Davy Jones, the handsome British vocalist who melted the hearts of young girls in the 1960s, has died. Jones passed away at his Florida home Wednesday of a heart attack, according to the medical examiner’s office. He was 66.
Jones, best-known for his role in the famed TV series “The Monkees,” was the heartthrob of the band, making American teen girls swoon with his mop-top hair, big brown eyes, and megawatt smile. His fellow bandmates often teased Jones about his teen idol status and his height (he stood at only 5’3″). Monkees drummer Mickey Dolenz enjoyed jokingly introducing Jones as “Davey, the little short English one.”
His voice can be heard on some of the Monkees biggest hits. Jones took the lead on classics such as Boyce & Hart’s “Valleri,” “I Wanna Be Free,” “Daydream Believer,” (written by the Kingston Trio’s John Stewart) and “Cuddly Toy” (penned by Harry Nilsson).
Davy Jones was born Dec. 30, 1945 in Manchester, England. When he was 15, his mother died from emphysema, causing him to drop out of school. For a time, Jones pursued a career as a jockey, but soon gave it up to try acting. He appeared in the popular British TV soap opera “Coronation Street” as a teen before graduating to professional stage work.
After creating the role of the Artful Dodger in the musical “Oliver!” on the London stage, Jones came to America for the Broadway production of the play. Jones then landed a record deal with Colpix Records. His first album as a singer (simply titled “David Jones”) was released before he had even turned 20.
Shortly thereafter, Jones got wind of a new TV series going into production at NBC. The show — dreamed up in 1965 by two Columbia Pictures execs who got a brainstorm after seeing the Beatles film “A Hard Day’s Night” — was to be about an American rock band called “The Monkees.”
Young Davy Jones got the part over 436 other hopefuls, and international fame arrived nearly overnight. From 1966 to 1968, “The Monkees” was one of the top-rated programs on American television. Jones fronted the band while Texan Michael Nesmith handled guitar duties; Peter Tork played bass, and Mickey Dolenz held down the drum kit.Their smash hit single “I’m a Believer” was the biggest-selling record for the year 1967.
Critics complained that the Monkees were merely a made-for-TV carbon copy of the Beatles (although John Lennon was reportedly a fan of the show). The Monkees also came under fire for not writing their own songs or playing their own instruments on the band’s first two studio albums, despite the fact that they were all perfectly capable musicians. Frustrated, the band fired producer Don Kirshner and began writing and performing their own material on subsequent outings.
In 1967, the Monkees toured with a then-unknown guitarist named Jimi Hendrix as the opening act. Hendrix quit after only a few shows. The Monkees also gained more musical and artistic credibility upon the release of their first and only feature film, “Head,” which also featured Jack Nicholson, Victor Mature, and a memorable cameo appearance by Frank Zappa.
After the Monkees disbanded, Jones pursued a solo career as a singer in the 1970s. He also kept busy with acting roles on TV shows such as “Love American Style” and “The Brady Bunch.”
In 1986, MTV started running the original “Monkees” TV series in prime time, creating a new generation of teenaged Monkees fans. The group’s newfound popularity sparked a reunion tour and a new studio album (sans Michael Nesmith, who did not participate). They continued to regroup and tour every few years, and were still performing as late as last year.
Jones is survived by his wife, Jessica.