Remembering Davy Jones

Tweet

The Monkees were together as a group initially from 1966 to 1970 and what an impact they made on us! All of us here at Groovy Reflections are stunned and saddened by Davy Jones’ passing and we’d like to share our thoughts with you.

Gerry: I was pretty young when The Monkees were on TV. I loved the show; it was perfect for a youngster, full of slapstick comedy and music! I had the first two albums; can’t recall if they were gifted from my parents or a friend. I particularly liked the tune "Your Auntie Grizelda" because of the silly sounds Peter made.

Not going to go into which Monkee was my fave at that young age. I’ll admit to changing allegiance over time AND I got mad at Mickey for getting a perm. In later years I learned that these were truly talented guys and they had to fight with producers to gain control of their music and be allowed to play instruments! They entertained us, we sang along, and we still do today. I loved all four of them.

My heart goes out to Davy’s family; since this is a well-publicized passing perhaps someone out there will understand the importance of heeding to those symptoms of heart attack and a life can be saved. May you rest in peace, Davy Jones. We’ll continue to enjoy all the music you left us.

Paul: It was September 12th 1966, I was just 16 years old and I invited these four guys into my living room. The Monkees were that kind of group; from the moment the show first aired you felt like you could invite them over for a burger and a game of catch and they’d be thrilled to come. That was their image at least and for me it worked.

The Monkees will always be my personal all-time favorite group. Their music spoke to me personally; it was nothing that would ever change the world, but at that age, I didn’t want to! Maybe it was because they came into my living room every week for two years that I felt so at home with the Monkees.

I remember wanting a Monkees shirt so bad and begging Mom to sew me one; by the time she did Monkee mania had passed. With Davy’s passing, I realize I’d still like that shirt.
I have always vowed to never grow up, but on February 29th 2012 a little piece of the kid in me passed away.

Joe: Very sad news indeed. Davy Jones passed away at 66, of a heart attack. I've said this many times: The Monkees were much underrated. Yes, they started out as actors playing musicians. But each one had musical talent, and eventually they stood up for themselves and played their own instruments. Who else had Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Neil Diamond, Harry Nilsson, and Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart write songs for them? They were country rock pioneers, thanks to Mike Nesmith, who also happened to write "A Different Drum" for Linda Ronstadt.

Davy Jones could sing. Like most teenagers in 1966, I loved The Monkees immediately. I was more into 45s than albums, but I did buy their first LP, “The Monkees”. I really liked “Last Train to Clarksville”, but my favorite album track was "I Wanna Be Free".  That December, my first slow dance was in my friend’s basement to "I Wanna Be Free" with a girl named Bellanne. She was cute. OK, Davy was cute too. May he rest in peace, and I thank him for being a part of my life.

Pete: I was a mere six year old when the Monkees first hit the airwaves. I remember watching them with my older sister and liking the music I was hearing. As much as I liked hearing their songs on the radio, it wasn't until my early teens that I started collecting their albums, 45s and other memorabilia. Since then their brand of pure bubble gum music along with a sprinkling of blues, jazz, country and psychedelia have been a part of my life.

Other music genres have come and gone, but The Monkees contribution to rock and roll has withstood the test of time. They don't need to be in the rock and roll hall of fame to be appreciated! Their good time sound will always live in our hearts. Alas, with Davy's passing it only reminds us of our own mortality. If there is a rock and roll heaven, one more great voice has just been added to their all-star line up!! The Monkees made me smile in 1966 and they continue to do so in 2012. I think that speaks volumes. We better all look out, because, like it or not, here comes tomorrow!!

Maria: Dying at such a young age is all too familiar with the sixties performers, but undoubtedly, the music world as well as the fans are going to miss Davy Jones. Such a talented and gifted man; we were able to enjoy his music and the many television programs that he starred in. He was known best as the lead in the group The Monkees. He had a great many talents and was known worldwide. His wife, Jessica and four daughters will miss him very much and peace goes out to them to stay strong and carry on his legacy.

Guy: In 1966, NBC aired a half-hour trailer, Two In A Taxi. Jack Burns and Avery Schreiber offered a preview of the new fall prime-time lineup. Many shows that premiered that year turned out to be single-season flops--if they even lasted that long. An exception was The Monkees, which went on to enjoy a healthy two-year run.

Although in most places it ran on Monday nights, our local outlet, KMJ-TV (later KSEE) showed it on Saturday nights. That was fine by me, it gave me incentive to get through the school week, knowing I'd get to see The Monkees on the weekend. I loved the show, the music, and the guys right away. All four had a refreshing accessibility factor not present in all artists. They could all be guys down the street.

In the days before bicycle helmets were mandatory for kids, and passengers were no longer allowed to ride on handlebars, I cycled up to Triple J Drugs, about a mile away from our house, my younger brother in tow, to buy a 45 rpm copy of "Last Train To Clarksville" with my lawnmowing earnings.

So it later came out that The Monkees didn't play their own instruments. So big deal. Neither did Sonny And Cher, The Four Tops or The Righteous Brothers. Eric Burdon's answer was to just enjoy the record, And I did (Footnote: They did play on Headquarters, their third LP and my personal favorite).

I never got a chance to see them, but my wife Lynda did when she lived in Kansas.

Our sister blog, ModlandUSA also has a post about Davy and The Monkees. Click here.

Some great photos of Davy can be found here, dating back to 1962.

Please feel free to add comments to this post. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks for listening.