Farewell Davy Jones

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the passing of Davy Jones, lead singer of the MONKEES. Davy was 66 and died yesterday after a heart attack. Many of my friends happen to be huge MONKEES fans and the band is a part of rock n' roll history.

Davy was the star of what was probably the first-ever pop group created just for a television series. Davy was cute, he was British and he could sing. Basically that's a winning combination in any day and age but especially so in the 1960s.

I love the Brady Bunch episode that features Davy Jones. All Marcia Brady wanted was for Davy to perform at her high school prom! As president of the Fillmore Junior High Davy Jones Fan Club, Marcia really did have reason to brag, right? When Marcia couldn't get a hold of Davy (and really, it is hard to reach a famous musician just randomly on a Tuesday after school), she busts into a recording studio, pleads her case to Davy's manager... and gets no where. By the end of the episode, Davy has showed up on Marcia's doorstep to save the day and cemented the episode as just about the single most popular in the entire Brady Bunch series.

Davy Jones wasn't even old when he died yesterday. He didn't feel well, ended up having a heart attack and basically that was that. He had tour dates planned in the coming months and the MONKEES continued to tour off and on over the years. Relive the joy of "Girl," as performed by Davy Jones on the Brady Bunch.

Comments

[Roy]

Very sad indeed. I remember watching the shows on TV when I was a kid..

[Metalboy!]

RIP, Davey.

Wanna see Rock'n'Roll?

Watch the opening montage of their original TV Show. True, it's a spoof off The Beatles' movie, "Help", but here's a case where a knock-off band was almost as good as the original.

There was. Time when The Monkees, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Herman's Hermits, Paul Revere & The Raiders and more all fought nearly equally over the airwaves.

I think the second LP my mother ever bought me was The Monkees eponymous first album (The first: "Meet The Beatles") and my friends and I would ape that title sequence of the show playing "Monkees Theme" over and over (after all, there was no video or DVD action back then.

Now there will never be the chance for a reunion, even tho it never seemed possible with Michael Nesmith vowing to never fully reform the band. Still, Davey and Mickey Dolenz, the voices of the band continued to tour the world right up until Davey's untimely passing.

God Bless and Godspeed, Davey.

Your Rock and Roll will live forever.

[Ace Steele]

Anyone who grew up during the 60's & 70's couldn't help but be exposed or influenced by Davy Jones & the Monkees.

As it's been said, the "Pre-Fab Four" were created as an answer to the Beatles, & in the end were almost just as good. They made incredibly good records, (Thank you, Don Kirshner) and were an incredibly popular live act. Consider this, do you know WHO was the opening act on the only American tour the Monkees did? The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Rest In Peace, Davy. You've taken the Last Train to Clarksville, & there will be no cheering up Sleep Jean today.
You will be missed. =(

[lajustice77]

I also love the version of Girl in The Brady Bunch movie. RIP to Davy, talented singer indeed.

[Bob]

agreed, this is really sad. As others have mentioned, although the Monkees were put together to be a TV pop act, they did make very good records. don't forget their brief resurgence in the 80s when MTV aired the TV show. Actually, you can still see the TV show if you have the channel Antenna TV. They show the Monkees on saturday and Sunday afternoons. Still a fun show to watch.

[Jimbo]

Do sad indeed. I had the pleasure of meeting him im 1988 at WBCN in Boston. I was in a band with a guy who produced an afternoon show snd he invited me over..What I remember is what a CLASS ACT he was on and off the air. He asked me questions about the band,where we played,ect..He was genuine and real.I never forgot how nice and down to earth he was..RIP David Jones..you will be missed my many

[Metalboy!]

Ace! Whoa! That's right! Hendrix opened for The Monkees! That must have blown the synapses of many a preteen girl that went to see a date on that tour!

Love the term, "The Pre-Fab Four". What no one was counting on was the exemplary songwriting team of Boyce & Hart, performing artists in their own right, who penned all The Monkees' enormous hits!

Check out how awesome Boyce & Hart are. Just YouTube "Boyce & Hart, 'Wonder What She's Doin' Tonight?'"

What a time and what a loss. Godlovya! If there's a Rock'n'Roll Heaven, I'm sure you are up there, Davey!

[scott whitt]

It's amazing how that show gets re-discovered every decade. The movie the made "Head" was so bizarre. I read somewhere that the reason the called the movie Head, was so when they made a sequel they could say "from the group that gave you Head".
Also remember hearing that Stephen Stills auditioned for one of the roles.

[Ace Steele]

Metalboy!, You know your stuff.

I saw the post breakup Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart play @ Disneyland many times in the 70's! Stephen Stills DID audition for the Monkees, Mike Nesmith's mother invest the office standard, "White-Out" correction fluid, and there's many other amazing facts about these guys... And, they used to hang out & jam w/ Frank Zappa, who had the highest standards for musicianship. Davy deserves much more attention than he's getting. He was certainly more important & iconic than say, Whitney Houston.

[Ace Steele]

invest=invented. Damned auto-correction!

[Metalboy!]

I'd have to agree with all you said, Ace, and forgot all about White-Out!

[Ace Steele]

HEy, anyone that has the "ANTENNA" cable tv channel, they're having a MONKEES marathon this weekend, in honor of Davy.
Showing nothing but Monkees tv episodes.