High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! 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.