For a generation that grew up in the 1960s, there was no band like The Monkees. While the band was originally formed for their titular TV sitcom, they went on to be one of the most successful bands of their era, with classic songs like “I’m a Believer,” “Daydream Believer” and “Last Train to Clarksville.”
The four members of the group — Davy Jones, Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith — continued to perform and make music together for decades. But sadly, three bandmates have passed away over the past decade, beginning with Davy Jones in 2012.
Last year saw the passing of Michael Nesmith, leaving Micky Dolenz, 77, the last surviving member of the group.
Recently, Dolenz opened up about being the final Monkee — and his final concert with Nesmith just weeks before he died.
The Monkees will forever be associated with the 1960s, part of a music scene that made them contemporaries with The Beatles and Rolling Stones. But they remained a popular draw decades later.
Following a resurgence in popularity in the 1980s — thanks to reruns of their sitcom — and a reevaluation from music critics, Jones, Dolenz and Tork began reuniting in a series of tours and even recorded new albums together.
Sadly, Davy Jones died of a heart attack in 2012. Soon after, Nesmith rejoined his bandmates for another tour, and Dolenz and Tork toured together without Nesmith in 2015. Tork died of cancer in 2019.
As the two remaining Monkees, Nesmith and Dolenz embarked on a “Farewell Tour” beginning in 2020.
And by the time the tour ended in 2021, both bandmates knew it was truly the end: Nesmith’s health was failing, and it was unlikely they would perform together again.
“It was pretty apparent that I wouldn’t be doing many more shows with him,” Dolenz recently told The Arizona Republic. “We were doing everything we could to make him comfortable. But it was tough. And it was bittersweet. We asked him, ‘Are sure you want to do this?’ And I’ve got to hand it to him. He hung in there.”
According to Dolenz, the two bandmates “avoided” saying a last goodbye, and said it was “public knowledge” that Nesmith was having health issues.
The two concluded their final concert on November 14, 2021 with “I’m a Believer,” and weeks later, on December 10, Nesmith died.
“It did not come as a great surprise, frankly,” Dolenz said.
However, he recalled it was a “huge shock” when Davy Jones died in 2012. Jones was 66, and the youngest member of the band.
Dolenz is now the last remaining member of the classic group, and at 77 he continues to keep performing and keep the Monkees’ legacy alive. He is beginning a solo tour this month.
“I think I’m still kind of processing it, to some degree,” he told the Arizona Republic. “Being the last man standing.”
Decades after The Monkees were first introduced to American audiences — on TV, as a lead-in to I Dream of Jeannie — Dolenz remembers the group’s heyday fondly.
While The Monkees were sometimes sneered at by music critics because they didn’t initially play their instruments or write their own songs (though the late Michael Nesmith penned a few of their early tracks) Dolenz said he was grateful to have worked with talented producers and songwriters, which included legendary artists like David Bowie and Carol King.
“We had such incredible songwriters… They stand up over the years with great producers and us,” Dolenz said. “I’d like to think that I had something to do with it, singing most of the leads.”
Eventually the foursome became a “real” band, and continued performing for adoring crowds for decades.
“[Nesmith] said when we actually did go on the road and play the concerts all by ourselves for tens of thousands of screaming fans, it was like Pinocchio becoming a real little boy,” Dolenz recalled.
The Monkees were truly a one-of-a-kind band, and we still listen to their music to this day.
We miss the three departed members of the band, but we’re glad Micky Dolenz is still performing, continuing the legacy of this iconic group!
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