Davy Jones dead at 66

David Thomas "Davy" Jones

December 30, 1945- February 29, 2012

Actor/Singer Davy Jones, who was one fourth of the Monkees, died today after suffering from what seems to be a heart attack. Jones was 66 years old. Jones had been complaining about chest pains last night and was admitted to a hospital in Florida this morning. 

Davy Jones may have rose to fame thanks to the hit TV show, The Monkees, and being in the band of the same name but he'd gotten his start in 1964. Jones was in Oliver! and just happened to be on the Ed Sullivan Show when the Beatles had made their debut in the US. The Monkees premiered in September 1966 on NBC. The show was the idea of Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider when the Beatles' movies of A Hard Day's Night and Help! had become successful movies. Along with Jones was guitarist Michael Nesmith, bassist Peter Tork, and drummer Mickey Dolenz. The show last for two seasons, each episode chronicling the shenanigans of the rock n roll band. When the show was canceled in March 1968, the band had already begun to branch out and wanting to become a real band rather than a fictional band on TV. The band released several albums during and after the show's time on the air. In 1968, the band starred in the movie Head. In 1969, Tork left and the band continued as a three-piece band until Nesmith quit in 1970. Jones and Dolenz released on more album as the Monkees in 1970 before splitting up the same year. Jones continued his career has both a singer and an actor. Jones made a memorable guest star appearance on The Brady Bunch in their third season as himself. The Monkees would reunite towards the end of the 1980's and in the mid 1990's. The band attempted a reunion tour in 2011 with just Jones, Dolenz, and Tork but the tour ended up being canceled. Last Friday, Jones had been interviewed via telephone on February 24 for the Beatle Edd Fab Four Hour show on 88.5 WRKC in Wilkes Barre, PA. 

I was never a huge Monkees fan but I do really like the music. I had meant to pick up an album or two at some point and now seems like the perfect time. This is very sad news and at the same time, very strange. I mentioned about the interview for the radio show is because this is the station which I have my radio show on. It's also the radio station for King's College, which is the college I go to. I did get to hear the interview the next day and Davy sounded as if he were rushing the interview. According to him, he was going to dinner with his family. From what I'm reading, Davy's passing was not expected and was very sudden. It's just really weird with how many music-related deaths have happened in the first two months of 2012 (and not just rock music): Mark Reale, Don Cornelius, Whitney Houston, Bob Weston, Etta James, and Michael Davis. This is too weird. 

RIP Davy.