Goodbye to Davy Jones (1945-2012)
Davy Jones, the voice behind the Monkees hit Daydream Believer, died today of a heart attack at the age of 66.
While the group was initially formed to get in on the Beatlemania craze, the ripple effect The Monkees had on pop culture cannot be understated. There was something about Davy Jones that everyone couldn’t help but love, and that quality helped transcend The Monkees far beyond what they set out to be. John Lennon himself was a fan, comparing the group to the Marx Brothers.
Jones — the teen heart-throb of the group– as well as fellow members Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, and Peter Tork became household names across the globe, and their names and likenesses appeared on lunch boxes, toys, shirts, stickers and more as the Monkees swept the country.
Behind the scenes, the group and their work served as a launching pad for many. The TV show was produced by filmmakers/producers Bert Schneider and Bob Rafelson (Easy Rider, The Last Picture Show, Five Easy Pieces). Jack Nicholson co-wrote and appeared in the Monkees film Head. In fact, it was Nicholson, during a marathon writing session, who convinced the group to destroy their manufactured image in the film, a turning point which has been viewed as both positive and negative by long-time fans.
Davy was the quintessential teen idol. He appeared in the tv show The Brady Bunch as Marsha’s idol. Gene Roddenberry created the character of Chekhov in the original Star Trek as an answer to him. In a nod to his far-reaching influence, Frank Zappa hilariously told him that “the youth of America is depending on you to show them the way” in Head. His popularity was so global,that another David Jones was compelled to change his surname to Bowie to avoid any confusion. And in 2008, Yahoo Music declared Davy Jones the number one teen idol of all time.
The music of the Monkees never received the respect that some now believe it deserves. The first two albums and TV show early music was shepherded by Don Kirschner, a highly influential music producer who went on to host and produce the long running TV series Rock Concert. The Monkees machine also showcased some of the best songwriters of the era: Neil Diamond, Boyce & Hart, Gerry Coffin and Carole King, Harry Nilsson, Cynthia Weill and Barry Mann among others. Their first 2 albums featured some of the greatest studio musicians of the time, including Glen Campbell.
The Monkees have done several reunion tours and Davy toured incessantly as a solo performer. He was a featured performer at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT Flower Power Concert Series every spring, closing out the season in the middle of May and attracting fans that crossed 3 generations. The group was in the middle of a 45th Anniversary Tour in 2011 that was cancelled mid-tour due to internal conflicts, and Davy continued to tour on his own up until his death.
Many artists have declared their love of the Monkees and covered their music. Run-DMC sampled Mary Mary, Smashmouth had a hit with I’m A Believer, and Paul Westerberg usually performs one or two Monkees songs live.
Jones is survived by his wife Jessica and four daughters from his previous marriages.
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Take some time to listen to some of the music that Davy brought to the world.
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