Former child actor now a musician

Don Grady Don Grady opened his weekly set at the Fiamme restaurant in Thousand Oaks with "I'm Here," a song he wrote. Although the song introduces Grady's entertaining and lively act, it also reintroduces him to an audience of fellow baby boomers who grew up watching him in the role of Robbie Douglas on the classic '60s sitcom "My Three Sons."

A former Mousketeer, Grady virtually vanished from television when "Sons" went off the air in 1972. Since that time, however, he's enjoyed a highly successful career, acting on Broadway and working behind the scenes as a music director and composer for film and television programs.

His credits are too many to mention here, but highlights include writing the theme song for "The Phil Donahue Show," working as music director for Michael Crawford's long-running act at Las Vegas's MGM Grand Hotel and scoring a myriad of soundtracks for Disney's series of DVD movies.

So why is he starting all over again with a nightclub act at a local restaurant? "Music isn't speaking to us anymore," Grady told his audience of mostly fellow boomers. "Back in the '60s, music was everything to us. It defined us. It was in our DNA."

Unable to relate to today's music, Grady composed a number of highly personal songs that reflect his life and his experiences, both as a songwriter and a survivor of the 1960s. "I'm here to play you good music. I thought you could use it," he told his audience, which included his TV brother Stanley Livingston (who played Chip) and former actor Paul Petersen of "The Donna Reed Show."

Grady, an accomplished musician, plays keyboard in his sixpiece band, which he calls Boomer. His wife of 24 years, Ginny, sings backup and manages the act. Grady's songs are not for old fogeys. They show that he's been listening to all kinds of music through his decades as a professional musician. After the show, Grady mentioned a few favorites, such as the Beatles, the Byrds, soul jazz pianists Ahmad Jamal and Ramsey Lewis, and '70s jazz-rock act Steely Dan.

"I always liked composing," said Grady. "I've been in the studios for the last 20 years, but it's great coming out and playing my own songs for people."

Despite turning 65 this week, Grady looks at least 20 years younger. He still has a teenager's voice, a high-pitched baritone, but he performs with a seasoned, jazzy sensibility. At times, he sounds like Jim Croce or Jimmy Buffett, but in the end you hear Grady's own voice in all of his songs, which are all perfectly suited for today's listeners. This is no nostalgia act, although it's clear Grady yearns for a time that has long since passed.

In "Sandwiched," a calypsotinged song in 7/8 time, Grady sings of something many boomers are experiencing: raising a family while taking care of aging parents. "I'm a father and son; the one who's in between," he says. "Protoplasm Blues," which is featured on his recently released sixsong CD "Jazrokpop," deals wryly with the foibles of growing older. "Live it Up, Old Man" is an upbeat number that inspires people to celebrate life, no matter what their age. "Don't React," a humorous song about holding one's temper, reminds one of Dave Frishberg at his sardonic best.

At the end of his hourlong set, the appreciative audience's cheers overwhelmed those of Lakers fans watching the NBA Finals in the restaurant's bar area. Don Grady leanedover to kiss his mom, who sat with friends at a table in front of the bandstand. Robbie Douglas has grown up, but he hasn't forgotten where he came from.

Don Grady performs Thursday evenings at Fiamme at 3731 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. His website is dongrady.com.