Peter Tork Of The Monkees Passes Away At 77

Peter Tork of The Monkees 

Peter Tork, who found fame as one of the made-for-TV pop foursome, the Monkees, has died at the age of 77.

Cast in the 1966 sitcom (with fellow band mates Davey Jones, Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz), the blues/folk musician found he was limited in utilizing his skills when it came to the show's music.

Producer Don Kirshner was more interested in sitcom hi-jinks and parodying the Beatles than having the actors be actual musicians.

Eventually, the 'pre-fab four' fought for and won the right to participate in creating band's music.

Wikipedia notes that the quartet sold over 75 million albums and scored such hits as "Daydream Believer," "Last Train to Clarksville," "I'm a Believer," and the show's iconic theme song.

Although the TV show ended in 1968, the band would experience a revival in fandom when MTV began airing the series in 1986. A reunion tour followed, where the band reportedly made more money than ever thanks to nostalgia.

The Washington Post writes, "If the Monkees were a manufactured version of the Beatles, a “prefab four” who auditioned for a rock-and-roll sitcom and were selected more for their long-haired good looks than their musical abilities, Mr. Tork was the group’s Ringo, its lovably goofy supporting player."

As a kid, I wore a hole in my Monkees albums playing them over and over.

RIP Peter Tork.