For a fake band, The Monkees were a huge success. Formed in 1965 as a TV-friendly pop group with the intent to release singles and offer a weekly comedy show, Brit Davy Jones joined Americans Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork and Mickey Dolenz as the fabricated pop group. The requirements were more about look, basic singing skills and personality – in fact none of the group played drums, which became an issue when they needed to perform live!
But the face of the Monkees during their 58-episode, 2-season TV run was Davy Jones – to the point that he ended up playing himself in a classic episode of The Brady Bunch in which Marcia over-promises her ability to deliver him to the school dance … and he later comes through for her!
Well, today we have learned that the singer and actor died at the age of 66 of a heart attack. According to CNN:
A witness told authorities he was with Jones in Indiantown, Florida, when Jones “began to complain of not feeling well and having trouble breathing,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Jones was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.
A Martin County law enforcement source with knowledge of the case said Jones apparently suffered a heart attack.
As a remembrance, let’s watch some memorable videos of Davy Jones and The Monkees:
Here is the Monkees classic ‘Daydream Believer’
Here are some fun Monkees screen tests:
What are YOUR favorite memories of Davy Jones and The Monkees?
They may have started out as a made-up band, but they were musicians. Yes, Nesmith was one of the more talented musically, but Peter Tork also plays multiple instruments and can sing (could? I know he’s been ill with cancer). Peter plays keyboards, bass guitar, banjo and harpsichord. To say he wasnt a musician… Peter may have played “the dummy” of the group, but he’s probably one of the more talented too. Davy and Mickey could both play drums, and they were fairly good singers…Davy especially.
I got to meet Davy Jones when I was 16 during the Monkee’s comeback of the mid-80’s. Me and my friends were being annoying teenagers, waiting in line to meet Davy. We peeked thru the curtains of the little stage he was on at the mall where he was signing copies of a book he’d written. We peeked one too many times. Davy turned around and said “Boo!!!” and then he very nicely asked us to stop peeking thru the curtains. We apologized and stopped, and stopped some other girls behind us from doing it too. When we got up to meet him, we told him sorry for peeking, and he told us he has some of the best fans in the world, and me and my friends all got a kiss on the cheek from him. Probably one of my best experiences with meeting a famous person. Saw him and Mickey and Peter in concert a day later. (think Nesmith had refused to go on tour with them that year…maybe?) I’m so glad that I got a chance to see them in concert, even if it was sans Mike. (Davy and Mike were my favorite Monkees)
Thanks for the correction – I updated the post to remove that reference.
I do remember from the 70’s and 80’s that immediately after The Monkees Nesmith dissociated himself from the group and any re-grouping efforts and used the success as a launch to his own success … he produced Repo Man, which I love, and composed a bunch of pop hits in the 70;s and 80’s.
And I love your story – thanks for sharing!
Thanks for editing that. They may have started out as a made up group, but it worked, and they made lots of great music and looked like they had a lot of fun doing it.
Mike Nesmith has always been one of my favorite singers. I’m pretty sure that when I started listening to country music in the 90s, it was because I was influenced by the sound that Nesmith made when he started doing solo stuff.