Obituaries

Davy Jones Has Died; What's Your Favorite Monkees Memory

A child actor before becoming a member of the Beatles-inspired TV band, Jones was 66. He apparently died of a heart attack.

Davy Jones, who played a tambourine and unquestionably filled the role of "the cute one" on the Monkees television show, has died in Florida of an apparent heart attack. He was 66.

Jones teamed with Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith to form one of the most popular groups of the late 1960s and forever become a staple on television reruns. All but Nesmith continued to tour together periodically for reunion tours, and Jones would also appear on solo gigs.

According to the website TMZ, Jones was at a ranch visiting his horses, but began experience distress while sitting in a car, where he told a ranch hand he was having trouble breathing. Paramedics took him to a hospitall where he was pronounced dead.

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Jones' next scheduled performance was to take place on March 31 at the La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts. Its website announced that fans can choose a different concert or get a refund by calling 562-944-9801.

In 2010  with Laguna Niguel Patch editor Debbie Sklar.

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Jones sang lead vocals on such songs as "Daydream Believer," "I Wanna Be Free," "Look Out, Here Comes Tomorrow," "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You," and "Valleri."

By 1:30 p.m., Jones' official website had not been updated but it fittingly played "You're My Forever."

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An unadulterated spinoff of the Beatles, the Monkees was assembled as a TV act first, but they also eventually toured and played their own instruments.

Although scoffed at by critics, they performed songs written by some outstanding songwriters, including Neil Diamond and Carole King, and for a period outsold the Fab Four. The Monkees were dubbed the Fake Fab Four, but still resonated nationally; in 2008, Yahoo Music named Jones the No. 1 teen idol of all time. 

One of the great coincidences in the English actor's life was that he appeared in London musical Oliver and, as such, was one of the performers on the Ed Sullivan Show the night the Beatles made their American television debut.


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