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Dennis Grillo Obituary
DENNIS GRILLO Dennis J. Grillo, 81, of Las Vegas, passed away Oct. 31, 2011. He grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., and graduated with high honors at Juliard School of Music. He later served in the U.S. Army. He was a jazz composer and arranger who worked with numerous bands. He was a singer for the Four Freshman Vocal Group and also played flugelhorn and trumpet in several well-known orchestras including Russ Morgan, Freddy Martin and Stan Kenton. He was one of the Four Freshman for years and finally became a professor in the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he retired. He is survived by his sons, Dante R. Grillo of Las Vegas (caretaker for his father), Sunny K. Grillo of San Francisco, and Mark Grillo of Baltimore; daughter, Dione C. Grillo of Albuquerque, N.M.
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Memories and Condolences
for Dennis Grillo
Keith
July 23, 2025
Dennis was a wonderful guy, helped to develop my composition and arranging skills in the world of big bands and jazz, hipped me to some great music, really encouraged me and was a champion of my writing skills at a time when I needed it. I just remembered his last name after all these years (actually couldn't remember it but googled "Stan Kenton" and "Dennis" and looked through a hundred web pages till I found him. Man I am sorry to see he has passed. He inspired me, he was super talented and a cool guy.
Jack Allenson
September 1, 2022
Lived across from Dennis in Warwick, Rhode Island. Loved all the late nights walking the neighborhood with cocktails in hand!
Guy Grillo
November 12, 2017
Dennis , i only met you a couple of times ,When you and Anne Marie came to visit my dad in Brooklyn. I wish i had the chance to know you.
Howard Burns
July 3, 2012
Condolences to the family and friends of this great Four Freshmen performer. It is so sad to keep losing the older Freshmen.
March 20, 2012
Thank-you Dennis. I learned so much from you in your vocal arranging class at Berklee.
Anne Marie Michael
March 16, 2012
Dear Grillo Family,
I was sorry to learn of Dennis' passing. I learned of this when Anne Marie Moss died on February 29,2012 by her Nephew Mark Dutton in Canada. I was wondering why I had not hear from him. Dante my Condolences. I met you when I came to visit your Father in Las Vegas July 2010. I'm glad you got a chance to reconnect with your Father.There is never enough time. He will be missed! RIP!
Anne Marie Michael
[email protected]
March 2, 2012
Dear Dad, you have been on my mind on a daily basis. I feel the warmth of your spirit around me. We are planning on having a memorial service for you later this month in LA, along with a tribute to Red Benson, who recently passed away too. Berklee published a beautiful tribute to you in their student magazine this month and Dione is working on compiling some of your music to donate to the school. I love and miss you so very much....and just wish I could turn the clock back. I am so grateful to have been able to reconnect with you the last few years of your life though....I just wished you hadn't been so ill. I'm glad you are no longer sufferering. I cherish all the memories I shared with you. You will always be in my heart. I especially want to thank you for accepting me as your son (as I know you always had in your heart anyway)...you never tripped over a pronoun! I love you Dad and am planning on putting together a nice tribute on this site as soon as I can, and will share some of your beautiful music, pictures and some footage from the home movies, for all to enjoy. I love you Dad always, your son - Sunny
Dave Gillie
November 11, 2011
My thoughts go out to the family. Very sorry to hear of his passing. What a great talent!
November 9, 2011
May your hearts soon be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life well lived.
ALEX POMAR
November 9, 2011
VERY SORRY TO HEAR OF DENNIS PASSING...A BIG HUG TO
DANTE AND DIONE.
Dave Wadsworth
November 9, 2011
Condolences from the Freshman family. Great player - great guy.
Dave Wadsworth
November 9, 2011
Condolences from the entire Four Freshmen family. I was stationed in Washington DC with the AF Band when the Freshmen came to town to do a concert with the Airmen of Note. The valves on his trumpet needed repair and an AF technician "tuned" it up. When I returned it to him, the first notes he played were "Off we go into the wild blue yonder" . He will be missed by his many fans.
Dave Wadsworth
Don Boland
November 9, 2011
Dear Grillo Family,
My sincere condolences. I am in Rhode Island and had the privlege of having coffee an' with your Dad on several occasions. Back in 2003 he honored me by attending a Four Freshmen concert that I put together. He asked if I would take him to the dressing room so he could meet the "guys" which I was happy to do. Always the perfect gentleman.
May he rest in peace.
Don Boland
[email protected]
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