Don Grady, one of 'My Three Sons,' dies

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Don Grady, who was one of television's most beloved big brothers as Robbie Douglas on the long-running 1960s hit "My Three Sons," died Wednesday. He was 68.

His "My Three Sons" co-star Barry Livingston, who played youngest brother Ernie, confirmed Grady's death. Livingston said Grady had cancer and was receiving hospice care at his home in Thousand Oaks, Calif. But the cause and place of death were not immediately clear.

Born in San Diego as Don Louis Agrati, Grady had a brief stint singing and dancing on "The Mickey Mouse Club" starting at age 13.

But he was best known as one of Fred MacMurray's "My Three Sons" on the series that ran on ABC and later CBS from 1960 to 1972.

The popular show, which featured MacMurray as a widowed aeronautical engineer struggling to raise three older boys, was among the longest-running family sitcoms of all time with 380 episodes.

In the show's earlier years, Grady was actually the middle brother, with Tim Considine playing the oldest, Mike, and Stanley Livingston playing the youngest, Chip. When Considine departed, Barry Livingston became the adopted "third" son, and Grady became the cool, handsome and assured eldest brother.

A musical prodigy, Grady appeared with a band, the Greefs, in the series, and in real life played drums for The Yellow Balloon, which had a minor hit with a self-titled song in 1967.

After the series, he worked primarily as a musician and composer, writing the theme for "The Phil Donahue Show" and music for the Blake Edwards film "Switch."