Posted on 02/21/2019 4:32:36 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Peter Tork, a member of the massively popular ’60s band the Monkees, has died. The Washington Post reports that Anne Thorkelson, Tork’s sister, has confirmed news of Tork’s death, though she declined to say how he died. Tork was 77.
Tork, born Peter Thorkelson, was born in Washington, DC, and he grew up largely in Connecticut. After college, he moved to New York and joined the thriving Greenwich Village folk scene. Tork auditioned for The Monkees, a sitcom about a band of four up-and-coming musicians, after his friend Stephen Stills suggested him for the job. Tork, the oldest member of the group, became the bassist.
The Monkees were an instant pop phenomenon. The band members generally didn’t play on their records, with session musicians playing their parts instead. But Tork, who played a number of instruments, as occasionally allowed to play some of those instruments on the records. He was, for instance, responsible for the piano intro of the #1 hit “Daydream Believer.” (He also played banjo on George Harrison’s score for the 1968 movie Wonderwall.) On the TV show, Tork played a sort of clueless ditz, and his bumbling was one of the major sources of comedy.
The Monkees eventually wrestled creative control away from their management, and they kept on as a band after their TV show was cancelled, making strange time-capsule artifacts like the psychedelic 1968 movie Head. But an exhausted Tork left the Monkees at the end of 1968. After leaving the Monkees, Tork struggled creatively and eventually left the music and TV businesses. He served a few months in prison for hashish possession, and he briefly became a high school teacher in Southern California.
Tork reunited with the Monkees in 1986, and he continued to tour and perform with them until his death. (The Monkees released the holiday album Christmas Party just last year.) Tork also released the solo album Stranger Things Have Happened in 1994, and he played the recurring role of Topanga’s father on the sitcom Boy Meets World. He was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma in 2009, but the cancer was treated, and it’s not yet known whether that contributed to his death. Tork is the second of the four Monkees to pass away; singer Davy Jones died of a heart attack in 2012, at the age of 66.
Below, watch a few Monkees videos:
1960’s TV shows were great...even the dumb sh*t like Gilligan’s Island was still better than 95% of most TV shows today.
Yeah, many people don't realize the actors playing the Monkees had very little to do with the music and it's one of the main reasons they canceled the show. They hated not having any creative control especially Nesmith and Torqe. Don Kirshner wanted them to perform his prefabbed song by studio musicians called "Sugar Sugar". That was the breaking point for Nesmith. He wanted nothing to do with that bubble gum song and had a fit on set.
"Sugar Sugar" Became a big hit using Kirshner's new show. It was the band The Archies if I remember correctly and it was debuted on Kirshner's Saturday cartoon show, I forget what that was called.
There's a good little documentary on YouTube that covers the whole Monkees vs Don Kirshner fiasco.
Bewitched, Batman, Flipper, Gentle Ben, Laugh-In and on and on.
Even in the late 80s and early 90s they were just a normal part of everyday TV. Perfectly watchable. They just had this thing about them that made them so unique.
Sadly not easy to find outside of maybe two dedicated cable channels and DVD sets these days.
“Making me feel old”
I was doing my AIT at Ft. Eustis, Va. when “Last Train To Clarksville” came out. I can remember thinking I’d gladly take the last train to anywhere to get out of where I was was.
My 16 year old daughter likes the Monkees. Not her favorite group by any means, but she enjoys their tunes when they drift by. She has also discovered the Beatles and considers herself daringly retro.
Memories
I loved I’m a Believer, even though it was a Neil Diamond hit.
bump
ff
I had never seen your screen name so I checked out your homepage...WOW! Bay Buchanan was your boss! I supported Pat in his two (or was it three) Presidential elections full steam ahead...signs, bumperstickers and donations. I can’t help but think this country would be quite different had he won.
Oh, and thanks for the Monkee youtube...had never seen that.
Bay was awesome. The PAC she was in charge of was founded by Reagan but I got on board at the end of his term so I wasn’t around long. From Bay and Reagan to the entertainment business - from light to dark. What a contrast!
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