Celebrity Death: Peter Tork of The Monkees, 77

[Acadmus]

And then there were two...Peter had been diagnosed with a rare tongue cancer 10 years ago, and his death was likely complications from it, though the cause has not been announced at this time.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...ory.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.2ff462dbf33b

Click to read more...

 

[HolyGhost]

Damn

 

[the squared circle]

RIP - very funny slapstick show. Growing up, it was on just before Batman (Adam West).
Daydream Believer is still an amazing and fun song

 

[plank]

Sad news

For Pete's Sake

 

[Bubba Thudd]

RIP

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

RIP

 

[HolyGhost]

Him and Nesmith were the only true musicians on the band and the more I learned about the control others had over what they could do, the more I felt sad for both of them. A few years ago I saw a documentary on Stephen Still and in the first part it has several jams sessions that included Tork and he could hold his own with Stills and the other musicians. Many of The Wrecking Crew(the group that actually played on the Monkees songs) said that Tork was a better musician than some of the guys who played on the song--but they said Kirshner and other wanted Tork only to concentrate on being in front of the camera and not behind.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

I used to watch the show when I was little when it was aired on Nickelodeon.

 

[Pilky01]

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

Just this weekend I passed a small concert hall in eastern Lancaster county advertising a Monkees concert in March.


Crazy

 

[Acadmus]

Him and Nesmith were the only true musicians on the band and the more I learned about the control others had over what they could do, the more I felt sad for both of them. A few years ago I saw a documentary on Stephen Still and in the first part it has several jams sessions that included Tork and he could hold his own with Stills and the other musicians. Many of The Wrecking Crew(the group that actually played on the Monkees songs) said that Tork was a better musician than some of the guys who played on the song--but they said Kirshner and other wanted Tork only to concentrate on being in front of the camera and not behind.

It's not completely true - after his run as a child star on Circus Boy, Mickey went on to form a band...thing is, he played guitar and in The Monkees he was cast as a drummer, so he had to go out and learn how to drum.

That said, Nesmith was clearly the most musically talented (the only one to record an album before the Monkees, and a budding singer-songwriter who had a major influence on The Monkees' sound right from the start when the boys were otherwise not allowed near the recording studio by manager Kirshner). It was also Nesmith whose wall-damaging outburst in a hotel conference room meeting with show executives led to the band's liberation from Kirshner's control...but also eventually the downfall of the show.

For his part, Peter was the first one disillusioned with the whole thing enough to leave. When The Monkees Present: (their 8th album) was released in 1969 they were already a threesome and the show was already done. Nesmith left before 1970's Changes and then they were done recording until a reunion album with Davy, Mickey and Peter in 1987 (yes, I own a copy on cassette). After the Monkees, Mike was the only one to ever chart again with "Joanne" peaking on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 21 and a later single peaking at number 42.

 

[Acadmus]

Just this weekend I passed a small concert hall in eastern Lancaster county advertising a Monkees concert in March.


Crazy

The remaining Monkees released a new album for their 50th anniversary, produced by Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger. He also produced their first Christmas album, released just last year (which even included an original song contribution from Rivers Cuomo). They've kept the brand alive, and apparently will continue to do so until the last Monkee falls from the night (sorry, line from Caligula in my head as I was listening to Matthew Sweet's Altered Beast yesterday).

 

[GarbageGoal]

Just this weekend I passed a small concert hall in eastern Lancaster county advertising a Monkees concert in March.


Crazy

Nesmith and Dolenz are still touring for a handful of shows. Peter had bowed out a while back and Nesmith pretty much hinted it was due to his health.

The three did a song called "Me and Magdalena" a couple years back, written by Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie, and it is amazing.

 

[plank]

A band called The Minus 5 have an album called Of Monkees and Men with songs called Davy Gets the Girl, Michael Nesmith, Micky's a Cool Drummer and Song for Peter Tork. Can't find a YT of Song for Peter Tork but did come across this nice little story:

 

[zombie kopitar]

I grew up on the Monkees as a kid from my dad's old recorded vhs tapes. I'm still a huge fan to this day, Peter always brought a great presence and will be missed
He also wrote one of their very best songs imo