Erik Michael Coonce (August 1, 1946 – February 25, 2011), better known as Rick Coonce, was the drummer for American rock band The Grass Roots from 1966 to 1972. Early life Coonce 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. Coonce developed an interest in music at an early age by observing his parents and his older brother's guitar lessons, though his mother insisted he learn the accordion. He attended high school in Simi Valley and played in local bands in between working at a Sunkist Growers packing house. Career At age twelve, Coonce switched from guitar to drums, and he was given a used drum kit by his mother. He then gave lessons at sixteen at a music store, whose owner provided him a new drum set in exchange for monthly payments. He joined a Mexican-American group called The Beethovens, with Freddie Trujillo on lead guitar, John Sepulvada on bass, Mike Vasquez on sax and Ruben Arvizo on rhythm guitar. The band was affectionately called "four beans and a tortilla". They covered several Beatles songs, with an emphasis on achieving the harmonies of Lennon and McCartney. Coonce was strongly influenced by Mexican folk music and rock legend Ritchie Valens, with whom Coonce's older brother had been a high school classmate. 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. 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. P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri heard the demos and liked them. The 13th Floor were on their