Micky Dolenz, last Monkees member, says old clips 'can still choke me up'
- - Micky Dolenz, last Monkees member, says old clips 'can still choke me up'
Kim Willis, USA TODAYFebruary 12, 2026 at 5:32 PM
0
Micky Dolenz knows you don’t want a new version of “Last Train to Clarksville.” The Monkees star gets you just want the original because that's what he wants, too.
“I was a huge Everly Brothers fan. They were my Monkees,” says Dolenz. He recalls sitting eighth-row center at the duo’s 1983 reunion concert at Royal Albert Hall, hoping Phil and Don would sing his favorites. "I'd been to some very disappointing shows where the headliner doesn’t do anything except maybe one big hit.”
The Everly Brothers played their hits and as Dolenz sang along on "Wake Up Little Susie" and “Cathy’s Clown” (“Don’t want your love-uv-uv-uv-uv anymore”), he thought, "If I ever do go back and am asked to sing (the Monkees') songs, I’m going to make sure I sing every one in their entirety, no melodies and no screwing around,” he tells USA TODAY. “I’ve stuck with that, including arrangements and opening licks and hooks.”
Micky Dolenz is embarking on a new tour celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Monkees.
At 80, he’s the last Monkee here to absorb the outpouring of love from fans as the made-for-TV group turns 60. Davy Jones, the band’s baby-faced, percussion-shaking frontman, died in 2012 at just 66, sending shockwaves through the Monkees’ once-preteen admirers. Bass and keyboard player Peter Tork, 77, and guitarist and songwriter Michael Nesmith, 78, died in 2019 and 2021 respectively.
The anniversary is being celebrated with Rhino’s just-released “The A's, The B's & The Monkees,” a new compilation of their singles released between 1966 and 1970, and Dolenz’s 60 Years of the Monkees tour, which launches Feb. 12 in Solana Beach, California. A stop in LA on Sept. 12 marks the 1966 premiere date of the innovative NBC sitcom, and Dolenz promises storytelling and a chronological performance of the hits (a Monkees Eras Tour, if you will).
“All the music is always there, that’s the meat and potatoes,” he says. “This time, it’s going to be a lot of video, talking about the genesis, the genetics of the show.”
He acknowledges it can be emotional being the only Monkee on stage.
“Of course I went through the whole grieving thing, but in some ways, they’ve never left. Every time I do a show, they’re there,” Dolenz says. If he catches a video glimpse of his bandmates during a performance, “It can still kind of choke me up.”
The Monkees goofing at a news conference in England on June 29, 1967: Davy Jones (from left), Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork (seated) and Micky Dolenz.
Dolenz remains both pragmatic and romantic about the group and its legacy.
For years, “I have tried to clear up the misconception that the Monkees was a band. It wasn’t, it was a musical comedy sitcom.” He says he had no issue with being cast as the drummer (at the time, he wasn’t one). Though Dolenz is the voice of the bulk of the band’s hits, it wasn’t the music he was listening to at the time: “I was not a 10-year-old girl or boy.”
“I was a humongous Beatles fan, I was a fan of the Animals, the Stones, Otis Redding,” he says. “I was a bluesy-rocker kind of guy.”
Yet “to this day, I love singing them,” he says of beloved Monkees tunes such as “I’m a Believer” and “Pleasant Valley Sunday.”
“I’ve learned to appreciate what makes a really good song. I would wonder: Why do I still love this song? Because it was f------ written by Carole King and Neil Diamond and Boyce & Hart and Harry Nilsson and Paul Williams and David Gates.”
He shrugs off the Monkees’ continued exclusion from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, despite the band’s commercial success, cultural impact and longevity. Could it ever happen, maybe in the musical influence category?
“It started out as a private country club,” he says of the Rock Hall’s launch, which coincided with the Monkees' improbable '80s MTV rebirth. “And like a private country club, they are allowed to have anybody in it they want and not have anybody in it they don’t want.” At this point, “I just don’t know. It isn’t on my radar that desperately.”
He’s prouder of the Monkees’ two 1967 Emmys, for outstanding comedy series and comedy director: “To me, it doesn’t get better than that.”
Revisit the band's best photos, starting with a 1967 group portrait (clockwise from top left): Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Davy Jones.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>Hey, hey, it's the Monkees' 60th anniversary! Revisit the band's best photos, starting with a 1967 group portrait (clockwise from top left): Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Davy Jones.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/MAIRymFkVnRgUIAJuQ_iHg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjMy/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/bc40e1d7a5ce955a78af8562ce94851a class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
Hey, hey, it's the Monkees' 60th anniversary! Revisit the band's best photos, starting with a 1967 group portrait (clockwise from top left): Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Davy Jones.
">Hey, hey, it's the Monkees' 60th anniversary! Revisit the band's best photos, starting with a 1967 group portrait (clockwise from top left): Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Davy Jones.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/MAIRymFkVnRgUIAJuQ_iHg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNjMy/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/bc40e1d7a5ce955a78af8562ce94851a class=caas-img>America's made-for-TV Beatles, buried in sand on Feb. 2, 1967: Davy Jones (back) with Mike Nesmith (from left), Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/6D4ed3Dqy1zQV3gOqmFdTg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05MTI-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/07acbfa740ec9b2fddced0da8a908c57 class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
America's made-for-TV Beatles, buried in sand on Feb. 2, 1967: Davy Jones (back) with Mike Nesmith (from left), Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz.
">America's made-for-TV Beatles, buried in sand on Feb. 2, 1967: Davy Jones (back) with Mike Nesmith (from left), Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/6D4ed3Dqy1zQV3gOqmFdTg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05MTI-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/07acbfa740ec9b2fddced0da8a908c57 class=caas-img>The boys goofing at a news conference in England on June 29, 1967.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/m65Vp82kcIw6pVoAQRl5dg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05MTM-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/fdbd8579414cf7a70dcc0a0543ee050f class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
The boys goofing at a news conference in England on June 29, 1967.
">The boys goofing at a news conference in England on June 29, 1967.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/m65Vp82kcIw6pVoAQRl5dg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05MTM-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/fdbd8579414cf7a70dcc0a0543ee050f class=caas-img>The band in their 1966 Dean Jeffries-designed Monkeemobile.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/UoL.DQgIuZAek8UAI.R0fQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04NzE-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/d168a8eeec5207e7e08b87c8784807fe class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
The band in their 1966 Dean Jeffries-designed Monkeemobile.
">The band in their 1966 Dean Jeffries-designed Monkeemobile.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/UoL.DQgIuZAek8UAI.R0fQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04NzE-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/d168a8eeec5207e7e08b87c8784807fe class=caas-img>Davy Jones catches up on his fan mail.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/ID_TYCQXxZRxUagZmWbFOg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNTkw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/085a751b690240bb11449d9ddd80cbe5 class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
Davy Jones catches up on his fan mail.
">Davy Jones catches up on his fan mail.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/ID_TYCQXxZRxUagZmWbFOg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNTkw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/085a751b690240bb11449d9ddd80cbe5 class=caas-img>The Monkees performing in their signature double-buttoned shirts on Feb. 2, 1967.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/7GvjgALjh4q1XaxCqvrMdQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05OTE-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/0447689b031c17370f61ed6bf6158c72 class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
The Monkees performing in their signature double-buttoned shirts on Feb. 2, 1967.
">The Monkees performing in their signature double-buttoned shirts on Feb. 2, 1967.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/7GvjgALjh4q1XaxCqvrMdQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05OTE-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/0447689b031c17370f61ed6bf6158c72 class=caas-img>Davy Jones with TV producer Bert Schneider, co-creator of "The Monkees," on Dec. 19, 1966.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/DtUD71EKdigFQEIKVWWPxg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04MTc-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/b04dd7f4f3f91ea22aba3d161d3b02a3 class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
Davy Jones with TV producer Bert Schneider, co-creator of "The Monkees," on Dec. 19, 1966.
">Davy Jones with TV producer Bert Schneider, co-creator of "The Monkees," on Dec. 19, 1966.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/DtUD71EKdigFQEIKVWWPxg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04MTc-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/b04dd7f4f3f91ea22aba3d161d3b02a3 class=caas-img>The Monkees film a flying sequence for their NBC sitcom in 1968.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/62QgPL.FF7gnZqyaguqOCg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04OTU-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/fff1aa59cf89ab40ae8a866a67b4a914 class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
The Monkees film a flying sequence for their NBC sitcom in 1968.
">The Monkees film a flying sequence for their NBC sitcom in 1968.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/62QgPL.FF7gnZqyaguqOCg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04OTU-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/fff1aa59cf89ab40ae8a866a67b4a914 class=caas-img>Michael Nesmith, seen here in 1967, showed up for his Monkees audition in a wool knit cap and the look stuck.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/KDTB4J8sShQouIAyK.mzqQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNTY4/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/3af4a93a72353133bc2da8d07ab37cc0 class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
Michael Nesmith, seen here in 1967, showed up for his Monkees audition in a wool knit cap and the look stuck.
">Michael Nesmith, seen here in 1967, showed up for his Monkees audition in a wool knit cap and the look stuck.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/KDTB4J8sShQouIAyK.mzqQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNTY4/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/3af4a93a72353133bc2da8d07ab37cc0 class=caas-img>The Monkees in matching shirts and vests for a 1967 promotional portrait.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/3duYSZfLT3ADBJY2ptCkVg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNDU2/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/8ef05f320d22f2bac6c7630624fd4990 class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
The Monkees in matching shirts and vests for a 1967 promotional portrait.
">The Monkees in matching shirts and vests for a 1967 promotional portrait.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/3duYSZfLT3ADBJY2ptCkVg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNDU2/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/8ef05f320d22f2bac6c7630624fd4990 class=caas-img>Davy Jones is all smiles as he signs autographs for younger fans at a welcome party given him by RCA Records at St. Clairs Restaurant in Nashville on Sept. 7, 1968.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/VcO8Qj8n0MdBucQnnl3B6Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/65349077db3f4461a22255198d9206e5 class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
Davy Jones is all smiles as he signs autographs for younger fans at a welcome party given him by RCA Records at St. Clairs Restaurant in Nashville on Sept. 7, 1968.
">Davy Jones is all smiles as he signs autographs for younger fans at a welcome party given him by RCA Records at St. Clairs Restaurant in Nashville on Sept. 7, 1968.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/VcO8Qj8n0MdBucQnnl3B6Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/65349077db3f4461a22255198d9206e5 class=caas-img>Monkees drummer and singer Micky Dolenz on Feb. 6, 1967.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/hW98IDfJ_.6aYX_Ig7YU8g--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xODM5/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/691fb747d58bf836ec4d24635ab62c96 class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
Monkees drummer and singer Micky Dolenz on Feb. 6, 1967.
">Monkees drummer and singer Micky Dolenz on Feb. 6, 1967.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/hW98IDfJ_.6aYX_Ig7YU8g--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xODM5/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/691fb747d58bf836ec4d24635ab62c96 class=caas-img>Micky Dolenz (from left), Mike Nesmith and Davy Jones of the Monkees back up Johnny Cash during a taping of the new "The Johnny Cash Show" at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on May 6, 1969.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/UPNRK4mVzX0x7oWK5uAZyA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04NTU-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/2c667e2642b0f5e8f01d76175223c98f class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
Micky Dolenz (from left), Mike Nesmith and Davy Jones of the Monkees back up Johnny Cash during a taping of the new "The Johnny Cash Show" at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on May 6, 1969.
">Micky Dolenz (from left), Mike Nesmith and Davy Jones of the Monkees back up Johnny Cash during a taping of the new "The Johnny Cash Show" at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on May 6, 1969.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/UPNRK4mVzX0x7oWK5uAZyA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04NTU-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/2c667e2642b0f5e8f01d76175223c98f class=caas-img>Peter Tork shows off a pile of sketches from his U.K. mail in January 1968.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/0vJudRc8.BoVo3SY2ZsY6A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xMjQ0/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/17f06011353bc0b6fec6221511afd1a5 class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
Peter Tork shows off a pile of sketches from his U.K. mail in January 1968.
">Peter Tork shows off a pile of sketches from his U.K. mail in January 1968.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/0vJudRc8.BoVo3SY2ZsY6A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xMjQ0/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/17f06011353bc0b6fec6221511afd1a5 class=caas-img>Twinning in matching shirts and vests on "The Monkees" TV show.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/bEChNSrT8NB7luPDAnVzUw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05MDE-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/141211df23a954a74d84430ced441778 class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
Twinning in matching shirts and vests on "The Monkees" TV show.
">Twinning in matching shirts and vests on "The Monkees" TV show.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/bEChNSrT8NB7luPDAnVzUw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05MDE-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/141211df23a954a74d84430ced441778 class=caas-img>Michael Nesmith of the Monkees with his wife, Phyllis Ann Barbour, at Heathrow Airport in London on Feb. 14, 1967.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/_GnxUIOaD9Dyl7W0zLB3Og--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xMjUw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/c8adb5372c3e47f21d44c119091629cd class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
Michael Nesmith of the Monkees with his wife, Phyllis Ann Barbour, at Heathrow Airport in London on Feb. 14, 1967.
">Michael Nesmith of the Monkees with his wife, Phyllis Ann Barbour, at Heathrow Airport in London on Feb. 14, 1967.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/_GnxUIOaD9Dyl7W0zLB3Og--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xMjUw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/c8adb5372c3e47f21d44c119091629cd class=caas-img>A publicity still shot on Feb. 1, 1967, with Davy Jones hanging from the trapeze.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/cHjDpJCduOgUoGbUc1D37Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNTY5/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/294ba746d6c5fd610540034051d912d6 class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
A publicity still shot on Feb. 1, 1967, with Davy Jones hanging from the trapeze.
">A publicity still shot on Feb. 1, 1967, with Davy Jones hanging from the trapeze.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/cHjDpJCduOgUoGbUc1D37Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNTY5/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/294ba746d6c5fd610540034051d912d6 class=caas-img>Davy Jones of the Monkees with Lulu in the garden of her home in St John's Wood in London on June 1, 1968.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/HbKV4OwBMiemyG2PoFW9TA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xODg0/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/d3eecb619cbb7a7215b11d888c1a733b class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
Davy Jones of the Monkees with Lulu in the garden of her home in St John's Wood in London on June 1, 1968.
">Davy Jones of the Monkees with Lulu in the garden of her home in St John's Wood in London on June 1, 1968.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/HbKV4OwBMiemyG2PoFW9TA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xODg0/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/d3eecb619cbb7a7215b11d888c1a733b class=caas-img>The Monkees in a hospital scene from the TV show in May 1967.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/5uUrmFbRp10Zvee9fQj2RQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNTU0/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/2ef39033c653a246b002eb567e2bac35 class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
The Monkees in a hospital scene from the TV show in May 1967.
">The Monkees in a hospital scene from the TV show in May 1967.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/5uUrmFbRp10Zvee9fQj2RQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xNTU0/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/2ef39033c653a246b002eb567e2bac35 class=caas-img>Davy Jones (left) and Micky Dolenz in the U.K. on Nov. 23, 1977.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/gXgch01JH09fxLy1SATFqg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xODU5/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/b1738dd0dac656b36dcd401d07be3ebc class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
Davy Jones (left) and Micky Dolenz in the U.K. on Nov. 23, 1977.
">Davy Jones (left) and Micky Dolenz in the U.K. on Nov. 23, 1977.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/gXgch01JH09fxLy1SATFqg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xODU5/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/b1738dd0dac656b36dcd401d07be3ebc class=caas-img>Micky Dolenz of the Monkees blows into a cowhorn outside a boutique on King's Road in London.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/YvX_cLEuDnfVCqRoVyKV2Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05MDU-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/fd42d218a742a27af328df832c4c0fd9 class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
Micky Dolenz of the Monkees blows into a cowhorn outside a boutique on King's Road in London.
">Micky Dolenz of the Monkees blows into a cowhorn outside a boutique on King's Road in London.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/YvX_cLEuDnfVCqRoVyKV2Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05MDU-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/fd42d218a742a27af328df832c4c0fd9 class=caas-img>The Monkees in a boardroom, contemplating nonsense with a stock ticker in a scene from their TV show.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/h4EfMHNApvKXtvxeWKNwyQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05NTc-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/2d160e1e89ca16079b51c536f5457082 class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
The Monkees in a boardroom, contemplating nonsense with a stock ticker in a scene from their TV show.
">The Monkees in a boardroom, contemplating nonsense with a stock ticker in a scene from their TV show.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/h4EfMHNApvKXtvxeWKNwyQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05NTc-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/2d160e1e89ca16079b51c536f5457082 class=caas-img>The Monkees as mad scientists, complete with bubbling beakers, lab coats and glasses.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Tj0Dsv68Vidwl_ExyXiBdA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05MDk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/0bc052fcf0c73b0beac80a3ca70a9dbd class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
The Monkees as mad scientists, complete with bubbling beakers, lab coats and glasses.
">The Monkees as mad scientists, complete with bubbling beakers, lab coats and glasses.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Tj0Dsv68Vidwl_ExyXiBdA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05MDk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/0bc052fcf0c73b0beac80a3ca70a9dbd class=caas-img>Manchester-born Davy Jones, the only English member of the Monkees, in September 1968.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/K2zr_HwTjUSE4tQorOZPQA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05OTU-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/f4c923efe58ea944a58de0bbac8bcbe0 class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
Manchester-born Davy Jones, the only English member of the Monkees, in September 1968.
">Manchester-born Davy Jones, the only English member of the Monkees, in September 1968.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/K2zr_HwTjUSE4tQorOZPQA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05OTU-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/f4c923efe58ea944a58de0bbac8bcbe0 class=caas-img>A promotional portrait of the four Monkees lined up in directors chairs emblazoned with their names and the band's famous guitar logo.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/d6ujQ6TeM4dKTCa4vuaMkg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05OTE-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/4ddf82fb8754b70f1df6e26a57e09660 class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
A promotional portrait of the four Monkees lined up in directors chairs emblazoned with their names and the band's famous guitar logo.
">A promotional portrait of the four Monkees lined up in directors chairs emblazoned with their names and the band's famous guitar logo.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/d6ujQ6TeM4dKTCa4vuaMkg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05OTE-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/4ddf82fb8754b70f1df6e26a57e09660 class=caas-img>The reunited Monkees, Micky Dolenz (from left), Peter Tork and Davy Jones, promoting their tour in London on March 8, 1989.
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/LE3Kr8nxKVAB8k5tR1S1SQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04MjU-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/9443588884eddbfc5cb3d1515b2a59a4 class=caas-img data-headline="Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos" data-caption="
The reunited Monkees, Micky Dolenz (from left), Peter Tork and Davy Jones, promoting their tour in London on March 8, 1989.
">The reunited Monkees, Micky Dolenz (from left), Peter Tork and Davy Jones, promoting their tour in London on March 8, 1989.
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/LE3Kr8nxKVAB8k5tR1S1SQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04MjU-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/9443588884eddbfc5cb3d1515b2a59a4 class=caas-img>
1 / 26Relive the magic of the Monkees in archival photos
Hey, hey, it's the Monkees' 60th anniversary! Revisit the band's best photos, starting with a 1967 group portrait (clockwise from top left): Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Davy Jones.
Though Tork and Nesmith were often visibly chafed, Dolenz says he has “never” been unhappy being a Monkee.
“Well, there were times when I did not like being famous and a celebrity and being harassed and followed and sued and threatened,” he says, laughing. “There are times I’ll be in a restaurant to this day and somebody yells at me across the room, ‘Hey, Monkee, come here! Sign my wife’s napkin.’ ”
He’s happy performing and recording (2021’s “Dolenz Sings Nesmith” was produced by Christian Nesmith, Mike’s son), and says he won’t ever get off the road, though he’s being “more selective” these days. “It’s 22 hours of commuting for a two-hour gig, essentially. I hate the travel, but they pay me to travel, I sing for free. When I came to that realization, it made it easier to amortize. The show is the easy part, that’s why they call it playing.”
The fandom longs for more. “People call me all the time: ‘There should be a Monkee movie, there should be a documentary,’ ” Dolenz says, though the quartet had “absolutely no ownership” of the brand.
Still, “I am incredibly appreciative” to have been a part of it, he says. “It has given me a great frigging life.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Micky Dolenz talks Monkees 60th anniversary tour, being final member
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
