Incredibly sad news has hit the classic rock community today. Monkees member Davy Jones has died of a heart attack at 66. Ironically the Monkees were created in 1966. The Monkees were fabricated for TV band that helped define a budding musical genre and a generation.
At the time of the group’s formation, its producers saw The Monkees as a Beatles-like band. The producers of the show cast Davy Jones as the show’s Paul McCartney or “the cute one”. The made for TV band eventually morphed into a real band and toured with the fresh from England – Jimi Hendrix Experience. The naive and young Monkee’s teeny bopper fans were not ready for The Jimi Hendrix Experience. In many cities The Jimi Hendrix Experience was booed off the stage.
Davy Jones had many early influences on music and television. Star Trek’s creator Gene Roddenberry, wrote the role of Ensign Pavel Chekov played by Walter Koenig to mimic Davey Jones and bring in younger viewers. English pop singer David Jones was forced to change his name to David Bowie after the emergence of Davey Jones and The Monkees.
While most will remember Davy Jones and The Monkees for hits like – “Last Train to Clarksville” and “ Pleasant Valley Sunday” and “Daydream Believer”. Today I will be rocking out to “Valarie”, “She” and “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone”. Rest in peace Davey Jones you will be missed. I am sure this is a rough day for surviving Monkees Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith.
