The History of The Monkees (Part 2)

Image Source: Rolling Stone

Continued from part 1

After The Monkees 

During the 1970s, each Monkee struck out on their own. Davy Jones returned to a solo career and signed with Bell Records in 1971. He most famously appeared on an episode of The Brady Bunch, titled “Getting Davy Jones,” where he performed his best-remembered solo hit, “Girl.” Micky Dolenz also pursued a solo career, but it yielded no chart success. Dolenz found some success in acting, however, lending his voice to a variety of Hanna-Barbera cartoons, and he was up for the part of The Fonz in Happy Days. Peter Tork, meanwhile, did not have much success after he left The Monkees, having to sell his house in 1970 and take up teaching at Pacific Hills School.

Michael Nesmith perhaps had the most successful post-Monkees career. He formed The First National Band in 1970, and the group is considered a pioneer of country-rock music. They released three albums to moderate commercial success.

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In 1974, he formed his multimedia company, Pacific Arts, and he became more heavily involved in producing. He did, however, have a moderate worldwide hit with his song “Rio.” The song's video clip led him to become a pioneer of the music video and spurred the creation of the show Pop Clips for Nickelodeon in 1980. The show would later be developed into the MTV channel. Each of the four Monkees had moved on, but the beginnings of a reunion were already stirring. 

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The Guys Who Wrote ‘Em and The Guys Who Sang ‘Em!

While its run officially ended in 1968, The Monkees television show was still very successful in syndication, leading to a demand for some sort of Monkees reunion. An offer was brought up to the group, but only two agreed: Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones. 

Two Monkees did not make a reunion, however, so rounding it out was the songwriting team of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart to form some sort of supergroup. The four of them met with travel agent-turned-tour producer Christian deWalden, and they agreed to the offer. 

The group, called Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart, was joined by Paul Revere and the Raiders bassist Keith Allison, who also acted as the bandleader for the backing band. They were billed as "The Great Golden Hits of The Monkees – The Guys Who Wrote ‘Em and the Guys Who Sang ‘Em.” They performed at a variety of smaller venues, ranging from amusement parks, high school gymnasiums, colleges, clubs, and ballrooms. The group released one self-titled album. During the last performance of their second US tour, Peter Tork joined them onstage for a few songs. 

The group embarked on a tour of Southeast Asia, with them notably being the first rock group allowed to play in Singapore before returning to the States for a five-day residency at the same Six Flags Park where they kicked everything off. Afterward, they quietly disbanded, with Dolenz and Jones returning to performing as a duo six months later. However, the year would end with a slightly more substantial Monkees reunion, with Dolenz, Jones, and Tork reuniting to record “Christmas is my Time of Year.” 

In 1977, Dolenz and Jones participated in Harry Nilsson's musical, The Point. Though it was an enjoyable experience, Jones and Dolenz had a massive falling out. Tensions boiled over to such a point that Micky and Davy actually came to blows. The Point ended after 12 weeks, but after that, Dolenz canceled all of his engagements with Jones. After this, reunion efforts were largely dormant for nine years, but something big was coming. 

Image Source: Parade

Monkeemania all over again

Come the 1980s, each of The Monkees was largely doing their own thing. Micky Dolenz had settled in as a writer, director, and producer for television in England (even helping on Mexmith's projects occasionally), Davy Jones was still performing as a solo artist, Michael Nesmith was largely focusing on multimedia efforts, and Peter Tork was essentially all over the place, including a tour with Jones in 1985. However, The Monkees television show was enjoying massive success in reruns, particularly on the relatively new cable networks MTV and Nickelodeon. MTV in particular had a marathon of the series on February 23rd, 1986, titled “Pleasant Valley Sunday.” This, in addition to Nickelodeon's daily rerunning of the series, created a new generation of Monkeemania.

Peter Tork and Davy Jones were approached about mounting a Monkees reunion tour to celebrate the show's 20th anniversary. Tork called Micky Dolenz about the offer. Dolenz was initially reluctant, having settled in with his family in the English countryside. However, as the offer got higher, and the prospect of showing his three little girls the United States “from the window of a Rock & Roll tour bus” became more and more enticing, Dolenz agreed to join Tork and Jones on tour. 

Nesmith was unfortunately unable to join them for the tour, citing obligations with his multimedia company, so in May 1986, the trio of Dolenz, Jones, and Tork announced their “20th Anniversary Tour.” The tour began in North America the following month, and its success prompted additional dates in North America, Australia, and Europe, with the tour concluding in 1989. 

Around this same time, The Monkees began releasing new material, beginning with the 1985 single “That Was Then, This Is Now.” It was a surprise hit for the group, reaching number 20 on the Billboard Top 100 (the group's first top 20 hit since “D.W. Washburn” in 1968). The recording of these songs, however, marked another tense moment, as though Dolenz and Tork appeared on the tracks, Davy did not due to issues with the contract Artista offered them. When the group performed the two new songs on tour, Jones walked off stage. Tensions were also still high between Micky and Davy, with the latter even employing a bodyguard and constantly insulting Dolenz. 

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Jones did, however, record on the group's first new album since 1971's Changes, called Pool It!, which was released in August 1987. Like with the group's earlier work, it largely relied on session musicians and outside songwriters. However, Tork and Jones each contributed a composition of their own, “Gettin’ In” and “(I'll) Love You Forever,” respectively, with Tork playing guitar on his track. Unfortunately, the album wasn't a big commercial or critical success. 

Though Nesmith was largely absent from the reunion efforts, he did make an appearance at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, California, on September 7th, 1986, joining them for his composition, “Listen to the Band,” and the iconic “Pleasant Valley Sunday.”  He also appeared as a surprise cameo as Santa Claus in the video for their Christmas medley for MTV that same year. 

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 Eventually, the tension between the three of them became a bit too much. The four of them, however, did appear together on July 10th, 1989, for the presentation of the group's star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame, and they also did an extended set together at the Universal Amphitheater. Though the group planned to continue past the tour, plans didn't materialize, and the Monkees once again remained dormant, but it wouldn't be too long before they would come walking down the street once more.

Justus and the 30th Anniversary Tour 

As the 90s began, all four Monkees were doing their own thing once again. Micky, Davy, and Peter were active as actors during this time, with the three of them even reuniting on Boy Meets World and The Brady Bunch Movie. Micky Dolenz also continued his voice-over work, voicing Arthur in season one of The Tick, and Min and Max in Batman: The Animated Series. All four Monkees released albums during this period, with Dolenz and Tork making their full solo debuts. 

However, Nesmith would spend most of the decade embroiled in legal battles with none other than PBS regarding Pacific Arts’ deal to distribute their catalog on home video. The coinciding lawsuit would last until the end of the decade, but there was Monkee business in the meantime. 

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As the mid-90s approached, The Monkees were preparing for their 30th anniversary. This time, Michael Nesmith was on board, and the ensuing album would only feature compositions and musical backing from the four Monkees with no outside help at all, making it the first and last time that a Monkees album would feature just the four of them with no session musicians. The album, titled Justus, was released on October 15th, 1996, almost exactly 30 years after their first album. 

Around this same time, the trio of Dolenz, Jones, and Tork once again reunited for a 30th anniversary tour. Nesmith joined them onstage for a performance at the Billboard Awards to promote the songs from the new album. He returned fully for a tour of the United Kingdom in 1997. In February of that same year, a television special written and directed by Michael Nesmith aired on ABC, titled Hey, Hey, It's the Monkees. It would be the last time all four of them appeared together in a new television show. It was a send-off/parody of the original show's formula, taking place in a universe where the show essentially never went off the air. 

Nesmith would leave the tour unexpectedly before they returned to the States. The UK press was not kind toward Michael Nesmith and his slightly declining musicianship at the time. Davy Jones, however, was the most outspoken regarding Nesmith's departure. Nesmith suddenly leaving the tour angered Jones. During this time, it was also rumored that he was writing the script for their next movie, which was “bloody news” to Jones. 

 “He's always been this aloof, inaccessible person... the fourth part of the jigsaw puzzle that never quite fit in,” Jones told the press. 

The US leg of the tour continued with the trio of Dolenz, Jones, and Tork, but it wasn't as successful due to Nesmith's sudden departure. The 1998 tour of Australia and New Zealand was canceled due to this. A new film was discussed, but only Mike, Peter, and Micky agreed to it, with Davy wanting to strike it out on his own. 

Davy Jones continued touring in the oldies circuit. Dolenz and Tork continued acting during this period, with Dolenz appearing in the 1999 movie Invisible Mom II as Bernard and voicing Ralph and Scribble in the FOX Kids cartoon, The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs, and Tork appearing on The WB family-drama 7th Heaven and The King of Queens. Tork also toured the LA club scene with his new band, Shoe Suede Blues. 

Michael Nesmith ended the decade rather quietly, with his biggest achievement during this time being winning his case against PBS. He was awarded $48.875 million in compensatory and punitive damages. 

On the topic of the case, Nesmith said, “It's like finding your grandmother stealing your stereo. You're happy to get your stereo back, but it's sad to find out your grandmother is a thief." 

Though The Monkees ended the decade separated, the new millennium would bring them back together once more. 

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Dolenz, Jones, and Tork Tours in the early 2000s and 2011

Dolenz, Jones, and Tork reunited in 2001 to tour the United States. Things started relatively smoothly, but the trio was abruptly reduced to just Micky and Davy after Tork was “fired” following “backstage problems” related to drinking, according to Tork. Tork was a recovering alcoholic, and though he didn't mind people drinking, he didn't like when they got “mean.”

"I went on the anniversary tour with the agreement that I didn't have to put up with drinking and difficult behavior offstage.” Tork stated, “When things weren't getting better, I gave the guys notice that I was leaving in 30 days for good."

Micky and Davy completed the remainder of the tour, but the group split soon after for a long nine-year period, even refusing to mark their 40th anniversary in 2006, with each of them citing various issues and reasons regarding why. Jones had stated that a reunion would most likely never happen again, but that soon changed in the following decade. 

Image Source: Orange County Register

In October, 2010, Davy Jones hinted at the possibility of the group (minus Nesmith) reuniting for a tour the following year. The tour, titled An Evening with The Monkees: The 45th Anniversary Tour and also called Here They Come!: 45th Anniversary Tour, was announced in February, 2011, with the first date being May 12, 2011, at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, UK. Nine more dates were announced for the rest of the United Kingdom, and it soon expanded to the United States. The tour was a surprise, considering Peter Tork's dismissal at the end of their last tour. Tork cleared the air regarding the drama, saying that he had a meltdown and that alcohol only played a small role in his departure, taking “full responsibility” for the tour's backstage issues.

“We were getting along pretty well until I had a meltdown.” Peter explained, “I ticked the other guys off good and proper... I really just behaved inappropriately, honestly. I apologized to them.”

It was a multimedia extravaganza featuring not only the group's hits but deep cuts as well, including songs never performed live such as “Saturday's Child.” The tour was rather well received and was intended to last into the Fall. However, The Monkees ended the tour in July of that year. This wasn't due to any internal group politics. According to Jones, the tour was “the best time we've had because we're all on the same page now. We gelled onstage and off.” 

The tour was initially only planned for July, in fact, and the addition of more dates led to fatigue setting in. Though they enjoyed the tour, it was becoming much too big for them to handle. The travel and duration of the shows were taking their toll on the aging musicians. 

 “The audiences were great. But, let's face it, we're not kids.” Jones said.

Unfortunately, this tour would end up being Jones’ last. 

Image Source: Getty Images

The Death of Davy Jones

On the morning of February 29th, 2012, Davy Jones passed away suddenly from a heart attack at 66 years old. The music world was shocked. Tributes poured in, particularly from his bandmates. Michael Nesmith, who Jones called “the fourth part of the jigsaw puzzle that never quite fit in,” gave the British singer a glowing eulogy in Rolling Stone magazine, saying:

“David’s spirit and soul live well in my heart, among all the lovely people, who remember with me the good times, and the healing times, that were created for so many, including us.

I have fond memories. I wish him safe travels.” 

In a March 8th, 2012 interview for that same magazine, Nesmith reflected that, “David was The Monkees,” continuing, “They were his band. We were his side men. He was the focal point of the romance, the lovely boy, innocent and approachable. Micky was his Bob Hope. In those two – like Hope and Crosby – was the heartbeat of the show.”

Micky Dolenz, the other part of “the heartbeat of the show,” claimed he had a feeling something bad was going to happen to Jones, saying “Can't believe it ... Still in shock ... had bad dreams all night long.”

"He was the brother I never had and this leaves a gigantic hole in my heart,” Dolenz said. 

Tork posted an eloquent tribute to Davy Jones, saying, “It is with great sadness that I reflect on the sudden passing of my long-time friend and fellow-adventurer, David Jones.”

"His talent will be much missed.” He continued, “His gifts will be with us always."

Monkees co-creator Bob Rafelson also paid tribute to Jones in a statement, saying the singer “deserves a lot of credit.” 

“He may not have lived as long as we wanted him to, but he survived about seven lifetimes, including being perhaps the biggest rock star of his time.” Rafelson said. 

The three surviving Monkees did not attend Jones’ funeral, not wanting to draw attention to what was supposed to be a private affair, and instead attended memorial services in New York and organized their own private memorial in Los Angeles, California, with the singer's family and close friends. A public memorial service for Davy Jones was held in Beaverton, Pennsylvania, his hometown for the last 26 years of his life, on March 10th, 2012. Jones’ death seemed to signify the end of The Monkees, but the other three surviving members were not about to let the fire of Monkeemania burn out. 

Image Source: Los Angeles Times

Nesmith's Return to Touring

Truthfully, a Davy-less tour was being considered before he passed, as the singer had thought about going on his own regardless. However, in light of his passing, care was taken to honor Jones’ memory. The tour was officially announced on August 8th, 2012. It marked the first time since 1997 that Michael Nesmith would perform with the group. Jones’ memory was honored with them playing a recording of “I Wanna Be Free” while footage of him was screened behind the band. The band discussed who would sing Davy Jones’ iconic “Daydream Believer,” and decided to have the fans sing it. 

"It doesn't belong to us anymore.” Dolenz said, “It belongs to you.”

The tour was a huge success, and it led to a 24-date summer tour for 2013, dubbed A Midsummer's Night with the Monkees. A third tour with Nesmith was scheduled for 2014. This period marked the most consistent era for the group since the 80s, with them touring pretty much every year. However, this was only the beginning of what would be one final wave of Monkeemania. 

Image Source: Geeks Under Grace

There's a good time comin’ on…

2016 marked the group's 50th anniversary. A tour to celebrate the occasion was essentially a given at this point, but another project was being developed, one that the group had not undertaken in 20 years: a new album. The album, titled Good Times!, was announced in February of that year. The plan was initially to use unreleased material by the group's previous songwriters. However, contemporary songwriters such as Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne (who also produced the album), Noel Gallagher of Oasis, Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, Paul Weller of The Jam, Andy Partridge of XTC, and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie also contributed. In addition, each of the surviving Monkees wrote or co-wrote at least one song on the album, and they all participated instrumentally as well. The resulting sound was a mix of old and new, with the new being distinctively 60s rather than chasing any modern trends of the time. Davy Jones was featured on the album through an unreleased song dating back to 1967 called “Love to Love.” 

Good Times! was released on May 27th, 2016, and it was a critical and commercial success. In fact, it was the group's highest-charting album since 1968's The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees, peaking at number 14 on the Billboard 200. Naturally, they toured to support the album, but Nesmith was absent for most of it, citing other professional obligations. He did, however, appear virtually via Skype for “Papa Gene's Blues” at one concert and appeared in person for a four-song encore at another. He replaced Peter Tork at two performances while Tork tended to a family emergency, performing with the group again when Tork rejoined on September 16th. The 50th Anniversary tour concluded in December of that year. However, it would end up being Tork's last tour with the group

After a hiatus in 2017, Micky and Mike began touring as a duo. They were billed as The Monkees Present: The Mike and Micky Show. Peter chose not to participate to focus on his health. He had been battling head and neck cancer since 2009, but it was mostly in remission. However, it returned in 2018, leading him to sit out the tour. The decision to not be billed as The Monkees was out of respect for Tork, citing no pretense that the two alone were The Monkees. 

The tour began in June but was cut short that same month due to Nesmith undergoing quadruple bypass surgery. March 2019 was announced as the date for the makeup shows. At the end of that year, The Monkees released what would be their final album, Christmas Party. It was the group's only dedicated Christmas album and the only one to not feature any songs written by a member of the group. Once again, Davy Jones is represented posthumously, this time through two songs he recorded in 1991, “Mele Kalikimaka” and “Silver Bells.” It was released on October 12 of that year to mixed reception. 

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The Death of Peter Tork and The Monkees’ Farewell Tour

Tragically, Peter Tork passed away on February 21st, 2019. Both Nesmith and Dolenz paid their respects to their fallen bandmate. 

 "There are no words right now...heartbroken over the loss of my Monkee brother, Peter Tork.” Micky posted on X (then Twitter).

Nesmith was more matter-of-fact in mourning Peter. He minced no words, admitting he and Peter didn't get along. However, when he heard the news, he “broke into tears,” saying, “What are you going to do?”

“PT will be a part of me forever,” Nesmith stated, “A band no more—and yet the music plays on.. As for Pete, I can only pray his songs reach the heights that can lift us and that our childhood lives forever—that special sparkle that was the Monkees. I will miss him—a brother in arms. Take flight, my Brother.”

The rescheduled “Mike and Micky” shows were rebilled under The Monkees banner, and touring resumed in late February 2019, with it ending on June 30th. A follow-up tour, simply titled “An Evening with The Monkees,” was quickly announced for early 2020. However, like many things in 2020, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan was to resume in March 2021, but the tour was pushed back to September and retooled as The Monkees Farewell Tour.  

Dolenz said the decision came down to the fact that they were both aging, and touring was taking its toll. Future one-off performances weren't ruled out at the time, but another large tour with the two of them was unlikely. The tour kicked off on September 10th. Nesmith was notably frail and often had to sit during performances. The last performance of the tour, of The Monkees, and ultimately of Michael Nesmith, was on November 14th at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, California. They performed a four-song encore consisting of “(I'm Not) Your Stepping Stone,” “Daydream Believer,” “Listen to the Band,” and “I'm a Believer.” Dolenz and Nesmith embraced one more time before taking their final bow as The Monkees. Less than a month later, however, Dolenz was the only one left. 

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The Passing of Michael Nesmith

On December 10th, 2021, Michael Nesmith passed away from heart failure at 78. Nesmith went out on top, having finally been able to embrace his Monkees past. Dolenz paid tribute to Nesmith in a post on X, saying, “I’ve lost a dear friend and partner,” and that he was grateful to spend Nesmith's last couple of months with him doing what they loved, “singing, laughing, and doing shtick.”

“I’ll miss it all so much.” He concluded, “Especially the shtick.”

When speaking about Nesmith's final days, Dolenz highlighted Nesmith's resilience, saying that Nesmith couldn't be talked “out of the tour.” The option was there to cancel it, and they did cancel some dates, but Nesmith kept going. 

“We could have canceled more, but he was absolutely determined to finish that tour,” Dolenz said to Rolling Stone. 

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Micky Dolenz Keeping the Legacy Alive

In a 2016 interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Peter Tork said, “We'll tour until one of us drops, and the other will go on as The Monkee!” 

Nesmith's passing officially signaled the end of the group.

“I don’t really see myself as the last Monkee, but it’s the end of an era. That’s for sure,” Micky Dolenz said, reflecting on Nesmith's passing.

To Dolenz's credit, he did not go out and tour as “The Monkee,” but they still had one show left, and that was as part of The Beach Boys’ Good Vibrations Cruise in Spring 2022. Of course, Micky was now the last man standing of the group, so he would fulfill that obligation. However, rather than it being just another “Micky Dolenz” show, it was retooled into what has become Dolenz's mission statement for almost the past five years: Micky Dolenz Celebrates The Monkees, feeling it “important to gather the fans and properly celebrate the lives of Davy, Mike and Peter.”

"People have been contacting me, requesting that I honor them in a way where the extraordinary impact of the Monkees can be properly acknowledged.” Dolenz stated, "We spent such a great deal of time together; they were like my brothers, and I want to share some of the great joy we had together."

The one-off performance at sea became a tour that kicked off in 2022. Since then, Dolenz has kept the legacy of his fallen bandmates alive, with his current tour being billed as “60 Years of The Monkees.”  The band's legacy also lives on through new compilations and through their show, which recently landed on Tubi. 

The Monkees weren't your typical band. In fact, some wouldn't even consider them a band at all, Dolenz included. Rather, he states he sees the group as “the cast of a musical comedy about an imaginary band.” Dolenz often compares The Monkees to a show like Glee, which is a show about a fictional glee club at a fictional high school. However, there was still something magical about the story of The Monkees.

“Mike Nesmith summed it up beautifully: ‘The first time we went on the road and performed before thousands of kids – that’s when Pinocchio became a real little boy.’”

The Monkees was a television series about a struggling garage band that was trying to be as big as The Beatles. However, they became a real band with almost as big an impact. They gave the young generation a voice. It started as a show about long-haired weirdos by long-haired weirdos, and their fight for creative freedom and everything that went with it still resonates to this day. The Monkees made us all believers…..or rather, “Daydream Believers.” 

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Sources: Wikipedia, [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9] Infinite Tuesday by Michael Nesmith, They Made a Monkee Out of Me by Davy Jones, I'm a Believer: My Life of Monkees, Music, and Madness by Micky Dolenz, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story Of The 60s TV Pop Sensation by Andrew Sandoval, Rolling Stone, [1], [2], Uncut, Ultimate Classic Rock, [1], [2], AZ Central, Express, MonkeesRule43, [1], [2], UK Music Reviews, Musoscribe, YouTube, X, LA Times, Variety, Setlist.fm, Morning Call, IMDB, UPI, NorthJersey.com, The Guardian

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