Davy Jones was the quintessential
pop star.
It wasn’t just those big expressive
eyes, youthful looks and relatively short stature. First and foremost, he was an amazing performer who always had such a wonderful theatrical quality. He rightfully earned his status as a ’60s icon for his work in The Monkees and his passing, on Feb. 29, is a terrible loss to the world.
Born in Manchester, England in 1945, Jones started out as an actor at a young age before he switched his aspirations to becoming
a jockey (due to his love of horses). Once he came back to acting, he received great acclaim for playing the Artful Dodger in a West End production of Oliver and received a Tony nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He was even on The Ed Sullivan Show the same night that The Beatles made their first U.S. television appearance.
In 1966, he joined Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith in what would eventually become The Monkees. Specifically assembled for their eponymous TV series, the show was an enormous
success and the group itself sold 65 million records. Some of The Monkees’ most popular songs came from Davy, including
“Daydream Believer” and “I Wanna Be Free,” which features some of the loveliest vocals you’ll ever hear.
After the show was canceled, the group made their first and only film together called Head – an anarchic,
free-wheeling and plotless collection of skits that mocked their pop star image, the nature of free will and the war in Vietnam. However, the film was an enormous
flop, lasting only a week in theaters, but has since gained a cult following. The group officially
broke up in 1971, although they did have a brief resurgence of popularity in the late ’80s. Later, they earned a star on the Walk of Fame.
In his post-Monkees career, Jones embarked on a hit-and-miss solo catalogue, opened a clothing store called “Zilch,” and made various TV appearances. His most prominent one came from The Brady Bunch in the episode where he famously sings “Girl” to Marcia Brady. He also returned to the stage in Oliver Z – this time playing Fagin – and began horseracing
again, winning his first race in 1996. And, of course, he never stopped performing, which he did until the very end of his life.
He had a quiet funeral service on March 8 and is survived by his third wife, Jessica Pacheco, and his four children. One would like to think he’s in Heaven right now, still wearing that ruffled tux, joyously
dancing to “Daddy’s Song” from that one scene in Head. Rest in peace, Davy.
Tuesday, June 24, 2025