Mickey Dolenz on the Monkees, their music and their success story

The 1960s were an incredible time for music. There were Elvis, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, the Beach Boys and many other groups and artists who left an indelible mark on pop culture.

And in the middle of it all were the Monkeys.

Mickey Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Davy Jones first got together as the cast of a TV show (which ran from 1966 to 1968) before becoming a real band. They recorded a collection of songs that topped the charts and ended up touring the country. Some of their most memorable hits included “Last Train to Clarksville”, “I’m a Believer”, “Daydream Believer” and others.

Today, nearly six decades after their hit TV show first aired, Dolenz is the last surviving member of the band. Looking back, he attributes their success in part to the amazing songs written by such talented writers as Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, Neil Diamond, John Stewart (of the Kingston Trio) and others.

“I sang most of the lead roles, and that’s not hard when you’re singing great songs,” Dolenz says with a laugh.

(Dolenz sang lead vocals on “Last Train to Clarksville” and “I’m a Believer” and Davy Jones on “Daydream Believer”.)

“So the songs had a lot to do with it. And as for the TV show, it really resonated with children,” he continues. “Over the years, the show has stood the test of time because the humor was not topical or satirical. This is the same reason you can watch old episodes Honey moon or The Marx Brothersbecause it still works.”

The show’s magic also had a lot to do with how well Dolenz, Nesmith, Tork and Jones worked together. Dolenz says that although they didn’t know each other before, the producers spent a lot of time during the audition process to find four young people from different backgrounds who had chemistry.

“I remember that during the casting we worked on the scene and studied it. The screen tests themselves were part of the casting process. They mixed and matched us. I remember doing a scene with Devi and the reason that probably stands out is that we had a lot in common with him. We both played and were in the entertainment industry for a while.”

Jones has appeared on television and on Broadway, while Dolenz got his start as a child on the eponymous series The boy from the circus. The show aired on ABC from 1956 to 1958.

Dolenz says that once he, Nesmith, Tork and Jones were cast and filming began, the group hit it off really quickly in terms of acting and comedic timing. They also became good friends.

As the TV show progressed and they began to find success with their music, they began working together as musicians to take their show on the road. They played to packed houses filled with raving fans and even had a few familiar names opening their shows.

“Jimi Hendrix was our first act,” Dolenz recalls.

It was Dolenz who had seen Hendrix perform elsewhere, recognized his talent and worked to get him to join them on tour.

When their TV show went off the air in 1968, it ended the Monkees for a while. Over the next two decades, they all went their separate ways. Dolenz, who had an interest in directing and producing, went to England for an acting gig, got married and stayed there doing a lot of behind-the-scenes entertainment work for the next 15 years.

Interestingly, one of his early directorial projects involved a very young Catherine Zeta-Jones.

“I wrote a musical based on a movie called Bugsy Malone“, Dolenz explains. “I did it in the West End in London. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the movie, but it was young children, and she was one of the first Tallulahs, who is one of the characters in the show.”

In 1986, almost two decades later Monkeys After the telecast ended, MTV began airing reruns of the show.

“The show hadn’t been on the air for almost 20 years, so once they did it, there was a resurgence of interest,” Dolenz says.

It introduced the boys and their music to a whole new generation.

At the same time, Arista Records released Dolenz’s single, “That Was Then, This is Now,” which quickly climbed the charts. Billboard diagrams The Monkees have reunited, embarked on a brand new tour, recorded a greatest hits album, new music and released all of their previous albums.

In the following years, Dolenz toured as a solo artist as well as with his fellow Monkees in various combinations. He says they love their brothers and it’s hard now that the others are gone. Jones died in 2012, Tork in 2019 and Nesmith in 2021.

And yet Dolenz carries their memories and music wherever he goes. He often appears at Comic Cons events and is always happy to chat with those who remember the Monkees well. He will appear at the Comic Con event in Nashville, Tennessee this weekend.

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“I always enjoy things like this and I’m looking forward to meeting all the fans,” he says.

He also maintains a busy touring schedule. In December alone, Dolenz will play shows in Connecticut, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Northern Virginia.

“I’m on tour, not a tour, like six months non-stop,” he says, “but I’ll fly out and do two or three concerts, then come home, and then go again.”

At 79, he still enjoys the entertainment business and says he chooses his projects with the same guidelines he’s followed for most of his career.

“I don’t do anything unless it’s fun. I get asked how I choose projects, and it’s always about the material. And that’s true whether it’s the song or the script or the acting or the singing or the direction. It all starts with the material. I’d rather direct a great little movie than sing a stupid song.”

It’s a process that seems to have worked pretty well so far.

(To learn more about Mickey Dolenz or check out his tour schedule, visit: www.mickydolenz.com)