Rick Coonce

Erik Michael Coonce (August 1, 1946 – February 25, 2011), better known as Rick Coonce, was the drummer for The Grass Roots, a successful rock group that received heavy airplay on the radio from 1967 to 1972. Due to renewed interest in classic bands, The Grass Roots and Coonce's driving drum beats are popular even into the new millennium. He was born in Los Angeles, California on August 1, 1946, at The City Of Angels Hospital.

He attended a Catholic school for six years while his mother worked to support the family. His father played the fiddle and his mother sang. Rick developed a keen interest in music at an early age by observing his parents and his older brother's guitar lessons. Rick's mother insisted he should play the accordion despite his interest in guitar. While pursuing the accordion he noticed that girls had little interest in that particular instrument.