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Actor Known for Role on Classic 1960s Sitcom Dies

Jun 28, 2012  •  Post A Comment

An actor who became a teen idol in the 1960s through his role on a hit sitcom has died, the Associated Press reports. Don Grady, who played big brother Robbie Douglas on "My Three Sons," was 68.

Barry Livingston, who played the youngest brother Ernie on the show, said Grady suffered from cancer and had been receiving hospice care, although the exact cause of his death wasn’t immediately clear, the story notes.

Grady started out in television on "The Mickey Mouse Club" when he was 13, but was better known for his role on "My Three Sons," which ran on ABC from 1960-1965 and then on CBS from 1965-1972.

Grady actually first played the middle brother, with Tim Considine playing the older brother, but when Considine left, Grady’s character became the cool eldest brother and Livingston became the family’s adopted "third" son, the story notes. Livingston is the real-life brother of Stanley Livingston, who played Chip.

While Grady continued with some TV appearances in the 1970s and 1980s, he focused more on music and composing, writing the theme for "The Phil Donahue Show" and music for the movie "Switch," the piece adds.

"The one real through-line in his life was music," Barry Livingston said. "I would think Don would love to be remembered for his great music as much as a teen idol and television icon."

Grady’s death Wednesday came just one day after the death of Doris Singleton, an actress who made numerous appearances on "My Three Sons."

don-grady.jpgDon Grady as Robbie on "My Three Sons"

Here’s a CBS promotional clip for “My Three Sons” from the 1960s:

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