- ^ The Grass Roots Official Site (retrieved December 1, 2016)
- ^ The Grass Roots Official Site (retrieved December 1, 2016)
- ^ The Grass Roots Official Site (retrieved December 1, 2016)
- ^ The Grass Roots Official Site (retrieved December 1, 2016)
- ^ The Grass Roots Official Site (retrieved December 1, 2016)
- ^ The Grass Roots Official Site (retrieved December 1, 2016)
- ^ The Grass Roots Official Site (retrieved December 1, 2016)
- ^ The Grass Roots Official Site (retrieved December 1, 2016)
- ^ Cashbox Magazine, March 19, 2011 (retrieved July 12, 2011)