Robert Ernest Hite (February 26, 1943 – April 5, 1981) was the co-lead vocalist of the American blues and rock band Canned Heat, from 1965 to his death in 1981.

[citation needed] Canned Heat appeared on a November 1969 episode of Playboy After Dark.

[2] On April 5, 1981, during a break between sets at The Palomino Club in North Hollywood, Hite was handed a vial of heroin by a fan.

He snorted it and fell into a coma, after which others unsuccessfully attempted to revive him with a large dose of cocaine.

A group of roadies put Hite in a van and drove him to bandmate Fito de la Parra's home, where he died.