RIP: Rob Grill 1943 - 2011

Grass Roots lead singer dies after suffering strokes

Rob Grill, lead singer, songwriter and bass player of the '60s rock group the Grass Roots passed away Monday morning, his wife Nancy said in a statement. He was 67.

According to a story by Steve Marinucci, at Examiner.com,  Grill was hospitalized earlier this month after suffering a fall in his home. He later had two strokes while in the hospital.

In her statement, Nancy Grill wrote, "My dear husband Robert Frank Grill, 67, of Mt Dora, FL passed away peacefully in my arms at 11:37 a.m. (EST), while listening to one of his favorite songs…”Let’s Live for Today.”



He loved his fans and he loved The Grass Roots! Thank you for all of your prayers, love and support during this time."

She said that among those who had been in contact with her recently were Mark Volman of the Turtles and Gary Puckett of the Union Gap.

The idea for the Grass Roots was originally conceived by songwriters Steve Barri and P.F. Sloan. The duo was asked by Lou Adler, head of Dunhill Records, to gather songs for the record label going into 1965. They wrote "Where Were You When I Needed You" and recorded it as a demo. When the record started to get attention, they began a search for a band to become the Grass Roots. After an audition at the Whisky-A-Go-Go in San Francisco, a group named the Bedouins were selected to take the Grass Roots name.

Grill came into the picture in 1967 as a replacement for bass player Kenny Fukomoto. One of two songs offered by Dunhill Records to the group at that time was "Let's Live For Today," which Grill recorded with the band.

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Grill was a native of Hollywood, California where he attended Hollywood High School. Soon after graduation, he began working at American Recording Studios with musician friends Cory Wells and John Kay (who later formed Three Dog Night & Steppenwolf).

Rob and The Grass Roots teamed up with mega-hit producer Steve Barri (The Mamas & the Papas, Tommy Roe, Four Tops and Dusty Springfield) and went on to chart twenty nine singles, thirteen of which went gold, followed by two gold albums and two platinum albums. Starting in the new millennium, he released two live albums and one with a symphonic quartet. At the time of his death he was still making  appearances with The Grass Roots and handling all ownership activities.