Cheer up, sleepy Jean, indeed.

Fans waved glowing mobile phones and sang along as "Daydream Believer" was transformed into a bittersweet teenybopper requiem when Micky Dolenz of the Monkees performed Saturday night at The Q, as part of the 2012 Moondog Coronation Ball. His set included a poignant tribute to former Monkees bandmate Davy Jones, who died Feb. 29 of a heart attack.

"Our little family suffered a major setback a couple of weeks ago," Dolenz said, adding that he was still coming to grips with the loss.

Rattling a tambourine on some numbers and strumming an acoustic guitar on others, he dedicated several songs to Jones -- "the Manchester cowboy," Dolenz called him -- including "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" and "Pleasant Valley Sunday."

"I love you, Davy Jones!" Dolenz said, looking heavenward at the end of "I'm a Believer."

Davy Jones: Family bid final farewell in Manchester
By Ian Youngs
BBC News
March 12, 2012

The family of Monkees star Davy Jones have held a private memorial service in his birthplace of Manchester.

The service took place on Sunday at Lees Street Congregational Church in the Openshaw area, where Jones performed as a child in church plays.

Jones' wife and daughters travelled to join his British-based relatives after his funeral in Florida last week.

His niece Beverley Barber said: "We had a beautiful service, and a wonderful celebration of his life, as a family."

The actor and singer died from a heart attack at the end of February at his home in Florida. He moved from Manchester to the US in the mid-1960s.

Mrs Barber said the family wanted the service to be private, but added that a public event could be staged in the US or UK in the future.

"We needed a little bit of time on our own," she said. "From a family perspective we've said our goodbye.

"We managed to keep it very private and very personal. All his family together in one room. He'd have been thrilled to bits to see that."

Jones' wife Jessica took his ashes to Manchester, Mrs Barber added.

"He came home to Manchester," she said. "His ashes weren't scattered in Manchester although they were placed on his parents' grave for a little while."

The Monkees, often described as the first manufactured pop band, were put together in 1966 for a TV series which became hugely popular in the US and the UK.

They went on to have four number one US albums within a 13-month period.

The Monkees' Davy Jones
Farewell To A Teen Idol
People Magazine
Magazine dated March 19, 2012

Beloved by millions, the former teen idol dies suddenly at age 66. A look back at the man whose fame changed music forever.

As the lead singer of The Monkees, the British pop star made teenage girls swoon and entertained fans until the end.

Performing at an Oklahoma casino on Feb. 17, Jones bounced across the stage, belting out the songs he helped make famous in the late 1960s as a member of the "Prefab Four”, the Monkees. "He looked great and said he felt great too," recalls his sax player Aviva Maloney. "It was hilarious watching the lighting people try to keep up with him." That boundless energy made the Manchester-born singer's death of a heart attack on Feb. 29 in Florida all the more shocking. "It was very unexpected”, his oldest daughter, Talia, 43, tells PEOPLE, adding that her father, a strict vegetarian and avid exerciser”,was the picture of health”.

As the news spread, fans of the man known as the most crush-worthy Monkee harked back to their childhoods glued to the catchy tunes and crazy high jinks of the made-for-TV pop quartet (rounded out by guitarists Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith and drummer Micky Dolenz). The sitcom The Monkees ran for two seasons from 1966-68 and spawned four No. 1 albums in one year. Jones further cemented his legacy playing himself in a classic 1971 episode of The Brady Bunch in which Marcia (Maureen McCormick) lands him as her junior high prom headliner – and date. "Davy was a beautiful soul who spread love and goodness around the world," says McCormick.

Dolenz, who says Jones was "like a brother”, recalls being wowed by the singer's charisma. "He was a classic entertainer, and that never changed…Davy was great to hang with. He was the go-to guy for having fun." Tork adds, "Davy could be incredibly insightful. Some of my best heart-to-heart moments have been with him… Nobody knows how awesomely smart he was. He was so gifted, he was practically a mutant." Says Talia: "He'd give you the shirt off his back. No matter how tired he was, he was gracious to everyone." Adding, "The life he had – it was like 10 lives! It's comforting to know dad had such a full one and touched so many."

Still, there were dark times after the Monkees disbanded in the early '70s. "I was depressed," Jones told PEOPLE in 1992. "I became a walking wild man, meeting two, three girls a day. I didn't know how to live." His first two marriages (which produced four daughters) ended in divorce. Jones had two DUIs near his farm in Beaverton, Pennsylvania, and lost the small percentage of Monkees royalties to bad investments. "I'm not as wealthy as some entertainers, but I work hard," he said. "A lot of people go days without having someone hug them or shake their hand. I get that all the time."

Jones, who wed actress-dancer Jessica Pacheco, 34, in 2009 had recently been focused on touring (he hit the road with Dolenz and Tork last year), writing a musical, and his beloved horses. The morning he died, the self-dubbed "Manchester Cowboy" had just been on a quick ride. Says Talia, "He went out doing what he loved”. For now, those close to Jones are coming to grips with his loss. "He was a tremendous presence and a world-class performer," says Tork. "It's very hard to believe he's gone."

The Cute One

"The show made me a sex symbol," Jones said." Not that fans wanted to take wanted to take me home to bed; they wanted to hang my poster on their wall."

Hey, Hey!

"That was a real fun time in my life," said Jones."

Style Icon

"I had an English boy's haircut. I dressed in Edwardian-style suits," Jones said of the look that earned him a Monkees role.

Monkess Business

"Davy was great to hang with," says Dolenz. "He was the go-to guy for having fun."

Monkees Mania!

Though dubbed the "Prefab Four" by cynics, the Monkees and their sitcom sparked a craze. In 1967 alone, their show won two Emmys, and they outsold the Rolling Stones and the Beatles and had Jimi Hendrix opening for them. They've sold 50 million albums- and perhaps even more lunch boxes, Said Jones: "Girls would bribe bellmen in our hotels to bring them up in boxes...[then] takes a pillowcase for a souvenir”.

...And Brains Too

"Nobody knows how awesomely smart he was," Tork says of Jones (in 1972). "He was so gifted, he was practically a mutant."

Brady Bunch star Maureen McCormick: "Davy was a beautiful soul who spread love and goodness around the world"

I Dated Davy!

While Jones was a Broadway star at 17, he dated his first American girl: New York native Maddy Miller, then 15. "He was adorable and full of sunshine," says Miller, a photographer and former People associate picture editor. Jones joked Miller didn't know whether to "walk me home or dribble me home" because of his height. The pair's haunts included a coffee shop, Miller's home in Queens (My mom made lunch") and her local pool. And at the end of their dates? "He'd kiss me at the subway."

"The life he had - it was like 10 lives! It's comforting to know dad had such a full one and touched so many" - Jones’s daughter Talia

Joy Ride

"He won a race when he was 50!" says Talia of her dad's lifelong passion. "It was one of the proudest moments of his life."

Center Stage

"Davy was always a wonderful performer," says Tork He never faltered."

Photos:

Davy Jones remembered by fans, neighbors in Beavertown as 'one of us'
By David Wenner
The Patriot-News
March 11, 2012

Randy Renard met Davy Jones when the Monkees singer inquired about a used washer Renard advertised in the local shopper.

In buying the appliance for $200, Jones learned Renard was a part-time singer.

But more impressive to Jones was that Renard had donated a kidney to his daughter.

“He told me he was awed,” said Renard, 58, of Northumberland.

It led to a friendship that included Jones trying to boost Renard’s singing career, contributing to his effort to help kidney disease patients and phoning words of encouragement to Renard’s daughter when her transplanted kidney failed.

On Saturday, Renard, who performs under the name Randolph Scott, contributed to an emotional moment at a memorial for Jones, singing “Daydream Believer,” probably the most beloved song of Jones and the Monkees.

Many in the crowd of several hundred at the outdoor event swayed and sang the song’s chorus. “Beautiful song - great guy,” Renard concluded.

Jones died Feb. 29 of a heart attack at 66. For about 20 years he owned a home in Beavertown, a borough of about 950 located 60 miles northwest of Harrisburg in Snyder County.

Beavertown residents say Jones came to the area to visit a book collaborator and it reminded him of his native Manchester, England.

He bought a large home, within about two blocks of the town square, that had been built by a member of an out-of-town family that owned a prosperous local tannery.

The first note he struck in Beavertown was a sour one.

“When he first moved in there was a lot of commotion. All three floors were lit up day and night. There was a lot of partying going on. He was told to kind of cool it, and he did. After that he was a quiet, good citizen. He was one of us,” said Cloyd Wagner, 81, Beavertown’s mayor.

' On Saturday morning, several of Jones’ neighbors stood in front of his house, which has wood siding with peeling yellow paint and an old farm tractor in the backyard. Jones loved horses and raised them on the property, which has about 15 acres.

He lived there full time for about 15 years and spent recent winters in Florida, where he died.

“When my husband passed away, he was the first person who called me,” said neighbor Anna Straub, 57.

Neighbor Tom Thoman, 53, said: “He wasn’t like some of the guys that think they’re better than anyone else. You couldn’t ask for a better neighbor.”

Thoman’s home sits across the street from Jones’, and a collection of discarded items such as old gas grills and sheets of metal sits in his yard. He said they’re part of the recycling business he started when he lost his job, and at one point they drew complaints.

Thoman said Jones was disappointed to learn of the complaints, and told him he was welcome to store the items on Jones’ property. “How many neighbors would do that?” Thoman said.

Beavertown residents said Jones regularly walked to places including the post office and a local market. Sometimes he rode a horse - not uncommon in Beavertown.

When the local library needed money, Jones donated a portion of local sales of his autobiography, raising $3,000 for the cause, Wagner said. He performed at a carnival to benefit the local fire company.

A few fans would trickle into Beavertown looking for Jones, but it was never an issue, the mayor said.

Jones was a child TV star in England. As a teen he played “The Artful Dodger” in a London production of the play “Oliver!” The play came to Broadway, and Jones was nominated for a Tony at age 16.

In the mid-60s he was among the four who successfully auditioned for a part in “The Monkees,” the TV show modeled on the Beatles and the slapstick antics of their movie “A Hard Day’s Night.”

Jones was cast as the heart-throb singer and played the role well, even though his height, 5-feet-3 inches, was a regular subject of jokes on the show.

Serious music fans criticized the Monkees for not writing most of their songs and for relying heavily on studio musicians.

Still, most people eventually agreed Monkees records such as “Last Train to Clarksville,” “I’m a Believer” and “Daydream Believer” are exceptionally good.

The show ran from 1966 to 1968. But it made a lasting impression that enabled Jones and the others to mount reunion tours, tour with oldies acts and cut several new albums over the years. Jones also did solo shows and records, which were often sold through his fan club.

In Beavertown, he bought a former church and was renovating it as a museum and community theater.

Saturday’s memorial drew people from places including New York, Ohio and Ontario. It was organized by a Monkees fan from Altoona who used social media to spread the word.

“I came for the memories, from when I was a kid, singing the songs, even now, singing the songs,” said Angela Carroll, 48, a hospital unit clerk from Staten Island, N.Y.

Lisa Hazen drove three hours from her home in Maryland to attend the memorial. The 42-year-old security guard said music of the Monkees and others “helped me through rough years as a teenager.”

Hazen was among many people who described meeting Jones following performances or at events and were struck by his devotion to talking and interacting with fans.

“He was the most gracious, charming person,” she said.

'Daydream Believers' share Monkee memories
By Marcia Moore
The Daily Item, Sunbury, PA
March 11, 2012

BEAVERTOWN -- Donna Nadratowski was compelled to leave her North Jersey home Saturday morning and join about 350 other devoted Monkees fans in this tiny hamlet to mourn the passing of lead singer Davy Jones.

"This is our farewell Monkees road trip. It's so sad," the 44-year-old said, wiping a tear from her cheek.

Maria Maresca felt the same emotional tug.

"I had to be here. We all have a communal love of the Monkees," said Maresca, 29. "I was devastated when I heard Davy died. It was if I had lost a family member."

Many fans expressed a similar loss and described receiving sympathy cards and notes from friends and families who knew how much Jones' death at the age of 66 from a heart attack would affect them.

"Davy Jones has been a part of peoples lives for 40 years. There's a lot of love for him and fans just want to be together," said Michael Shoenfelt, of Roaring Springs, who organized the memorial along with Beavertown Mayor Cloyd "Bill" Wagner.

The four-hour event included music and fan memories at the fireman's carnival grounds and ended with a vigil at the community theater at 121 N. Orange St., where Jones had proposed a museum of Monkee memorabilia near the Center Street home he purchased about 20 years ago.

"His music took me to a happy place and I just wanted a place to go and honor that. I never expected this many people to show up," the 43-year-old Shoenfelt said.

Word about the memorial in Jones' adopted rural retreat spread fast on social media sites.

Heidi Horvath, a friend of Jones' band mate and fellow Monkee Peter Tork, and Henry Mues, both of New Jersey, made the four-hour drive to Snyder County to say goodbye after learning of the event on Facebook.

"It's a way of finding closure," Horvath said outside the locked gate in front of Jones' house where fans had begun leaving flowers, handwritten notes, drawings and other keepsakes.

Amy Gaetano, 28, of Niagara Falls, N.Y., Lola Betts, 18, of Lititz, and Xandra Amrine, 17, of Etters, said their friendship was forged from their mutual love of the Monkees, demonstrating what Maresca called the Monkees "timeless, clean pop" music that pulls people of all ages and backgrounds together.

Amrine shared with the crowd how she was pulled up onto the stage in Hershey last year during the first Monkees concert she ever attended.

Determined to stand out and be noticed by Jones, the teen donned a bright orange dress and made sure her mother, who accompanied her to the show, had a camcorder to capture the moment.

"I was in the 11th row and doing the 'Davy dance' when he pointed to me," she said. "I had to crawl over chairs to get up there, but I did. It was the greatest moment of my life."

Standing away from the crowd, a more somber Nadratowski described meeting her idol on several occasions, and even dining with him after a book signing in 1987.

"He was such a real down-to-earth, wonderful person," she said.

Local residents who knew Jones as a laid-back neighbor were also drawn to the memorial.

"He always had a smile," said Amy Knepp, of Beaver Springs.

Fans to descend on Pa. hamlet that was Monkee’s hideaway
By Amy Worden, Inquirer Staff Writer
Philly.com
March 8, 2012

BEAVERTOWN, Pa. - In death, you could say, Monkees singer Davy Jones is on tour again.

His funeral was Wednesday in West Palm Beach, Fla. Memorials are planned in Los Angeles, New York City, and his native England. But amid the global fanfare, legions of social-media-savvy fans are flocking to this rural Pennsylvania borough for a modest commemoration.

Tiny Beavertown, 160 miles northwest of Philadelphia, is honoring Jones on Saturday with a four-hour event to celebrate his music and pay tribute to a fondly remembered resident.

Jones, 66, who died Feb. 29 in Florida, bought a clapboard home in Beavertown two decades ago. Here, the 1960s teen idol could ride his horses, feed his cats, and live in anonymity.

Relative anonymity, that is. Neighbor Carol Wickard recalls how a decade or so ago, Jones would don a long-haired wig to trim his hedges even though fans only sporadically came by.

"I'd tell him, 'Davy, I know it's you.' He'd say something and I'd say, 'Just don't open your mouth. You're the only person around with an English accent.' "

Jones, immortalized by chart-topping hits such as "Daydream Believer," spent recent winters in Florida but called Beavertown home. He hosted neighbors at his modest Colonial with peeling yellow paint. He was restoring a tumbledown church, hoping to create a Monkees museum and a theater. He rode his horses around town and paid his water bill, like the other 976 residents, at the borough hall.

Beavertown is in the Middle Creek Valley, sandwiched between Jack's Mountain and Shade Mountain, their slopes dotted with sprawling chicken farms that serve Empire Kosher Poultry and organic chicken processor Bell & Evans. The area counts among its population many Amish and Mennonites who work in the building trades and on family farms.

For years, the borough's most famous resident was a car - the LuLu, a short-lived model made by the Kearns Motor Car Co. in 1914. Then Jones arrived.

He planted roots in this remote spot ("20 miles from anywhere," as one resident puts it), buying 13 acres on the borough's edge. The house was large but hardly fancy, with stables out back.

What drew the onetime international heartthrob here? Mayor Cloyd Wagner says Jones first visited with a former Monkees musical director who hailed from the borough, and he fell in love with the rolling landscape.

"He said, 'This is just like England,' " recalled Wagner, who described Jones as someone you'd run into at the post office - a contrast from the years when, as former bandmate Michael Nesmith told Rolling Stone magazine this week, the Monkees regularly fled adoring fans "like rabbits."

The Beavertown event is the brainchild of Altoona resident Mike Shoenfelt, who said he thought he was Jones' No. 1 fan until he looked online.

Shoenfelt and the mayor decided on a two-part tribute: a "jam fest" on the Firemen's Carnival Grounds at noon, followed by a 3 p.m. service at the church Jones was rehabbing.

A site on Facebook spread the word. Shoenfelt said in an e-mail that after he plugged in a date, things took off. Suddenly, more than 800 people from as far away as Texas and Ontario were vowing to trek to Beavertown.

One fan wrote that she'd named her daughter for the girl called "Sleepy Jean" in "Daydream Believer" and made her son's middle name "David" for Jones.

Neither Jones' old bandmates nor his widow and his four daughters from previous marriages plans to attend, but Wagner said they are sending remarks to be read aloud.

For his part, the mayor is concerned with crowd control. "This is a tidal wave," said Wagner. "Our population is going to double." Fans are urged to bring their own lawn chairs but leave behind their liquor.

To suggestions that a typical boomer-age Monkees fan may be more likely to nod off then run amok, he harked back, sort of, to a familiar concern of 1960s mayors: outside agitators. "I'm not concerned about his fans," said Wagner, 81. "But such a large occasion might create trouble - you know, people who want souvenirs."

A Monkee's menagerie:

"He loved his animals as much as life itself," said his neighbor, Wickard. Trained as a jockey, Jones owned thoroughbreds and raced as recently as 1994, when he won a race in Britain.

Wickard, who took care of Jones' house when he was away, said the most important residents were his cats: Big Red, Fluffy, Momma and Liekey. Two live under heat lamps in the barn; two in the house that Jones spent $4,000 to heat in winter - for the cats - when he was in Florida.

He kept his horses in Beavertown much of the year. Residents say it was not unusual to hear a clip-clop of hooves at dusk and see Jones after a mountain ride.

Wagner said the old church was an eyesore until Jones bought it, installed a steeple, and painted it. Jones wanted to open a Monkees museum inside with his memorabilia, and to add a theater to bring performing arts back to a town that once boasted an opera house. "It probably won't happen without his leadership," the mayor said.

Wickard hopes Jones' family will help. "When it was down, he helped this town," she said, looking across the road at Jones' house, where fans and neighbors have pinned roses and notes to the rickety wooden gate. "He gave a donation to keep the library open. Dave would do anything for us."

Monkees star Davy Jones mourned in private funeral
By Matt Sedensky
Associated Press
March 8, 2012

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Monkees singer Davy Jones was remembered in a small private Florida funeral as a laid-back daydreamer who brought fans into a world blissfully free of worries.

The service was held behind locked doors Wednesday at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Indiantown, close to Jones' home and next to Hope Rural School, which Jones had supported.

The Rev. Frank O'Loughlin, who presided over the service, said several of Jones' own songs were played, including "I'll Love You Forever" and "Written in My Heart." In his own remarks to mourners, the priest compared the singer to the diminutive hero of "Lord of the Rings," saying the author J.R.R. Tolkien portrayed a world not unlike the one Jones offered fans.

"He wrote about a quiet, gentle, contented people," O'Loughlin said in his sermon, a copy of which he shared with The Associated Press. "A people for whom life was bright, neighbors friends, daydream believers with an absolute absence of burden who took themselves lightly — lighter than air. Wasn't that what David conveyed to the world, a blissful lightness of being?"

O'Loughlin said Jones' widow, Jessica Pacheco, brought her husband's remains to the church and her brother Joseph Pacheco, the singer's manager, gave a eulogy. Besides family, the man who first trained Jones to ride racehorses was in attendance, as were members of his current band, who wrote prayers they read at the service.

The three surviving members of The Monkees did not attend, saying they didn't want to attract unwanted attention.

"I think your David captivated us because he was a new universal hero - not a typical Odysseus or Beowulf - but a very Christian hero, strength of character rather than strength of arms," O'Loughlin said, "conducting himself with humility and caring for others."

Jones rocketed to the top of the 1960s music charts along with his bandmates in The Monkees, captivating audiences with hits including "Daydream Believer" and "I'm a Believer." He died of a heart attack Feb. 29.

A spokeswoman for Jones, Helen Kensick, said Thursday that another memorial will take place next week in the singer's hometown of Manchester, England. It will also be private and no further details were announced.

Discussions are under way for a public service in either New York or Los Angeles.

Jones' four daughters - Talia Jones, Sarah McFadden, Jessica Cramer and Annabel Jones - released a joint statement Thursday thanking fans for the response to their father's death.

"Our family has been greatly comforted by the support and love of everyone who has reached out to us," they said. "Knowing that so many people around the world were so affected by our dad's life and music makes us feel connected to you all."

The Monkees Davy Jones Death Caused By Stress, Says Daughter
By David Renshaw
Entertainmentwise
March 8, 2012

The Monkees late Davy Jones reportedly complained of having chest pains shortly before he died in his sleep after suffering a heart attack.

The iconic 1960's boyband star passed away in February and his family held his funeral yesterday (March 8). In a new interview with the National Enquirer, Jones' daughter has said that the stress of life in the music industry could have been what caused the 66 year old problems.

"Of course there was stress," Talia Jones said. "What stressed him was just living the lifestyle he did - literally going from one country to the next, one state to the next. He was always trying to do so much and please everybody."

Speaking about his health issues, Talia claimed that Davy had a clean bill of health from medical officials shortly before he died.

"My father just had all of these tests and everything came back great. He was told his heart was like a 25-year-old's. So when he continued to have pains in the chest area, he never thought it was anything but a bad case of heartburn. In fact, he needed more extensive testing to know what was going on."

The rest of The Monkees did not attend Jones' funeral yesterday with the family wanting to keep things 'very low key' and avoid a media circus.

Jones thought chest pains were heartburn, according to daughter
Express.co.uk
March 8, 2012

The Monkees star Davy Jones' daughter has shed light on her father's final days, revealing the singer was suffering chest pains in the days leading up to his fatal heart attack - but he dismissed the discomfort as indigestion.

The 66 year old died at his Florida home on 29 February (12) as a result of an abnormal heart rhythm, caused by hardening or narrowing of the arteries.

The I'm a Believer hitmaker's sudden passing shocked many fans and family members, especially his daughter Talia, who claims her father had just received a good bill of health from medics.

She tells the National Enquirer, "My father just had all of these tests and everything came back great. He was told his heart was like a 25-year-old's. So when he continued to have pains in the chest area, he never thought it was anything but a bad case of heartburn. In fact, he needed more extensive testing to know what was going on."

And Talia admits mounting stress from his career may have been a contributing factor.

She adds, "Of course there was stress. What stressed him was just living the lifestyle he did - literally going from one country to the next, one state to the next. He was always trying to do so much and please everybody."

Davy Jones funeral: Private family affair for Monkees star
By J J Anisiobi
Mail Online.co.uk
March 8, 2012

A private funeral has been held for former Monkees front man Davy Jones.

According to reports, a small intimate funeral was held on Wednesday, which it is believed his band mates were not invited to.

Only the immediate family, including his wife, Jessica Pacheco Jones, and daughters, were in attendance at the service which was was held near the star's home in Florida.

Jones, who died suddenly after suffering a heart attack in Florida last week at the age of 66, will be cremated and his ashes taken back to his birthplace in Manchester, England.

One of his four daughters, Annabel, wrote a message of thanks to all of her father's fans on her Facebook page, last night.

She said: 'Some of you may or may not know that on Wednesday last week I lost my Father. My family and I have been overwhelmed by the love and support of everyone who has reached out to tell us that we're not alone.'

She continued: 'Thank you for helping to make me feel less lost and bottomless, knowing you are all dotted around the Earth makes life less frightening and like if we all reached out we could hold hands and make a chain all the way around the planet.

'Dad and I connected mostly over music, songwriting and performance, that's where we understood each other.'

Annabel added: 'The hours I spent sitting amongst you all watching him perform are honestly some of my most precious and treasured moments. Everything was so simple while he was up there, I felt proud and close and I understood him there, as I know you all did.'

The pop singer's daughter also revealed that a special event would take place this Saturday called Occupy Beavertown, Pa.

She invited fans of Jones to a memorial for her father at 'the Church that he built for ALL of us.'

Next week, memorials are set to be built in his honour in both New York and the U.K.

Bandmate Micky Dolenz had said The Monkees were unlikely to attend the funeral because the family wanted to keep things 'very low-key'.

He told Billboard: 'And you can imagine as soon as one or two or any of us were to show up, it would very quickly be degraded into something that I don't think his immediate family would want to deal with that.'

The Monkees were a manufactured pop band put together in 1966 for a TV series.

Although the band didn't begin singing their own songs on the show they eventually did and went on to have four number one albums in the US within a 13-month period.

Davy Jones Has Been Laid to Rest in Private Funeral, Rep Confirms
AceShowbiz.com
March 8, 2012

Publicist Helen Kensick has just revealed that the ashes of the late member of The Monkees was returned to his birthplace in Manchester, England.

A week after he passed away due to severe heart attack, Davy Jones was laid to rest. A spokeswoman for the former member of The Monkees told Reuters that a private funeral was held near his home in Florida on Wednesday, March 7. The small service was attended only by his wife, daughters and other immediate family members.

Jones' publicist Helen Kensick additionally confirmed previous report that the late singer's body was to be cremated. As for what the 66-year-old singer's family had planned to do with the remains, the representative spilled that his ashes was returned to his birthplace in Manchester, England.

On Wednesday night, Jones' daughter Annabel wrote on her Facebook page, "Some of you may or may not know that on Wednesday last week I lost my Father." Thanking everyone for making her "feel less lost and bottomless", she noted, "My family and I have been overwhelmed by the love and support of everyone who has reached out to tell us that we're not alone."

"Dad and I connected mostly over music, songwriting and performance, that's where we understood each other," Annabel continued on. "The hours I spent sitting amongst you all watching him perform are honestly some of my most precious and treasured moments. Everything was so simple while he was up there, I felt proud and close and I understood him there, as I know you all did."

Jones passed away in a Florida hospital on Wednesday, February 29 morning. Before his passing, the "I'm a Believer" hitmaker was said to have been complaining of shortness of breath. His funeral service was not attended by any other surviving Monkees member. Former bandmate Micky Dolenz explained that the family wanted "to avoid a media circus" and to "keep it very, very low-key and very, very private."

Local man plans Davy Jones Memorial
AltoonaMirror.com - Altoona, PA
March 8, 2012

Michael Shoenfelt of Roaring Spring has organized a memorial for The Monkees lead singer Davy Jones in Beavertown, near Lewistown, which will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Jones had a residence in Beavertown.

"I've been a Monkees fan for 25 plus years," Shoenfelt said, adding that after Jones' death, he heard the Jones family would like to do something in Beaver-town, but nothing was planned.

"I just decided to do it," Shoenfelt said.

He met with the mayor of Beavertown, and a Face-book event page was set up to get the word out.

"There are 438 confirmed people (who will attend the event) on Facebook," Shoenfelt said, adding he expects at least 750 people to attend.

The memorial will begin at noon at the Fireman's Carnival Grounds on Sassafras Avenue, then, after an intermission, will continue at a former church, which Shoenfelt said Jones had bought to turn into a museum and community theater.

The lineup follows:

At the Carnival Grounds - music jam by invited musicians, Davy's friends speak, reading of comments of some of those who could not attend. People are asked to bring a lawn chair, or bring rain gear in case of inclement weather.

Intermission will follow with information on the location of the former church where the rest of the memorial will be held.

There will be a laying of flowers, photos and other gifts in memory of Jones, then closing remarks will be given.

For more information, go to www.facebook.com/ events/316558838393269/

Michael Nesmith in Marfa Texas
Photo courtesy to Rolling Stone by Michael Nesmith

Exclusive: Michael Nesmith Remembers Davy Jones
'For me David was The Monkees. They were his band. We were his side men.'
By Andy Greene
Rolling Stone.com
March 8, 2012

Michael Nesmith (best known as the Monkee in the green wool hat) has largely stayed out of the limelight since the group split over forty years ago, though he released a series of acclaimed country-rock albums in the early 1970s and helped lay the groundwork for MTV in the early 1980s. His mother invented Liquid Paper, and left him the bulk of her massive fortune – giving him little incentive to join the Monkees on their many reunion tours. In 1996, however, he shocked fans by reuniting with the band for the album Justus and a brief European tour the next year. That was the last time he spent any real time with Davy Jones, but the singer's death brought back a flood of memories and he agreed to speak with Rolling Stone through e-mail.

What's your first memory of meeting Davy?

I think, not certainly, that I met him on the stage where we were doing the screen tests. He seemed confident and part of the proceedings, charming, outgoing.

It's clear the producers cast each of you for different reasons. Why do you think they selected Davy? What did he bring to the group that was unique?

I think David was the first one selected and they built the show around him. English (all the rage), attractive, and a very accomplished singer and dancer, right off the Broadway stage from a hit musical. None of the other three of us had any of those chops.

Is there one anecdote that stands out in your mind that personifies Monkee-mania at its peak?

It was nonstop from the moment the show aired, so there was a constant hyper-interest in the group of us – the meter was maxxed and stayed that way for a couple of years. Once in Cleveland we strayed from our bodyguards into the plaza where a train station, or some public transport hub, was letting out thousands of fans for the concert we were on the way to give. They spotted David and the chase was on. We were like the rabbit – fleeing in blind panic. We saw a police car and jumped in the back seat, blip, blip, blip, blip, – squashed together shoulder to shoulder in our concert duds, and slammed the door just as the tsunami of pink arms closed over the car's windows. We were relieved. The cops were freaked out. They drove us to the station and our guys picked us up and we did the show. But it was like that when the four of us were together, Davy in front – pandemonium. One missed step and we were running.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the story tends to go that you (and to a slightly lesser extent Peter) got frustrated pretty early on with your lack of control over the Monkees music. Davy had a Broadway background and was pretty used to following orders. Did he share your frustrations at first? If not, explain how his views evolved to the point that he was eager to join your battle against Kirshner and the label.

You are not completely wrong, but "frustrated" is the wrong word. We were confused, especially me. But all of us shared the desire to play the songs we were singing. Everyone was accomplished – the notion I was the only musician is one of those rumors that got started and wont stop – but it was not true. Peter was a more accomplished player than I by an order of magnitude, Micky and Davy played and sang and danced and understood music. Micky had learned to play drums, and we were quite capable of playing the type of songs that were selected for the show. We were also kids with our own taste in music and were happier performing songs we liked – and/or wrote – than songs that were handed to us. It made for a better performance. It was more fun. That this became a bone of contention seemed strange to me, and I think to some extent to each of us – sort of "what's the big deal – why wont you let us play the songs we are singing?" This confusion of course betrayed an ignorance of the powers that were and the struggle that was going on for control between the show's producers in Hollywood and the New York-based publishing company owned by Screen Gems. The producers backed us and David went along. None of us could have fought the battles we did without the explicit support of the show's producers.

Some have described the movie Head as "career suicide." How did you feel about it at the time? Did you have concerns that it would alienate and confuse a huge segment of your audience? Looking back, was it a mistake?

Looking back it was inevitable. Don't forget that by the time Head came out the Monkees were a pariah. There was no confusion about this. We were on the cosine of the line of approbation, from acceptance to rejection – the cause for this is another discussion not for here – and it was basically over. Head was a swan song. We wrote it with Jack and Bob – another story not for here – and we liked it. It was an authentic representation of a phenomenon we were a part of that was winding down. It was very far from suicide – even though it may have looked like that. There were some people in power, and not a few critics, who thought there was another decision that could have been made. But I believe the movie was an inevitability – there was no other movie to be made that would not have been ghastly under the circumstances.

In your estimation, why did the Monkees burn out so quickly? The whole thing ended after little more than two years.

That is a long discussion – and I can only offer one perspective of a complex pattern of events. The most I care to generalize at this point is to say there was a type of sibling suppression that was taking place unseen. The older sibling followed the Beatles and Stones and the sophistication of a burgeoning new world order – the younger siblings were still playing on the floor watching television. The older siblings sang and danced and shouted and pointed to a direction they assumed the Monkees were not part of and pushed the younger sibling into silence. The Monkees went into that closet. This is all retrospect, of course – important to focus on the premise that "no one thought the Monkees up." The Monkees happened – the effect of a cause still unseen, and dare I say it, still at work and still overlooked as it applies to present day.

Do you think Davy enjoyed the experience of being a Monkee more than you did? If so, why?

I can only speculate. For me David was The Monkees. They were his band. We were his side men. He was the focal point of the romance, the lovely boy, innocent and approachable. Micky was his Bob Hope. In those two – like Hope and Crosby – was the heartbeat of the show.

The incident in which you punched a hole in a wall during a fight with Kirshner has been told so many times over the years it almost feels apocryphal. At the very least, the notion you were fighting about "Sugar Sugar" seems to have been debunked. What's your memory of that incident? Did Davy ever convey a feeling to you were rocking the boat too much after scenes like that?

David continually admonished me to calm down and do what I was told. From day one. His advice to me was to approach the show like a job, do my best, and shut up, take the money, and go home. Micky the same. I had no idea what they were talking about at the time, or why. The hole in the wall had nothing to do with "Sugar Sugar." It was the release of an angry reaction to a personal affront. The stories that circulate are as you say – apocryphal.

Do you have a favorite Davy Jones-sung Monkees song? If so, what makes it your favorite?

"Daydream Believer." The sensibility of the song is [composer] John Stewart at his best, IMHO – it has a beautiful undercurrent of melancholy with a delightful frosting, no taste of bitterness. David's cheery vocal leads us all in a great refrain of living on love alone.

What's your fondest memory of your time with Davy?

He told great jokes. Very nicely developed sense of the absurd – Pythonesque – actually, Beyond the Fringe – but you get my point. We would rush to each other anytime we heard a new joke and tell it to each other and laugh like crazy. David had a wonderful laugh, infectious. He would double up, crouching over his knees, and laugh till he ran out of breath. Whether he told the joke or not. We both did.

Racecourse in screen tribute to Davy Jones
This is Sussex.co.uk
March 8, 2012

FOOTAGE of pop star and amateur jockey Davy Jones' first race win was screened in tribute to the former Ashdown Forest resident on Saturday.

The Monkees' front man, who died from a heart attack last Wednesday aged 66, after a horse ride in Florida, was remembered on the big screen at Lingfield Park Racecourse.

The ground saw him ride Digpast to victory in the one-mile Ontario Amateur Rider's Handicap on February 1, 1996.

Jones had shot to fame as an actor and singer in the 1960s, before he rekindled his passion for horses at his house in Forest Row.

As a boy, Jones trained as a jockey with Basil Foster in Newmarket but he gave it up to perform in the theatre in a 1962 West End production of Oliver! which proved an immediate hit and transferred from London to New York in 1964.

Early in his showbiz career, he acted in a play at the Adeline Genee Theatre in East Grinstead, as well as appearing in Coronation Street.

Aged about 20 at the time, Jones was offered accommodation for the week by Norman Sherry, whose wife worked backstage. The 80-year-old, who still lives in the same Campbell Crescent home, said: "My wife and my daughters were big fans, they were absolutely thrilled to bits when he came to stay.

"He was here for the week and he became one of the family pretty much. He was a very enjoyable, pleasant man and only about 20 at the time, but he was absolutely top dog. He signed some records and left us with a few souvenirs."

In 1965, Jones joined The Monkees to film the television series of the same name. The band went on to enjoy overwhelming success with four number one albums in America in 13 months, as well as nine top 20 hits, including I'm A Believer and Daydream Believer – on which Jones sang lead vocals.

During his time in Forest Row, where he lived in Priory Road and Hartfield Road, he was often photographed by Mike Champion, now of Marsh Green, Edenbridge.

Mr Champion said: "He was always David to friends and Davy to his fans. But underneath it all, he was a really nice guy. I just wish he did a bit more with horses, I think he would have been happier.

"I was shocked when I heard about his death, because I really thought he was a fit and healthy man, and full of life."

Lingfield renamed two of its races on Saturday in honour of Jones' achievements and organisers are planning a permanent plaque at the ground.

A Private Service for Davy Jones
By James C. McKinley Jr.
NYTimes.com
March 7, 2012

Plans for a public memorial service for Davy Jones, the singer with the Monkees who died of a heart attack last week, are still up in the air, though his family has cremated his body and are holding a private service near his home in Florida this week, his publicist, Helen Kensick, said on Wednesday.

His former band mates - Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith - will not attend the family service near Hollywood, Fla., to avoid attracting crowds of fans during a difficult time for Mr. Jones’s relatives, Mr. Dolenz said on Tuesday. The Hollywood Reporter said funeral would be held on Wednesday, but Ms. Kensick declined to confirm that report. “No one but the immediate family is attending,” she said.

Two other memorial services are being planned. One will be held next week in Manchester, England, where Mr. Jones was born and raised, and the family is talking to surviving members of the 1960s made-for-television pop group about doing a second memorial either in New York or in Los Angeles, Ms. Kensick said. “The plans are definitely up in the air,” she said.

One open question is whether the surviving Monkees will perform together at the planned services in England and the United States. Mr. Nesmith has sat out many of the previous reunions.

“The three of us, Mike and Peter and I, we have never worked together just as a threesome,” Mr. Dolenz told the Associated Press Tuesday. He added: “We’ve been talking, we’ve been communicating, but it’s way too early, I think, to project or predict anything like that.”

Monkees debate how to memorialize Davy Jones
Associated Press
March 7, 2012

LOS ANGELES - The three surviving Monkees aren’t planning to attend Davy Jones’ funeral because it would likely bring too much unwanted attention to his family during their time of grief, the group’s Micky Dolenz said Tuesday.

He and fellow Monkees Peter Tork, and Michael Nesmith have talked of attending one of the memorials that Jones’ family is planning to hold in New York and in the late singer’s native England, Dolenz said. And he added he’s considering organizing a memorial himself for Jones’ friends in Los Angeles

Whether the surviving Monkees would perform at any of the gatherings, or at any other time in the future, is an open question.

“The three of us, Mike and Peter and I, we have never worked together just as a threesome. Mostly it was Peter, David and I and then Mike would join us,” Dolenz said of the band’s periodic reunions over the years.

“We’ve been talking, we’ve been communicating, but it’s way too early, I think to project or predict anything like that.”

A private family funeral will take place in Florida this week, Jones spokeswoman Helen Kensick said Tuesday, declining to give any further details. Planning for a family service in England and a public memorial in the U.S. were still under way.

Dolenz said he wasn’t surprised by the outpouring of public affection for Jones that followed his death from a heart attack last week at age 66.

The youngest member of the group, Jones played the role of the heartthrob in the made-for-TV band that shot to fame in 1966 with the “The Monkees” television show and such hit songs as “Daydream Believer” and “Last Train to Clarksville.”

“You know, that show and those songs touched so many millions of people all over the world for so many years,” Dolenz said. “I can’t tell you how many times someone has come up to me in a mall and said, `I just got to tell you, you made my childhood.”

And Jones, he said, was pretty much the lovable character he played on TV.

“What you saw is what you got,” Dolenz said. “He was very much a song-and-dance man, life of the party, always telling jokes, always on, an entertainer and just a great guy to be around.”

Memorial service for Davy Jones to be held in Beavertown
By Nate Wardie - CBS 21 News
March 5, 2012

The town that calls itself Davy Jones’ second home will hold a memorial service this week for The Monkees singer.

The 66-year-old singer died last week after suffering a heart attack in Florida.

According to his spokeswoman, he was in his stable surrounded by his horses. In addition to Florida, Jones had a home in Beavertown, Snyder County.

A public memorial will take place on Saturday March 10 at the former church Jones owned and planned to convert into a community theater and museum.

It will be in the old church building on Orange Street from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.

Micky Dolenz talks family's wish to have low-key burial, but says "I can see us getting together to do a memorial concert"
Davy Jones Funeral: Surviving Monkees May Not Attend
By Gary Graff
Billboard.com
March 5, 2012

The planned public memorials for the late Davy Jones may be where the surviving Monkees members give their goodbyes to their bandmate.

Jones' spokeswoman Helen Kensick has said that the family plans a private funeral in Florida, where he died on Feb. 29, and the Monkees' Micky Dolenz tells Billboard.com that for he, Peter Tork and/or Mike Nesmith to attend the ceremony might run counter to their wishes for a "low-key burial."

"My understanding is they want to avoid a media circus and... the family wants to keep it very, very low-key and very, very private," Dolenz says. "And you can imagine as soon as one or two or any of us were to show up, it would very quickly be degraded into something that I don't think his immediate family would want to deal with. So I'm kind of expecting their wishes, whatever their wishes may be."

Kensick also said there would be public memorials in New York and the U.K., which Dolenz hoped would bring the surviving Monkees together again. "He obviously had fans and family and associates on both (U.S.) coasts and two continents," Dolenz notes. "It's pretty early days, you know, to be making too many plans. I'm still in shock." No dates have yet been announced for the public events, and Jones' family is asking for donations to be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Jones, Dolenz and Tork toured in 2011 to commemorate the Monkees' 45 anniversary. The entire group last played together during 1997 in the U.K. to promote the "Justus" reunion album.

Dolenz, who was in New York doing a workshop for the musical "Garage Band" when Jones died, says he's gratified but not surprised by the outpouring for his bandmate -- and for the Monkees in the wake of Jones' passing. "I mean, he was a very well-known and well-loved character and person," explains Dolenz, who closed down the initial phase of the Monkees with Jones in 1971, recording the group's final album, 1970's "Changes," as a duo. The two also recorded and toured with Monkees producers Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart during the mid-70s. "There are a lot of people who are grieving pretty hard. The Monkees obviously had a following...and so did (Jones) on his own. So I'm not surprised, but I was flattered and honored to be considered one of his friends and a cohort in Monkee business. It's like losing a brother."

Dolenz says he, Tork and Nesmith have spoken since Jones died and are all "just, like, in shock. Peter went through a major cancer scare not long ago...and I was like, 'Oh no, I can't believe it.' He's a survivor now...and we all have our little infirmities, but Davy was the youngest and had a pretty healthy lifestyle and was...the last one I thought would be first." And, Dolenz adds, any future work by he, Tork and Nesmith under the Monkees name is "a huge If."

"We've had a sort of unspoken, I guess, agreement over the years that if it's just two of us getting together we never called it the Monkees," Dolenz explains. "And you have to remember that the four of us do not and did not and have never owned the rights to the Monkees; we cannot use the name the Monkees without permission from whoever happens to have the rights at any given time. A lot of people don't realize that. I can see us getting together to do a memorial concert, of course, but right now I can't imagine anything else happening without the Manchester Cowboy."

Davy Jones' extraordinary heart: Monkee Peter Tork remembers Davy Jones' extraordinary heart
By Peter Tork
The Hartford Courant
March 6, 2012

I wrote an article after the death of Michael Jackson in which I meditated upon the inner life of the pop star.

Now comes the loss of my sometime partner Davy Jones, and I'm in an entirely different position. I was close to David (as I almost always called him), and I got to know him as few others could.

I've often said I loved, liked and respected each of the other three Monkees in different proportions. What I don't often say is that I loved David the most.

When we first met, I was confronted with a slick, accomplished, young performer, vastly more experienced than I in the ways of show biz, and yes, I was intimidated. Englishness was at a high premium in my world, and his experience dwarfed my entertainer's life as a hippie, basket-passing folk singer on the Greenwich Village coffee house circuit. If anything, I suppose I was selected for the cast of"The Monkees" TV show partly as a rough-hewn counterpart to David's sophistication.

What stands out for me about David, however, were the several events through the years in which I came to see a man of extraordinary heart and sympathy. First comes first:

We had just been selected as co-cast members and introduced to each other. Shake hands, "How do you do?" The producers sent us out to the desert, a drive of a couple of hours, to film a commercial for Kellogg's, which was sponsoring the show.

We were almost entirely silent throughout the drive. "Nice day." "Huh." Silence. "Anyone hungry?" "Hunh." We pulled into a diner, sat down and ordered. For some reason, Micky Dolenz's and my salads came first. He and I basically stuck our forks into the bowls, and put whatever came up into our mouths.

"You pigs!" David said. "Anyone would think you was raised in a bahn the ways you guys is eatin'!" Micky and I were shamefaced.

David's salad came. With all eyes upon him, he carefully cut the salad into one-inch strips, turned the bowl 90 degrees and cut the strips into one-inch squares. He doused it all with creamy dressing. Then, he reached into the bowl, grabbed a fistful of the salad and smashed it into his face.

I suppose he felt he'd overdone the manners maven thing and was making it up to us, but it was the style and willingness to go overboard that was so appealing, and more to the point, so very funny. I laugh to this day thinking about it.

The Monkees (the group now, not the TV series) took a lot of flack for being "manufactured," by which our critics meant that we hadn't grown up together, paying our dues, sleeping five to a room, trying to make it as had the Beatles and Rolling Stones. Furthermore, critics said, the Monkees first albums (remember albums?) were almost entirely recorded by professional studio musicians, with hardly any input from any of us beyond lead vocals.

I felt this criticism keenly, coming as I did from the world of the ethical folk singer, basically honoring the standards of the naysayers.

We did play as a group live on tour, including a concert in Osaka, Japan, in 1968. There, in the middle of a performance of Mike Nesmith's "Sunny Girlfriend," we hit the pocket. The beat fell into place, solid and grooving. Rock 'n' roll was happening there for us on stage. David came bouncing over to me and yelled above the volume, "WE'RE GONNA FORM A GROUP!"

David's sympathy for my feelings about the criticism, his musical awareness and his sense of humor buoyed me that day about as much as getting into the groove. Later, when we four argued to be the musicians on our own albums, it was David's agreement that provided the unanimity that made the difference. This was huge, actually; Micky and David came from an entirely different tradition. Actors sang on records made for them, and nobody thought twice about it. Folkies and rockers made their own albums!

There were many such incidents, but I hope these help to convey David Jones' sympathy, humor and heart, qualities always in too short supply.

He's yukkin' it up somewhere else, now.

Peter Tork lives in Mansfield.

Sad Day In Clarksville
By Bob Englehart
March 2, 2012

In my opinion, Davy Jones was the soul of The Monkees. He was the most affable and certainly the most handsome. To be more specific about his looks, he was as cute as any Beatle.

I hadn't planned to do a memorial cartoon when I heard Jones had died, but I've been singing Monkees songs ever since. I don't sing them in public out of respect for my neighbors, but alone in the car and certainly in my mind.

Hey, I'm still a daydream believer. I suppose it's part and parcel of having artistic talent.

Davy Jones' Funeral Set for Florida
HispanicBusiness.com
March 5, 2012

A private funeral is planned in Florida for 1960s teen idol and Monkees lead singer Davy Jones, who died of a sudden heart attack Feb. 29.

The Hollywood Reporter said Saturday public memorials would also be held in New York and in his native England, but no dates for any of the services have been announced.

Jones' family asks that donations be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society or a local chamber of the charity in honor of the late singer's niece, who died of MS, The Washington Post reported.

Jones' representative, Helen Kinsich, said in an e-mailed statement: "Jones died after spending a happy family weekend with his wife, Jessica Pacheco, and her family riding horses. There was no sign of illness or of anything being wrong. He died of a massive heart attack while back at the stables with his horses. The medical examiner has confirmed his cause of death."

Jones, 66, had raced horses in England before starting his acting career and was selected as the first member of The Monkees. The group had a television show from 1966-1968 and recorded four No. 1 albums, the New York Daily News said.

Davy Jones performs on MY MUSIC: '60s POP ROCK 2011: PBS

In Memorium: Davy Jones of The Monkees chats about his career in one of his last interviews
The singer/actor passed away last week at age 66 of a heart attack
By Carl Cortez, Contributing Editor
Assignment X
March 5th, 2012

With the passing of Davy Jones last week at age 66 of a heart attack, the world has once again re-evaluated his position in pop culture as one-fourth of the 1960s rock band The Monkees.

Together with Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork, the foursome were cobbled together for a successful TV show which resulted in a string of successful albums – music which still resonates today even if they were unfortunately dubbed by the media “The Pre-Fab Four” (a nod to the Beatles).

From “Daydream Believer,” “Look Out, Here Comes Tomorrow” and “I Wanna Be Free,” Jones was the dreamy one – he sang the ballads and had girls swooning over him.

Last summer, Jones took the stage at the Television Critics Association to promote the PBS program MY MUSIC: ’60s POP ROCK which he was hosting and performing in.

On being known for a certain thing as an artist...

“A career takes you in a certain direction if you want to, so that Bobby McFerrin won’t sing ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’ when he does a show,” says Jones. “But, you know, ‘Daydream Believer’ is the most requested karaoke song in the world. Am I supposed to feel great about that? John Stewart wrote it. His wife collects the royalties. It’s not, as I say, about dollars and cents. If somebody stops me and wants to do the Monkee walk, you know, I’ll say ‘Okay.’ But my background has been in theater. I’ve been in television, you know, probably the most unrecognizable voice — or the most recognizable voice, you know. I’m used it. I’m not like a showbiz kind of guy that’s at all about the parties and the red carpets and this, that, and the other. Micky is into that. Micky is a corporate entertainer. He wants to be at these places. And Peter is a musician that sings with Shoe Suede Blues. And if you talk to Peter or any of these artists that were there, they are not living in the past. They are just taking advantage of the things that made them successful. You know, Tony Bennett probably gets pissed off every time he sings ‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco,’ but maybe he doesn’t, you know. Maybe he wishes he had 10 more of those.”

On not realizing “Daydream Believer” was a hit...

“I didn’t know what I was singing,” Jones admits. “When we did ‘Daydream Believer,’ Chip Douglas, who produced it, came to me, and he said, ‘Well, what do you think about that one?’ because we had 12 songs, and this was the 13th song. I said, ‘Yeah. Dump that.’ He said, ‘No. This is a single.’ I said, ‘I don’t know.’

On keeping busy as a performer in his ‘60s...

“I’m physically fit, and I’m pretty mentally active with, you know, sort of other things in my life that take up my time,” says Jones. “It’s not easy. I did 46 concerts. I got home on Tuesday afternoon, and on Wednesday, I drove to New York, which was a two three and a half hour drive and three and a half hours back, in order to be able to go on THE JOY BEHAR SHOW, and then I drove back on Thursday on Wednesday night. And on Thursday morning, I got on a plane and flew to San Francisco. I was watching my daughter yesterday compete in a horse show at Pebble Beach, and this morning, I got on a plane, and I came here, but I’m not feeling fatigued. I’m feeling, you know, ‘hey, this is what I do, you know, and I’m here to talk about this particular special.’ And, obviously, yeah, The Monkees, it always comes into play, but it’s also a very nice thing when people say ‘I saw you on Broadway in 1963 ’64,’ or ‘I saw you doing this or that or the other.’ Not one has any heavy weight over the other.”

And as the session concluded, Jones added this about the power of music.

“There are more feelings and emotions than there are words to express them, and we should do it through the music,” he said.

Complete interview from Assignment X:

Interview: Monkees member Davy Jones chats MY MUSIC: ’60s POP ROCK’
The singer talks about performing and pop culture longevity
By Abbie Bernstein, Contributing Writer
Assignment X
December 2nd, 2011

Davy Jones remains one of the most enduring icons of ‘60s pop, thanks largely to the fact that as the primary lead singer of the Monkees, he was insanely popular, but also because he’s still performing now.

For people of a certain age, the Monkees were indelible. Yes, the ‘60s band – Jones, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith – were originally put together by NBC network casting executives and played a lot of material by outside songwriters, but the songs were catchy, the show was fun (and actually subversive when rewatched by adults), and the band has remained so beloved that Jones, sometimes solo, sometimes with Dolenz (and occasionally Tork), continues to tour.

Although Jones is also a stage actor – one of the few, if not the only one, who has played both the Artful Dodger (in his youth) and Fagin (more recently) in OLIVER! – a writer and was a jockey, he’s still best known as a pop performer. It therefore makes complete sense that he’s the host of PBS’ MY MUSIC: ’60s POP ROCK, which airs Saturday, Dec. 3 at 8 PM.

Jones still loves performing, but he also enjoys his home life – and his horses. “At the moment, I have six thoroughbreds and I have some other horses – I have a driving horse, I have an Amish carriage, I sometimes ride it round my track at the back of my house. I bought an old house in Pennsylvanian the Eighties and, as they say, people think I’m in the Witness Protection Program. I’m there because I’m unknown, anonymous, and that’s what I like to be. And then I go and I find [very enthusiastic audiences].”

ASSIGNMENT X: You’ve said you’re also working on writing a new musical with a longtime friend...

DAVY JONES: It’s got a great book that I’ve written and we’ve collaborated on all the songs as far as the storyline and everything else. It’s going to be good.

AX: There are clips of you performing very recently and you look to be having as great a time as the audience. Have you just enjoyed performing this much through your entire career, or did you ever have a moment of feeling bad about it?

JONES: Yes, I did. In the Eighties, I went back to England in ’82 and I said to myself, “I’m not going to do it.” Then all of a sudden, I’m watching television and seeing what’s going on, and I said, “I’m better than this. I should be doing some work.” So in ’86, I played the part of Jesus Christ in GODSPELL, and I went out there for a year and I just renewed my interest in the business. I hadn’t worked [as a performer] for about four years in England, I was just looking after horses and taking care of stuff, and I thought, “I can do this. I’ve got to go there and do this.” And so I did. And then we did the ’86 Monkees reunion tour, which was the biggest tour of the year. And basically I’m just trying to incorporate my enthusiasm into my performance. And I feel better, my voice is better, I’m singing better, I’m feeling better about my life.

AX: Are there acting roles you’d still like to do?

JONES: I would like to do Joel Grey’s [Emcee role in] CABARET. I would like to be Tony Newley in STOP THE WORLD, I’d like to do Tommy Steele in HALF A SIXPENCE. Just those things that would match my personality. As a sixty-five-year-old man, I can’t be doing BARNUM, balancing on a high wire. It’s got to be sensible and it’s got to be something that I’m going to enjoy. An actor takes whatever is happening at the time and then once they’re tired of doing it and it doesn’t feel good to them and they’re not good doing it, then they leave. It’s not everybody’s choice. You hear from many, many people who say the same things I did. As you get typecast into a certain thing, people only see you as that. But my Fagin [in the musical OLIVER!] was as good as any Fagin, as good as Alec Guinness or as good as Ron Moody or as good as Clive Revill or any of these people. You just have to see that to believe what I’m saying.

AX: A lot of people who came up in the Sixties who are still around have a kind of longevity that a lot of people who’ve come up since then haven’t had. Do you have any theories as to why that is?

JONES: It’s attitude. It’s attitude. If you want to have longevity, you’ve got to have the attitude and desire. It doesn’t matter whether you’re playing at the Holiday Inn, or you’re playing at the Ritz. As long as you feel good about what you do, that’s who you are. I don’t have to prove anything any more. I only have to have to say to myself, “Am I having a good time? Yeah. Do I feel healthy? Yeah. Am I enjoying everything that I should be enjoying? Am I comfortable in what I’m doing? Yeah. I am comfortable in what I’m doing.” I don’t care what anyone says about my performance or whether I’m good, bad or indifferent. I’m who I am and I can’t change that.

Davy Jones on the set of the television show The Monkees in March 1968 in Los Angeles, California. - Getty Images

Davy Jones' friends and neighbors remember the kind-hearted man
Reported by: Kirk Clyatt
CBS 21 News
March 3, 2012

He was part of the soundtrack for so many of our lives, Davy Jones, who died Wednesday in Florida.

For Davy, his life long love of horses and Central Pennsylvania were both keys parts of his life.

His house in Beavertown is a house where Davy had four cats and of course, his beloved horses during the summer. Jones was just here in town last month at the Dollar Store stocking up on food for the cats before heading back to Florida.

Many are impressed with what he did for this community and how he became such important part of this small town. Thursday, many are grieving that his life so suddenly came to an end.

It was as part of the Broadway cast of Oliver, in 1964, that Davy was in the same show with the Beatles, he said, "I saw the girls going crazy, this is it."

For Davy 'it' turned out to be a lot more than being a 60s teen idol, it was about being a man who made a difference.

As a young girl Sherri Sellers was a huge fan.

“Yeah, I wrote Davy a love letter at one point,” blushed Beavertown Community Librarian Sherri Sellers.

Little did she know that years later, Davy would be the one who saved her communities’ library.

“He has given us thousands of dollars in the past,” Sellers told CBS 21.

“He is family, when he is home, he is just like you and me,” explained the caretaker of Davy’s home, Carol Wickard. Carol had just talked to Davy.

While he loved his cats, since his youth he was passionate about horses.

“He gets up 3, 4 o'clock in the morning takes care of the horses, feeds them and trots around town,” Wickard explained.

Davy was an everyday part of this community.

“He'd come down to the post office and bring his horse along,” commented resident Justin Sperka.

Davy got the fame that he craved that night 48 years ago on the Ed Sullivan show, but he kept his stardom in perspective as he talked about being a celebrity.

“It's all kind of a falsehood and I think people take it too seriously, that is what you have not got to do, don't stop sort of listening and learning and I think that is the secret to success,” Jones stated on the Biography Channel in a documentary.

There no doubt that much of his success in life came from the part that was spent in his house and with his friends in this community, this is a man that even had a yard sale a couple of years ago right at his house.

Davy Jones funeral plans made; public memorials to be held in New York and the U.K.
By Jen Chaney - Celebritology 2.0 - The Washington Post
March 2, 2012

Funeral plans for the late Davy Jones - the Monkees frontman who died Wednesday of a sudden heart attack - are beginning to come together.

In an e-mail message sent to members of the media, a rep for Jones announced that “a private family service will be held shortly in Florida,” where the ’60s pop star was residing at the time of his death. Public memorial services are also being planned in New York and the U.K., but the dates for those events have not yet been determined.

“Jones died after spending a happy family weekend with his wife, Jessica Pacheco, and her family riding horses,” Jones’s rep, Helen Kensick, said in the statement. “There was no sign of illness or of anything being wrong. He died of a massive heart attack while back at the stables with his horses. The medical examiner has confirmed his cause of death.”

Jones also was survived by four daughters from his previous marriages and many fans who have been listening to “Daydream Believer,” “Valleri” and many other memorable tunes on repeat since his passing.

Davy Jones funeral to be held in Florida
Associated Press
March 2, 2012

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The heart attack that killed Monkees heartthrob Davy Jones came while the singer was in his stable surrounded by his beloved horses.

The star's spokeswoman, Helen Kensick, offered the detail Friday, two days after Jones died in Florida.

She says Jones spent his final days surrounded by family and riding horses before his sudden death.

A funeral in Florida will be private. Kensick says public services to honor Jones will be held in New York and in England, though the details have not been finalized.

Jones rocketed to stardom in the 1960s as a member of The Monkees. Though their television show lasted just two years and the group ultimately broke up, they have endured with such chart-topping hits as "I'm a Believer" and "Daydream Believer."

Jones was 66.

Peter Tork, Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz

The Monkees were considering tour, says Peter Tork
Musicrooms.net
March 2, 2012

The Monkees were planning a new tour before Davy Jones died.

The 'Daydream Believer' hitmakers' 45th anniversary tour was cut short last year amid rumours of infighting but Peter Tork has revealed he and Davy - who died of a heart attack aged 66 on wednesday (29.02.12) - had been discussing going back on the road again.

Peter told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Before this terrible news Davy and I were emailing each other so we could make the new tour happen.

"We were looking forward to more tours. But those won't happen - at least not with Davy."

Peter last saw Davy during the band's final gig last summer and says the rest of the tour was cancelled "because of a glitch in our business department".

He added: "I said, 'Goodbye, I'll see you later.' "

Peter has admitted it now "doesn't seem very likely" the group will play together again but would consider a tribute show for Davy if bandmates Michael Nesmith - who has not performed with The Monkees since 1997 - and Micky Dolenz would take part.

He told Billboard.com: "It's not absolutely impossible. The Monkees have gone out as a threesome for most of the past 20-some years. But there are no plans, no discussion. This is way too early to begin to think about that. "Certainly if there's some kind of concert in his honour, I think we would all attend if we could arrange it."

Davy Jones and Maureen McCormick during The TV Land Awards in 2003.
Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Davy Jones dead: Maureen McCormick pays tribute to late Monkees singer, says he was ‘a beautiful soul’
The singer appeared in a memorable episode of 'The Brady Bunch'
By Cristina Everett / NY Daily News
March 1, 2012

The woman who had the biggest crush on Davy Jones is broken-hearted.

Maureen McCormick, best remembered as Marcia Brady on the '70s sitcom “The Brady Bunch,” has fond memories of the times she shared on-screen with the late British singer.

“Davy was a beautiful soul who spread love and goodness around the world,” the actress tells the Daily News. “He filled our lives with happiness, music and joy. He will live on in our hearts forever. May he rest in peace.”

McCormick fulfilled every young girl of her generation’s fantasy during an unforgettable episode of “The Brady Bunch,” in which Marcia gets to meet her biggest crush, Davy Jones.

In the episode, Marcia promises her school she can get the singer to perform at her prom after he responds to her fan letter. But after realizing that may not happen, she barges into his recording session and pleads with his manager to make her dream come true. Davy, who overhears the conversation, later appears on her doorstep and happily agrees to perform at the school function under one condition – that Marcia be his prom date.

Jones is also remembered by the three surviving members of The Monkees, which started as a prefabricated band for television and became the launchpad for his career.

Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith were left in shock upon hearing Jones had died from a heart attack on Wednesday at the age of 66.

“It came as a pretty big shocker – right out of the blue,” Dolenz told NBC’s “Today” show. “You know, he was the last one that I thought would (go first) … the youngest one of us.”

Though they had originally come together as a band just for the Beatles-inspired ’60s TV series, Tork said the four musicians bonded into friends.

“I know Davy was very happy to be a part of all of this,” Tork told USA Today. “He wanted nothing more than to be an entertainer. And to help people enjoy time.”

The Monkees helped Jones become a breakout teen idol, a stature reinforced by his lead vocals on hit songs like “I Wanna Be Free” and “Daydream Believer.”

A 2008 Yahoo poll voted Jones No. 1 teen idol of all time.

"Getting Davy Jones" - Season Three "The Brady Bunch' - December 19, 1971,
As the president of his fan club, Marcia (Maureen McCormick)
promised to deliver Davy Jones (as himself) to her school,
but had no way of getting in touch with him.
Getty Images

Monkee Davy Jones Paved Way For Heartthrobs Like Justin Bieber
Jones, who died Wednesday, was one of the original multimedia teen dreams
By Gil Kaufman
MTV.com
March 1, 2012

There had been plenty of teen heartthrobs before: from Elvis Presley, Frankie Avalon and Paul Anka in the 1950s to Ricky Nelson, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones in the 1960s.

But few of them worked the angles like Davy Jones did. The Monkees singer, who died on Wednesday near his Florida home of a heart attack at age 66, was one of the original multimedia teen dreams. Before Justin Bieber blitzkrieged his fans with movies, music, perfumes and nail polish, prior to Miley Cyrus' triple-dipping in TV, movies and music, Jones made the girls cry every Monday night for two years during the prime-time run of "The Monkees," and then did it again when the group hit the road and the toy-store shelves.

Unlike his cohorts in the made-for-TV band - the serious leader/guitarist Michael Nesmith, the lovable space cadet Peter Tork and goofball drummer/singer Micky Dolenz - Jones was well primed for the spotlight by the time he auditioned for the show in late 1965. He'd already starred on Broadway in "Oliver!" as a teenager, released an album and been nominated for a Tony Award.

But once he hit the screen as the impish, tambourine-bashing Davy on "The Monkees," Jones belonged to the world. He wasn't my favorite Monkee; that honor went, in order, to slapstick master and dreamy-voiced singer Dolenz and then to bookish, reticent schemer Nesmith.

But watching the reruns of the show as a teenager, I saw an undeniable magnetism in Jones. He had that eagerness to please and boyish charm that comes of children who've spent their lives on the stage. You see it now most clearly in the striving teens desperate for what they think is their one-and-only shot at stardom on "American Idol," or in the ready-for-prime-time song-and-dance modern successor, Nickelodeon's screen-to-stage crossover "Big Time Rush."

The British Jones appeared firmly in his element alongside his American castmates, with the four essentially setting the template for all of reality TV to follow. Cast to play exaggerated versions of themselves in the madcap show, each Monkee had a distinct personality, with the diminutive Jones popping out as the one that made the girls swoon. In fact, his lovability became a recurring joke on the show, with the other three rolling their eyes every time Davy worked his charm on yet another comely beauty as they were left to be his hipster wingmen.

While his cohorts struggled to take the musical lead in the studio from domineering producer Don Kirshner, Jones was happy to smile and smack his tambourine, flip his pre-Bieber mop top and hop to the front to sing the occasional lead on hits such as the #1 smash "Daydream Believer." His poise, comfort and easy charm came through on camera amid all the zany setups on the show, making him the de facto "cute one," a transplanted doppelgänger for fellow Brit Paul McCartney of the Beatles.

The Monkees were tagged the "Prefab Four" thanks to producers' attempts to create their own Beatles-like sensation by using studio musicians to fill in on recordings for the TV cast. When the real Fab Four retreated to the studio and retired from touring the same month the Monkees released their 1966 debut album, Jones happily took on the mantle of hip-shaking, paisley-wearing, glint-in-his-eye teen dream, even as the rest of the group looked more interested in turning on and dropping ... something.

And, like McCartney, Jones became a cover boy on countless teen mags and a cha-ching maker for the Monkees machine, appearing (with his bandmates) on all the requisite spin-off products you might expect: from Halloween masks to playing cards, packages for Hot Wheels Monkeemobile toys, pens, postcards, lunch boxes, puzzles, charm bracelets, bucket hats, key chains, gum packages, hand puppets and just about anything else you can imagine.

True story: In 2010, Dolenz told me that when the Monkees toured in 1967 with their hand-picked opening act, Jimi Hendrix, the guitar legend was eventually forced to drop off the bill because his playing was often drowned out due to fans screaming Jones' name during his sets. Think about that. Many years ago, when I read a biography of glam-rock icon David Bowie, my mind was blown when I found out that his birth name was David Jones, but that he felt compelled to adopt a stage name because, yes, he feared being overshadowed by a Monkee. I'll give you a minute on that one, too.

It wasn't until years later that I learned that, with the exception of their vocals, the Monkees hardly appeared on their own albums and relied on professional songwriters like Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and Neil Diamond for almost all of their big hits. But who cares, right? Because when Davy boogaloo'd out front, Mickey swung his 'fro and beat the drums, Michael strummed the guitar with that impassive look and Peter offered up that adorable blank stare, the dream became real.

"First of all, it wasn't a band," Dolenz told me in that 2010 interview for the Cincinnati Enquirer. "It was a TV show about an imaginary band that lived in an imaginary beach house and had imaginary adventures. Because we were always struggling for success on the show I think it spoke to kids all around the world sitting in their living rooms and garages trying to be the next Beatles. The thing we left everyone with was the bizarre story of the Monkees one day going out on the road and becoming real, which Mike Nesmith used to say was like Pinocchio becoming a real boy."

Yahoo! Music named Jones the #1 teen idol of all time in 2008, besting the likes of Cyrus, Britney Spears, "The Partridge Family" star David Cassidy, the Jonas Brothers, Backstreet Boys and 'NSYNC.

Why? Mostly because of Jones' knee-buckling performance of "Girl" on a 1971 episode of "The Brady Bunch," during which he agreed to be Marcia's date to the prom. That appearance on "Getting Davy Jones," by the way, is among the most popular "Brady" episodes of all time.

Jones never quite broke out of the Monkees orbit, playing the hits until just a week ago at a February 19 solo gig in Oklahoma. According to accounts, he still had that smile on his face, that wriggle in his hips and that glimmer in his eye. While former boy banders like Justin Timberlake seem at times conflicted over being pigeonholed for what they used to be, well into his fifth decade as a boy-star-turned-man, Jones kept the dream alive, for us, and for himself.

Davy Jones Autopsy: Heart Attack Cited as Cause of Death for Monkees' Frontman
By Gina Serpe
E! Online
March 1, 2012

In the end, it was the heartbreaker's own heart that gave out.

Preliminary results of an autopsy performed on former Monkees lead singer Davy Jones revealed that the 66-year-old's cause of death was a result of what was, essentially, a severe heart attack, E! News has learned.

The autopsy was conducted at 10:30 this morning by Martin County's Chief Medical Examiner Roger E. Mittleman, and initial tests revealed the cause of death to be ventricular fibrillation due to severe coronary atherosclerosis.

For those not in possession of a medical degree, ventricular fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm caused by a blocking of blood to the heart due to a hardening of the arteries.

However, as always, a formal cause of death won't be officially declared until the results of the toxicology tests are returned.

East Lancashire sister of Monkees star pays tribute
From Lancashire Telegraph.co.uk
March 1, 2012

THE eldest sister of Monkees star Davy Jones has paid tribute to her ‘kid brother’ in the wake of his death.

The singer and actor, 66, who had strong connections in East Lancashire, died after suffering a heart attack in his sleep at his Florida home on Wednesday.

Davy found fame in the 1960s with the iconic TV boyband, famous for hits including I'm a Believer, Last Train to Clarksville and Daydream Believer.

Hazel Wilkinson, who lived in Church and would often entertain the popstar when he came back home to Britain, said she last spoke to Davy “not long ago” and would write to him once a fortnight.

She said: “He was always playing the monkey, right from being born.

“When he came over he was just my younger kid brother. We talked about the olden days, we talked about people who lived in our street.

“He was just a family member. When he came over he would sleep on the settee if he had to!”

Hazel said she first heard of Davy’s death after her family in Manchester received a phone call from the brother of the singer’s third wife, Jessica Pacheco.

She said: “It was just a shock to everybody. He was fine, he was on the Boybands TV programme on Saturday and Sunday on ITV2 and everybody was telling me how well he looked. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with him.”

Davy, who last month went on a cruise holiday with one of his four daughters and one of his four grandchildren, only last week sent Hazel a copy of his latest album.

She said: “There was a picture of me and all the family, him at six and me at 16, and it’s on the front cover.

“I sent the picture to him last year and he had it printed on the front.

“We were all there at The Monkees concerts last year when they came over and did 10 dates in England.”

Hazel helped run The Monkees fanclub, writing to fans as far away as Australia and Japan, for more than 40 years.

She said: “I do thank all The Monkees fans, they’ve been absolutely terrific fans. He couldn’t have had any better.”

Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Micky Dolenz: Davy Jones was the go-to guy for fun
By Ree Hines
TODAY Entertainment
March 1, 2012

Just as fans were left reeling from the news of the sudden death of actor-singer Davy Jones on Wednesday, so was his longtime friend and bandmate Micky Dolenz.

On Thursday morning, the fellow member of The Monkees visited TODAY to discuss the loss and look back at Jones' life.

"It came as a pretty big shocker – right out of the blue," Dolenz told host Ann Curry. "You know, he was the last one that I thought would (go first)… the youngest one of (The Monkees). … I suspect a little bit might have genetics. I think both of his parents passed pretty early on."

But despite those early losses, Dolenz always associated Jones as a happy guy that looked on the bright side of life.

"He was always the go-to guy for fun and a laugh," the singer explained. "He was a jokester and always was. We hung out a lot together. I remember very clearly. We had similar backgrounds…. Even in the earlier auditions I remember we kind of connected because I'd been in show business as a kid. He'd been on stage doing Oliver. So we had that kind of connection in common, so immediately we just kind of hit it off and stayed very good friends."

It all started with The Monkees, a show and a band that Dolenz considers a bit of magic.

"It was that serendipitous sort of thing – catching lightning in a bottle," he said. "I don't think … there's no formula. But you get lucky and certain people get together and that chemistry happens. It's like a little bit of magic. And it did certainly happen with us."

But oddly enough, now that Jones is gone, the memories of the man that have surfaced most for Dolenz have nothing to do with the show or the music. They're just random, happy images of his friend.

"I keep going back to just watching him play soccer -- kicking around a soccer ball," he recalled. "We used to have a private plane on tour, and we would land at a private airport where we were going to go play a gig. For some reason images come back to me of him and a bunch of other guys running around the grass around the plane, kicking a soccer ball. That's one (memory) that comes to mind, or hanging out swimming in the pool or something like that."

Most of all, he just remembers Jones as great guy, a great father and true friend.

"Ultimately, we all became pretty good friends, and he and I probably the best of friends.," he said.

A picture of health: Davy Jones, who suddenly passed away on Wednesday morning, looked happy as he signed autographs at an event in California just two weeks ago
Photo by Neil J. Schutzer/Slash News

Davy Jones dead: Monkees singer looking healthy and happy at autographing session just a fortnight before his death
By Paul Thompson and Kimberley Dadds
dailymail.co.uk: Mail Online
March 1, 2012

He suddenly passed away in his sleep yesterday morning following a massive heart attack.

But photos have now emerged of The Monkees star Davy Jones looking healthy and happy at an autographing session just over a fortnight ago.

The lead singer of the 1960s group died at his home in Florida at the age of 66 on Wednesday morning.

And seen in pictures that have emerged of him just a fortnight ago, the singer looked tanned and full of life.

The singer was appearing at the quarterly 'Hollywood show' autograph session in Burbank, California on 11 February alongside other star greeters including Harry Potter's Tom Felton and American Pie actress Shannon Elizabeth.

And he was clearly enjoying himself as fans flocked to see him and receive their own special signature.

On 11 February the lead singer of The Monkees attended the autograph session
in Burbank as he joked and laughed with passers by
Photo by Neil J. Schutzer/Slash News

In the photos Davy is seen grinning widely as he holds up some signed guitars and joked with passers by.

He was also seen signing memorabilia such as CD cases and posters of the group in their heyday as he beamed for the cameras.

Last picture: Davy passed away at his home in Florida following a heart attack
Photo by Neil J. Schutzer/Slash News

And he was due to carry out a similar session in May at the Dead Mans Curve Hot Rod Event in New Jersey in May, where he was due to hold a private meet and greet for several selected fans.

The lead singer of the Daydream Believer group – which also consists of original members Micky Dolenz, 66, and 70-year-old Peter Tork – passed away in Indiantown, where he lived, his publicist, Helen Kensick, confirmed.

An official from the medical examiner's office for Martin County, Florida, said they received a phone call from the Martin Memorial Hospital informing them that Davy had died.

A spokesman for the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said he was pronounced dead after being taken to hospital in the town of Stuart.

The spokesman said they are investigating Jones’s death but said there do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

A statement released by the Sherriff’s Office said: ' A witness has stated that earlier this morning he was at 9955 SW Fox Brown Road in Indiantown, Florida, with David Jones (He stated Mr. Jones began to complain of not feeling well and having trouble breathing.

'Martin County Fire Rescue responded and transported Mr. Jones to Martin Health System. Stuart, where he was pronounced deceased. At this time there do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death. Family has been notified.'

His bandmate, drummer Micky Dolenz, released a statement to TMZ saying he had 'bad dreams all night long' before learning of his friend's death this morning.

'Can't believe it...Still in shock...had bad dreams all night long,' Dolenz said, adding: 'My love and prayers go out to Davy's girls and family right now.'

Bassist Peter Tork released a statement saying: 'It is with great sadness that I reflect on the sudden passing of my long-time friend and fellow-adventurer, David Jones.'

'His talent will be much missed; his gifts will be with us always. My deepest sympathy to Jessica and the rest of his family.

'Adios, to the Manchester Cowboy.'

Michael Nesmith who didn't join the original members of the group, Davy, Micky and Peter - in reuniting for a 45th anniversary tour last year - also revealed he will 'miss' the pop icon.

He wrote: 'I will miss him, but I won’t abandon him to mortality. I will think of him as existing within the animating life that insures existence.'

The woman on the phone is heard telling the operator that she needs an ambulance and urged 'hurry'.

She was then heard shouting at other people in the background.

Davy leaves behind four daughters, Talia Elizabeth, 43, and Sarah Lee, 40 from his marriage to Linda Haines, and Jessica Lillian, 30, and 23-year-old Annabel Charlotte from his marriage to Anita Pollinger.

Getty Images - Monkee-ing around: Davy joined The Monkees in 1965 along with
Micky, Peter and Michael Nesmith and became a television hit

The pop icon – who was born in Manchester, North West England – married 33-year-old TV presenter Jessica Pacheo, who he met in 2006, in August 2009.

In May 2011, the singer said he was having some of the happiest times he's ever had in his life with Jessica.

He explained: 'We have love. We have friendship. She’s also aware of what I’ve done in music, and the fact that I no longer really need to prove anything.'

Davy joined The Monkees in 1965 along with Micky, Peter and Michael Nesmith – who did not rejoin the group for their shows last year – and they went on to record a number of hit records including Daydream Believer, Last Train To Clarksville and I'm a Believer.

Jones was born on December 30, 1945, in Manchester, England. His long hair and British accent helped Jones achieve heartthrob status in the United States.

Redferns Image: Just months before his death: Pictured at the Royal Albert Hall last May
with daughter Annabel, son-in-law Josh Cramar, daughter Jessica, grandson Phoenix, and wife Jessica in 2011
and far right, his wife Jessica Pacheco

Last year, the pop/rock group - who were created to appear in their own TV show in the 60s - reformed for a 45th anniversary tour, but they ended up scrapping some dates amid reports of fall outs between the group.

At the time, Micky wrote on his Facebook page: 'Dear Fans and Friends, The Monkee Tour has, indeed, been cancelled but for reasons that I cannot discuss at this time.

'I can say that the reasons pertain to business and are internal matters.

'Needless to say, I am disappointed but the situation was unavoidable and I want to apologise to all the fans out there who will not be able to experience what was a wonderful show indeed. Regretfully, Micky (sic).'

Brian Rasic/Rex Features: Making a comeback: Jones reformed with the band last year
for a UK and U.S. tour, seen here in London in May giving Micky a high five.

According to The Monkees website, Monkees.com, Jones left the band in late 1970.

In the summer of 1971, he recorded a solo hit Rainy Jane and made a series of appearances on American variety and television shows, including Love American Style and The Brady Bunch.

Jones played himself in a widely popular Brady Bunch episode, which aired in late 1971. In the episode, Marcia Brady, president of her school's Davy Jones fan club, promised she could get him to sing at a school dance.

By the mid-1980s, Jones teamed up with former Monkee Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz and promoter David Fishof for a reunion tour.

Their popularity prompted MTV to re-air The Monkees series, introducing the group to a new audience.

In 1987, Jones, Tork and Micky Dolenz recorded a new album, Pool It. Two years later, the group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In the late 1990s, the group filmed a special called Hey, Hey, It's the Monkees.

Monkees singer was '60s heartthrob
Ex-child actor wanted to be jockey before he discovered music
The Daily Telegraph; With Files From Reuters
March 1, 2012

Davy Jones, former lead singer of the 1960s made-for-television pop band The Monkees, died on Wednesday after suffering a heart attack in Florida, according to his longtime publicist. He was 66.

Jones was a heartthrob for millions of teenage girls in the 1960s.

The group, put together by NBC Television, was the world's first manufactured pop band and was derided by critics as much as it was adored by its fans. The band also featured Mickey Dolenz, the "zany" one with the big smile, and Peter Tork, a "goofy" blond with the floppy hair, and the serious Mike Nesmith. Ne-smith and Tork were actual musicians with performing and recording experience, while Jones and Dolenz were primarily actors who more or less dabbled in music.

The diminutive, British-born Jones, a former child actor chosen by NBC as the group's designated pin-up, performed (lip-synched, some claimed) to music played by the cream of Los Angeles session musicians.

In the 1960s their television show, The Monkees, which chronicled the adventures of an imaginary band living in a California beach house, ran for 52 episodes, and the group sold millions of copies of songs such as I'm a Believer, Last Train to Clarksville and (I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone. In 1967, The Monkees outsold both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. I'm a Believer even kept both the Beatles' Strawberry Fields Forever and the Beach Boys' Good Vibrations off the top of the American charts. They also made a bizarre movie called Head, written by Jack Nicholson.

But when their television show ended, The Monkees decided to seize "artistic control" and play their own songs. Dolenz learned to play drums, Jones a bit of guitar. They started to write some of their own material and went on tour in 1967, supported, bizarrely, by Jimi Hendrix, who was booed offstage by teenage girls yelling for Davy Jones (Hendrix finally gestured obscenely and stomped off).

But their run in the charts soon ended and, after splitting up in 1968, they disappeared into obscurity.

Three of the band, Jones, Dolenz and Tork, staged various Monkees reunions over the years and in 1997 the band staged a comeback with Nesmith for the first time, releasing a new album and embarking on a tour. Last year, however, they abruptly pulled the plug on a tour to celebrate The Monkees' 45th anniversary. Later "internal group conflicts" were cited for the cancellation.

Jones was scheduled to perform with music contemporary David Cassidy, formerly of the Partridge Family, at the Magic City Casino in Miami on April 14, CBS reported. He is survived by his wife, Jessica, and four daughters from previous marriages.

Jones never seemed to be unduly upset by the band's failure to re-turn to the big time: "Wherever I go, people still shout out: 'Hey, hey, we're The Monkees' And I never tire of that."

David Thomas Jones was born in Manchester on Dec. 30, 1945. His father was a keen racegoer and took Davy to Manchester racecourse where, because of the boy's small stature, father and son weighed up the possibility of Davy becoming a jockey.

The pair contacted the Manchester Evening News, which put them in touch with the trainer Basil Foster in Newmarket. By then, Jones had already tried his hand at acting, appearing briefly in an early episode of Coronation Street.

Despite this taste of fame, Davy was far keener to pursue a career in the turf than on the screen. So when Foster contacted the Jones family and offered Davy a spot at his stables, the teenager leaped at the chance. He spent six weeks at Holland House Stables before leaving school in December 1961, earlier than he should have, so that he could work for Foster as an apprentice.

Soon Jones was "galloping up Warren Hill and loving every minute of it. Being a cocky kid, I even went into the stable lads' boxing championship." It was not a good idea: "I got a good walloping."

Ironically, it was Jones's spell at Newmarket that secured him his big break in show business when, in early 1962, a theatrical agent who knew Foster came to visit. Foster mentioned that Jones had acted a little, and pointed out that he "spent all day cracking jokes and doing shtick."

A few days later the agent contacted the yard to tell Foster that a West End production of Oliver! was looking for someone to play the role of the Artful Dodger. According to Jones, Foster insisted he try out for the part.

"I just cried. I wanted to be a jockey. But he said 'You're going. Come back when you're famous.' "

Oliver! proved an immediate hit and transferred in 1964 from London to New York. There, with the rest of the cast, Jones appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on the same night that the Beatles made their debut appearance. Jones watched the Beatles from the wings of the set, and noted the adulation the band received. "I said to myself, I want a piece of that."

Following his appearance on Ed Sullivan, Jones was spotted by scouts from the television wing of Columbia Records, who signed him up. The deal led to a couple of appearances in forgettable American soap operas as well as the release of a single.

Jones's transformation from aspiring jockey to rock 'n' roll superstar was still far from complete. So, along with 436 other struggling hopefuls, he turned out to audition for a pop group to be created for an NBC television show. Steven Stills, later of Crosby, Stills and Nash, was among those rejected, but Jones, along with Dolenz, Tork and Nesmith, was accepted. Rumours that Charles Manson, later to win an altogether grimmer notoriety, was also among those auditioning, have since been denied.

Accusations that the band was phoney and artificial were harder to bat away, however, particularly after Dolenz let it be known that some early Monkees records had been recorded before he was cast to join the band. "The Monkees was not a band," Dolenz said. "It was this television show about this band that wanted to be the Beatles." Critics may have branded them the "pre-fab four," but in capturing the spirit of a nation of pop star wannabes, the television show achieved huge popularity.

Inevitably, The Monkees overshadowed the rest of Jones's career. But he continued to act, appearing on stage in London in the late 1970s and in episodes of the American television shows The Brady Bunch and My Two Dads. He also returned to productions of Oliver!, though in the role of Fagin.

Nor did he ever lose his passion for the horses. He had an ownership interest in animals on both sides of the Atlantic, and represented a racecourse in Virginia.

Left to right: Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz

Tributes to Monkees frontman Davy Jones whose sister lived in Thetford and Loddon, Norfolk
Norwich Evening News
March 1, 2012

Monkees lead singer – and regular visitor to Norfolk – Davy Jones has died in America.

The Manchester-born singer and actor died in his sleep yesterday at his home in Florida of a heart attack, according to a spokesman for Jones.

The 66-year-old, who found fame as the frontman of the band put together to star in their own TV show, often visited his Norfolk sister, Linda, in Loddon and Thetford.

He would visit her Leman Grove council home in Loddon three or four times a year in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Large groups would often congregate outside the house once news of his visit got out.

Yesterday, a spokeswoman for the Medical Examiner’s Office for Martin County, Florida, said: “A possible autopsy will be performed and evaluation of the circumstances of death and medical information.”

Jones first found fame as Ena Sharples’ grandson in Coronation Street.

He also appeared in Z Cars before leaving showbusiness to train as a jockey but came back to acting with a role in a stage production of Oliver!

He appeared in the West End and followed the show to Broadway where he built up a career as an actor and singer before he auditioned for The Monkees.

Three of the band’s original members – Jones, Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork – got back together last year to play a series of gigs.

Today they lead the tributes to Jones.

In a statement Tork said: “It is with great sadness that I reflect on the sudden passing of my long-time friend and fellow-adventurer, David Jones.

“His talent will be much missed. His gifts will be with us always.”

Fellow Monkees star Mike Nesmith said: “So many lovely and heartfelt messages of condolence and sympathy, I don’t know what to say, except my sincere thank you to all. I share and appreciate your feelings.

“David’s spirit and soul live well in my heart, among all the lovely people, who remember with me the good times, and the healing times, that were created for so many, including us. I have fond memories. I wish him safe travels.”

The band had nine top 40 hits including I’m A Believer and Pleasant Valley Sunday but were initially criticised for the manufactured nature of their career, with Californian rivals The Byrds mocking them in their single So You Want To Be A Rock ‘n’ Roll Star.

But they eventually proved themselves, writing more of their own songs and starring in 1960s cult film Head with Jack Nicholson.

The band’s fourth original member, Mike Nesmith, who went on to record a series of critically acclaimed country albums, did not take part in the reunion.

Jones is survived by his third wife Jessica, his four daughters – Talia Jones, Sarah McFadden, Jessica Cramar and Annabel Jones – three sisters, Hazel Wilkinson, Beryl Leigh and Lynda Moore, and three grandchildren, Harrison and Lauren McFadden and Phoenix Burrows.

Jones’s manager and brother-in-law Joseph Pacheco paid tribute, describing him as an “incredible human being”.

Daydream believer,,,Davy Jones plays the tambourine during filming of The Monkees TV show.

How TV made heartthrob out of Monkees' Davy Jones
By John Rogers
Associated Press
March 1, 2012

LOS ANGELES - (AP) -- Before there was MTV, before "American Idol" made overnight stars of people you never heard of, there was "The Monkees," a band fronted by a diminutive singer named Davy Jones who was so boyishly good looking that teenage girls swooned the first time they ever saw him.

That was at the end of the summer of 1966, when Jones and his three Monkee cohorts, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz, arrived on weekly television, portraying a carbon copy of another band called the Beatles.

Each Monday night for the next two years, people would tune into NBC to see the comical trials and tribulations of four young musicians who tooled around in a tricked-out car called the Monkeemobile. When they weren't introducing two or three new songs per show, they would be busy rescuing damsels in distress or being chased by bumbling outlaws in a comical display of slapstick that has sometimes been compared to the work of the Marx Brothers.

Although all four members handled the lead vocals during their music videos, it was Jones, the onetime child star of the British musical stage, who quickly became the group's heartthrob. With his boyish good looks and endearing British accent augmented by a strong, Broadway-trained singing voice, it was a role he would play for the rest of his life.

Jones died Wednesday of a heart attack near his home in Indiantown, Fla., just months after he, Tork and Dolenz had completed a tour marking The Monkees' 45th anniversary. He was 66.

The Monkees had been created to cash in on the Beatles' popularity, and although they never came close to achieving the critical stature of their counterparts, they did carve out a permanent niche in music as what Rolling Stone's Encyclopedia of Rock 'n' Roll has called "the first and perhaps the best of the '60s and '70s prefabricated pop groups."

Their songs were melodic, catchy, and many have endured over the years. The first two they released, "Last Train to Clarksville" and "I'm a Believer," became No. 1 hits. So did "Daydream Believer," on which Jones sang the lead and which Dolenz told The Associated Press four years ago remains the Monkees' most requested song at concerts.

"Of the four actors they hired, Davy Jones was by far the most accomplished as a singer and as a performer. He was really the perfect choice," said Rich Podolsky, author of a biography of Don Kirshner, who was "The Monkees" TV show's musical director.

Born in Manchester, England, on Dec. 30, 1945, Jones had been a child star in his native country, appearing on television and stage, including a heralded role as "The Artful Dodger" in a London production of the play "Oliver."

When the show came to Broadway, he earned a Tony nomination at age 16 for the role, a success that brought him to the attention of Columbia Pictures/Screen Gems Television, which created "The Monkees."

Hundreds of musician-actors turned out for the auditions, but the young men who became the Monkees had no idea what ultimately awaited them.

"They had an ad in the newspaper," Jones recalled on NBC's "Today Show" last year, "and then we all showed up."

When they put him together with Tork, Dolenz and Nesmith, the chemistry was obvious.

"That's it," he recalled everyone around him saying: "Magic."

At 5-feet-3 inches, he was by far the shortest member of the group -- a fact often made light of on the show. But he also was its dreamboat, mirroring Paul McCartney's role in the Beatles. And as the only Briton among the four, Jones was in some ways the Monkees' direct connection to the Beatlemania still strong in the U.S. when the TV show made its debut.

In August 1966, the Beatles performed in San Francisco, playing their last live set for a paying audience. The same month, the Monkees released their first album, introducing the group to the world. The show would debut the following month.

It was a shrewd case of cross-platform promotion. As David Bianculli noted in his "Dictionary of Teleliteracy," ''The show's self-contained music videos, clear forerunners of MTV, propelled the group's first seven singles to enviable positions of the pop charts: three number ones, two number twos, two number threes."

The Monkees would soon come under fire from music critics, however, when it was learned that session musicians -- and not the group's members -- had played the instruments on their recordings. They were derided as the "Prefab Four," an insulting comparison to the Beatles' nickname, the "Fab Four."

In reality, Jones could play the drums and guitar. Although Dolenz, the group's drummer on the show, only learned to play that instrument after he joined the Monkees, he also could play guitar.

Nesmith played guitar and wrote numerous songs, both for the Monkees and others. Tork, who played bass and keyboards on the TV show, was a multi-instrumentalist.

The group eventually prevailed over the show's producers, including Kirchner, and began to play their own instruments. Regardless, they were supported by enviable talent.

Carole King and Gerry Goffin wrote "Pleasant Valley Sunday," and Neil Diamond penned "I'm a Believer." Musicians who played on their records included Billy Preston, who later played with the Beatles, Glen Campbell, Leon Russell and Ry Cooder.

If the critics didn't initially like them, the group's members had admirers among their fellow musicians.

"The Monkees were such a sensation that it was a thrill for me to have them record some of my early songs," Neil Young tweeted Wednesday.

Frank Zappa even appeared on an episode of the show, disguised as Nesmith for a bit in which he pretended to interview Nesmith, who was disguised as Zappa.

Jimi Hendrix opened for the group during part of its 1967 concert tour. He left early, however, in part because fans kept chanting Jones' name during his sets.

Eventually, even the critics would come around, with Rolling Stone's rock encyclopedia acknowledging that the Monkees made "some exceptionally good pop records."

After the TV show ended, Jones continued to tour with the group for a time, sometimes playing the drums at concerts when Dolenz came up front to sing.

"He was one of the funniest men and most talented I have ever known," Tork said in an interview Wednesday night.

Although the group would eventually break up over creative differences, it would reunite periodically over the years for brief tours, usually without Nesmith.

In 1987, Jones, Tork, and Dolenz reformed to record the album, "Pool It," and in 1996 all four of the Monkees got back together for the album "Justus" and a TV movie "Hey, Hey, It's The Monkees!" The film, directed by Nesmith, featured them once again tooling around in the Monkeemobile.

"David's spirit and soul live well in my heart, among all the lovely people," Nesmith said in a statement Wednesday.

For "Justus," the quartet's last recording, the four made a point of playing every instrument themselves, in part to prove that they could.

Although the Monkees received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1989, one honor that has eluded the group was induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For years, supporters have circulated petitions demanding that the group be included.

Jones, meanwhile, continued to perform, both with and without the Monkees. In recent years, he appeared from time to time on television and stage, as well as in concert with a band of his own.

It was on the stage, he said, that he truly felt comfortable.

"Even today, I have an inferiority complex," he told the Daily Mail in an interview last year. "I always feel I'm there at the window, looking in. Except when I'm on stage, and then I really come alive."

He is survived by his wife, Jessica Pacheco, and four daughters from previous marriages.

Davy Jones (performing in 1997) trained to be a jockey before receiving his big break in a production of Oliver! in London's West End.
Photograph by: DAN CHUNG REUTERS FILE, London Daily Telegraph

As a Monkee, Davy Jones had millions of believers
Long after band's split, their pin-up was still being stopped by fans
London Daily Telegraph
March 1, 2012

Davy Jones, who died of a heart attack Wednesday in Florida at the age of 66, was a singer in the original boy band, the Monkees, and a heartthrob for millions of teenage girls in the 1960s.

The group, put together by NBC Television, was the world's first manufactured pop band and was derided by critics as much as it was adored by fans. Two members of the band - Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork - could not play their own instruments; only one Monkee, Mike Nesmith, could actually play a guitar. Meanwhile, the diminutive, British-born Jones, a former child actor chosen by NBC as the group's designated pin-up, performed (lipsynched, some claimed) to music played by the cream of Los Angeles session musicians.

In the 1960s, their television show, The Monkees, ran for 52 episodes, and the group sold millions of copies of such songs as I'm a Believer, Last Train to Clarksville and (I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone.

When their show ended, the Monkees decided to seize artistic control and play their own songs. Dolenz learned to play drums, Jones a bit of guitar. They started to write some of their own material and went on tour in 1967, supported, bizarrely, by Jimi Hendrix. But their run in the charts soon ended and, after splitting up in 1968, they disappeared into obscurity.

Jones, Dolenz and Tork staged various Monkees reunions over the years, and in 1997 the band staged a comeback with Nesmith for the first time, releasing a new album and embarking on a tour. Last year, however, they pulled the plug on a tour to celebrate the band's 45th anniversary. Later, "internal group conflicts" were cited for the cancellation.

Jones never seemed unduly upset by the band's failure to return to the big time: "Wherever I go, people still shout out: 'Hey, hey, we're the Monkees.' And I never tire of that."

David Thomas Jones was born in Manchester, England, on Dec. 30, 1945. Because of his small stature, the boy and his father originally pursued the possibility of Davy becoming a jockey. He received his big break in show business when, in early 1962, a theatrical agent who knew Jones's trainer Basil Foster came to visit. Foster mentioned that Jones had acted a little - including a brief appearance in an early episode of Coronation Street - and pointed out that he "spent all day cracking jokes and doing shtick."

A few days later, the agent told Foster that a West End production of Oliver! was looking for someone to play the role of the Artful Dodger. According to Jones, Foster insisted he try out for the part.

Oliver! proved an immediate hit and transferred in 1964 from London to New York. There, with the rest of the cast, Jones appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on the same night that the Beatles made their debut appearance. Jones watched the Beatles from the wings, and noted the adulation the band received. "I said to myself, 'I want a piece of that.' "

Following his appearance on Ed Sullivan, Jones was spotted by scouts from the television wing of Columbia Records, who signed him up. The deal led to a couple of appearances in soap operas as well as the release of a single.

Along with 436 other hopefuls, he turned out to audition for a pop group to be created for an NBC show. Stephen Stills, later of Crosby, Stills and Nash, was among those rejected, but Jones, along with Dolenz, Tork and Nesmith, was accepted.

Inevitably, the Monkees overshadowed the rest of Jones's career. But he continued to act, appearing on stage in London in the late 1970s and in episodes of The Brady Bunch and My Two Dads. He also returned to productions of Oliver!, though in the role of Fagin. He was married three times and had four daughters.

Davy Jones with his horses in Indiantown in 2001.
Photo by David Lane/Palm Beach Post 2001 file photo

Monkees singer Davy Jones complained of trouble breathing, not feeling well before dying
By Leslie Gray Streeter and Sonja Isger
Palm Beach Post Staff Writers
March 1, 2012

Davy Jones, eternal heartthrob of TV’s The Monkees, died Wednesday morning of an apparent heart attack in western Martin County, where he long stabled his beloved racehorses.

After complaining of trouble breathing, Mr. Jones was taken by rescue crews to Martin Memorial Hospital South, where he was pronounced dead. He was 66.

“All of his family, friends and fans mourn Davy’s loss,” Joseph Pacheco, his manager and brother-in-law, said in a statement. “He passed next to his passions, his horses, and was one hour away from his wife, Jessica Pacheco-Jones.”

Members of The Monkees, his longtime band, reacted with shock. Micky Dolenz said Mr. Jones “was the brother I never had and this leaves a gigantic hole in my heart.” Peter Tork, referring to Mr. Jones’ English hometown, said, “Adios to the Manchester Cowboy.”

Mr. Jones was a longtime presence in South Florida. He lived for years in Indiantown, where he worked with numerous charitable organizations. At the time of his death, he lived in Hollywood.

Debbie Bantu, who worked with Mr. Jones for the past eight years as part of the Indiantown Education Coalition, a grass-roots organization providing educational support for needy students, said she was “just heartsick” at the news. “He was just so genuine in his commitment to his students and to his community and his neighbors.”

Mr. Jones was best known as The Monkees’ chipper Brit, a floppy-haired, sweet-voiced singer who was lead vocalist on Daydream Believer and a magnet for young girls (even as critics sometimes derided the band’s music and TV roots). But horses were among his first loves.

Born Dec. 30, 1945, Mr. Jones was working as an apprentice jockey when he was approached to play the Artful Dodger, a charming pickpocket, in the London production of Oliver! He re-created the role on Broadway and was nominated for a Tony Award at age 16.

That led to Hollywood, where The Monkees ran on TV from 1966 to 1968. Mr. Jones continued to record with the group until 1971, when he went solo. He reunited with Dolenz and Tork in 1986 for the group’s 20th reunion and then intermittently through the years, most recently in 2011. Mike Nesmith, the fourth member of the TV group, did not take part in the reunions.

In his last conversation with The Palm Beach Post in mid-February, he was upbeat, chatting animatedly about his three 2-year-old racehorses and his wife, a flamenco dancer who performed in Stuart last week.

Bantu said Mr. Jones had performed at the Indiantown Educational Coalition’s annual benefit on Jan. 20 and was supposed to attend a breakfast for the organization on Friday. She said the singer’s commitment to “do all he could to help” included visiting schools and even visiting the homes of nuns from the Hope Rural School to cheer them up when they were ill.

“He was totally unaffected by all of his fame and his success,” Bantu said. “When I introduced him (at the January event), I said, ‘David’s been all around the world performing, yet he always comes home to Indiantown.’ It was such an honor to have him as a friend.”

Mr. Jones is survived by his wife and four daughters.

Davy Jones with one of his horses in Indiantown.
Palm Beach Post 2001 file photo

Why the Monkees -- and Davy Jones -- should get respect
By David Browne, Special to CNN
March 1, 2012

The death of Davy Jones on Wednesday from a massive heart attack at age 66 elicited all the standard commentary about the Monkees, the band that made him a star: The Monkees were a made-for-TV boy band. They recorded tunes written not by them, but by reputable songwriters like Neil Diamond ("I'm a Believer"), Harry Nilsson ("Cuddly Toy"), and the team of Carole King and Gerry Goffin ("Pleasant Valley Sunday"). They were Beatles knockoffs and teen idols.Those points are all valid, but they miss two essential aspects of the Monkees' story. The first is fairly simple: Despite their undoubtedly contrived origins, they turned out to be one of pop's finest bands, arguably the most underrated in rock history. The second is deeper: Their ongoing lack of critical respect speaks to struggles within the music world ? authenticity vs. artifice, pop vs. rock ? that continue to this day, more than 45 years after the launch of their short-lived sitcom.

It's unlikely that anyone, least of all the Monkees themselves, thought there was anything serious about the project when their TV series debuted in fall 1966. NBC and creators Bert Schneider and Bob Rafelson were in search of actors to play a fictional band modeled after the Beatles in "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!" After many auditions, they chose two young show biz professionals (Jones, the sole Brit, and Micky Dolenz) and two folk-rockers who knew how to sing and play (Peter Tork and Mike Nesmith).

From the start, the Monkees had little control over their music and even album covers. Sparkling early hits like "I'm a Believer" and "Last Train to Clarksville" were written by outside tunesmiths and played by studio musicians.

Fairly soon after the show's launch, the Monkees, Nesmith especially, began to chafe at their artistic constraints. In what TV Guide called "The Great Revolt of '67," they demanded control over their records, and out went Don Kirshner, the venerable publisher who had overseen their early releases. This period, what we could call Monkees 2.0, resulted in "Daydream Believer," "Pleasant Valley Sunday," and many other songs on which the Monkees were far more involved (producing and playing many of the instruments themselves).

No matter the period or who was behind the console, the Monkees could make magical records, as I was reminded when, by strange coincidence, I plowed through their "Music Box" boxed set just last weekend. The collection's four discs reaffirm the largely high quality of their material and multihued variety of the arrangements.

They could do credible garage rock ("[I'm Not Your] Steppin' Stone," "Words," "She"), exquisite ballad-centric pop ("Sometime in the Morning," "I Wanna Be Free"), and quasi-psychedelia ("Daily Nightly," which features one of the first appearance on record of a synthesizer).

Songs that Nesmith wrote or sang ? "The Door into Summer," "I Don't Think You Know Me" ? wouldn't have been out of place on more highly regarded Byrds albums of the same '66-'70 period. "For Pete's Sake," the snappy "... in this generation" song heard over the closing credits of each episode of their show, was written by Tork. The Sex Pistols and Run-DMC both covered songs made famous by the Monkees: "Steppin' Stone" and "Mary, Mary," respectively.

Jones, who had proven his stage chops before the Monkees by starring in a British production of "Oliver!", was more than just their eternally cherubic, always-on singer and maracas player. He could caress the hits ("Daydream Believer"), invest a song with suitable snideness (the groupie song "Star Collector") and even co-write a very credible pop reverie ("Dream World").

Yet for all that musical breadth, the Monkees still don't quite get the credit they should, which gets to the issues of credibility that swirl around them and anything considered too Top 40. By the time their show launched and became an immediate hit, it was becoming de rigueur for pop and rock bands to write their own songs, to express themselves. The Monkees did this on later albums like "The Birds, The Bees and the Monkees," but they never recovered from being seen as puppets.

They were the right band at the wrong time, and unfairly so. Iron Butterfly wrote its own material, too, but I dare anyone beyond the most devout "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida" nostalgist to make it through any of their albums in 2012.

These issues, especially in an era when indie signifies authenticity, still linger. Whenever I tell a friend I'm a fan of Lady Gaga, I receive the same puzzled, "Are you serious?" looks I used to get when I told my teenage friends that I'd bought the Monkees' "Greatest Hits" long after they broke up.

Whatever one thinks of her wardrobe or bombastic, disappointing "Born This Way" album, Gaga has genuine talent: She can sing, write songs and play various keyboards. Yet something about her still makes some people squirm in the way they don't when someone mentions an intentionally grating indie band like Sleigh Bells. The music is seen as too polished and produced, and therefore not credible enough.

The Monkees may always be tarnished, and perhaps there's a weird badge of honor in that: so disreputable that they're reputable! Davy Jones didn't die for our integrity sins, but the Monkees' reputation has suffered plenty for them.

The Monkees' Davy Jones dead at 66
By Ashley Hayes and Todd Leopold, CNN
February 29, 2012

Davy Jones, whose charming grin and British accent won the hearts of millions of fans on the 1960s television series "The Monkees," died Wednesday, according to the Martin County, Florida, sheriff's office. He was 66.

A witness told authorities he was with Jones in Indiantown, Florida, when Jones "began to complain of not feeling well and having trouble breathing," the sheriff's office said in a statement.

Jones was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.

A Martin County law enforcement source with knowledge of the case said Jones apparently suffered a heart attack.

Laurie Jacobson, whose company Living Legends LTD often booked Jones for Hollywood nostalgia shows, spoke with him two days ago about several new bookings.

"He was a vegetarian, and there was not an ounce of fat on the guy," Jacobson said. "He lived on the beach in Florida and ran miles every morning. This is the last person I expected this to happen to. He couldn't have been in better shape."

The diminutive vocalist and actor sang lead on the musical group's hits such as "Daydream Believer" and "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You."

Besides Jones, The Monkees included band members Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith. The pop group was created to star in an NBC sitcom and capitalize on the Beatles' teenybopper popularity. "The Monkees" TV series premiered in the fall of 1966.

In terms of musical popularity, the project succeeded beyond anyone's expectations, with the group notching a handful of No. 1 songs (including "I'm a Believer," Billboard's top song of 1967) and four No. 1 albums.

The group, which was dubbed the "prefab four" by critics, rebelled against its management in an effort to take control of its musical career.

The move worked to an extent -- band members, who had generally been replaced by session men on Monkees recordings, were allowed to play their own instruments and contribute songs -- but coincided with a decline in the Monkees' popularity. NBC canceled the TV series "The Monkees" after just two seasons, and the band lasted for only one more year after that.

Though the TV show was never a huge ratings hit, its knockabout, Marx Brothers-style comedy -- inspired, to an extent, by the loopier sequences in the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" -- gained fans and followers, reigniting the band's popularity when MTV reran the show in the mid-'80s.

Demand for Jones at nostalgia shows was brisk, Jacobson said.

"He's been really busy," she said. "He's toured with his band, singing as well. He loved to pick up these little autograph shows. He loved the fans, he loved spending time with his fans. He often got on stage and performed at these shows. The lines for him were always out the door."

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce said flowers in honor of Jones would be placed on The Monkees' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Wednesday afternoon.

"That David has stepped beyond my view causes me the sadness that it does many of you," Nesmith posted on his Facebook page Wednesday. "I will miss him, but I won't abandon him to mortality ... David's spirit and soul live well in my heart, among all the lovely people, who remember with me the good times, and the healing times, that were created for so many, including us."

"His talent will be much missed; his gifts will be with us always," said fellow Monkee Peter Tork. "My deepest sympathy to Jessica and the rest of his family."

Beatle Ringo Starr issued a short statement: "God bless Davy. Peace & love to his family, Ringo."

David Thomas Jones was born December 30, 1945, in Manchester, England. He was already famous in his home country when he joined the Monkees. He had starred in the musical "Oliver!" on the London stage as the Artful Dodger and was nominated for a Tony for his performance on Broadway, according to a biography on a Monkees fan site. Indeed, he got a taste of the Beatles' popularity when the "Oliver!" cast appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on February 9, 1964 -- the date of the Beatles' first appearance.

After the Monkees broke up, Jones enjoyed occasional acting roles, including a guest spot on an episode of "The Brady Bunch" and appearances in "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "The Brady Bunch Movie." When he wasn't singing -- he participated in several Monkees reunions over the years -- he was devoted to owning and racing horses.

Jones was married three times. He is survived by his third wife, Jessica Pacheco, and four daughters from his two previous marriages.

He told Britain's Daily Mail last year that he used to be 5 feet 4 inches tall, "but I've lost an inch."

He posted photographs of his horses, his grandchildren and himself on his blog, "Keep up with Jones," sometimes also posting messages to fans.

"I wrote some time ago that not everyone has dreams and hopes that come true," he wrote in a January 2011 message. "Mine have.

"Regrets, yes -- if you don't have them you're a fool. However, I thank all of you -- yeah, you -- for your support and love."