Micky Dolenz feels responsibility to legacy as the last Monkee standing
NEW PHILADELPHIA ? Micky Dolenz finds being the last man standing of the Monkees bittersweet. He misses his friends, but is happy that he is still here to share their stories and music.
The 78-year-old will perform at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10 at the Performing Arts Center at Kent State University of Tuscarawas, 330 University Drive NE, New Philadelphia. He said patrons will hear all of the hits and a whole lot more. Shows are never the same from night to night, as he plays it by ear based on the audience and venue.
"I've found over the years doing shows, as long as I do the hits and as long as the audience knows and expects that, then for the rest of the show I can kind of pick and chose what I want to do as far as album cuts, deep cuts and other material in my solo show," he said. "It's kind of like an evening with Micky Dolenz. It's not a one man show where I sit on a stool all night long and just play the guitar and sing. It's a full band and I have a lot of video of myself and the Monkees."
The Monkees were a reaction to the Beatles, four young men thrown together to form a band to front a television show based on the Beatles' popular movies "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help." Monkee Mania swept the nation after the show debuted in 1966, but flamed out after three seasons and a flop movie. However, it came roaring back in 1986 when MTV reran the show in a marathon and a new slew of fans were garnered.
The Monkees performed in various configurations over the years, sometimes as just a duo or trio, but Dolenz was always a member. Davy Jones died in 2012, Peter Tork passed in 2019 and Michael Nesmith died in 2021.
"Oh my God, yes," Dolenz exclaimed on if he felt a responsibility to keep the Monkees flag flying. "I've always been there. I've done other things in my life...but I guess I'm the one carrying the torch, but it's not difficult. When you're dealing with music that phenomenal and songs that great, it makes it great."
Their first four albums went to number one on the Billboard charts. Number one hits included "Last Train to Clarksville," "I'm a Believer" and "Daydream Believer." The Monkees had a who's who of songwriters with many becoming household names in their own right like Neil Diamond and Carole King. He credits the songwriters for being a major part of the Monkees success and why he never gets tired of singing those songs night after night.
"They're so hard to mess up," Dolenz said of the Monkees' catalog. "I've always had such a wealth of material to choose from. In the past, when we did big shows with three of us or all four of use, the problem was where do we stop."
Along with the songs, Dolenz will also share stories from over the years, like how he was present for the Beatles recording of the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album and got Jimi Hendrix to open for the Monkees when they went on tour.
"I discovered the audiences liked those intimate moments. They liked those stories about my association with people," Dolenz said.
At this point, Dolenz doesn't need to tour but he still likes to sing in front of audiences. He admits traveling gets tougher the older he gets. He recalled an old adage in the music industry that they get paid to travel, but sing for free.
"There's a reason we call it 'playing.' How can it not be great fun," Dolenz quipped. "It's what I do. People say "don't you want to retire." I say 'no.' When you retire you're kind of saying 'that's it. I'm done." I don't want to do that."
Tickets for Micky Dolenz start at $50 and are available by calling the box office at 330-308-6400 or by going to kent.edu/tuscpac. Parking is free.
Dolenz has the photo book "I'm Told I Had a Good Time" releasing later this year. It features about 500 pages of pictures with text featuring Dolenz, his friends and life from over the years.
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @llhayhurst.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: The last Monkees member Micky Dolenz to perform in New Philadelphia
