Peter Tork Dead

I was more into Davy Jones but Peter had his boyish charms

Oh dear, what age can do to a person

Sad.

He was always my fave.

Cute.

Seeing Peter scrubbing his back shirtless in the tub during the Monkees opening gave this tot the feels.

He smoked lots of dope in his time. I wonder if that had anything to do with causing his tongue cancer.

He looked like some other 60s singer - can't remember his name.

[quote]Oh dear, what age can do to a person

I think he had a rough time. Didn't he go to prison? Had some kind of problem with the law.

All of them.

So that leaves 2 Monkees that are still alive?

Awwww. He was cute and goofy. Loved seeing the Monkees on reruns.

He was on my 5th grade lunchbox. Now I feel more Eldergayer than ever.

I know Davy got all the press and the all-important approval of Marcia Brady, but just like The Brady Bunch I still think Peter was the cute one. I'm shocked and saddened.

My boyfriend and I got to see the three then-surviving Monkees in concert a few years ago. Good show. Obviously they've gotten better on their instruments. But for a manufactured pop group for a TV sitcom (one that introduced new wave techniques to TV that you rarely see anywhere else in American media), you couldn't ask for a better song catalog.

[quote]I think he had a rough time. Didn't he go to prison? Had some kind of problem with the law.

No, that was us.

[quote] I know Davy got all the press and the all-important approval of Marcia Brady

That's because Davy was the only one of the Monkees with a foreskin. That Marcia loved uncut dick.

R6 Stephen Stills.

Daydream Believer is a fucking great song.

That asshole Nesmith will be the one to last forever.

The assholes always do.

[quote]That Marcia loved uncut dick.

Do tell.

He had a strange celebrity road, he fell into obscurity after the Monkees first broke up and ended living as a kind of drifter for while. The big Monkees 'renaissance' in the 80s brought him back to the spotlight and I think finally financially stabilized him.

I think he was from New England iirc, his father was some kind of academic (UConn or Yale?). He has a daughter who is also some kind of academic and uses her father's family name Thorkelson. I'm sure the details will be in his obit.

Peter Thorkelson

Wow. My favorite Monkee.

Wanting to be, to hear and to see

Crying to the sky

But the porpoise is laughing good-bye, good-bye

good-bye, good-bye, good-bye

I wonder if this is his sister, a San Fran area attorney. Looks a lot like him:

Nesmith is the only one who can afford health insurance.

r16=Shrek

I don’t remember Peter doing any vocals.

RIP.

He went to prison in Oklahoma in 1972 for possession of $3.00 worth of hashish, caught as he was crossing the border from Texas to Mexico. He was prosecuted by the Federal Govt. rather than by Texas which was lucky for him as Texas in those days had a history of giving very long sentences to drug offenders, no matter how minimal the infraction was He was sentenced to a short stint as a first offender and spent 3 months behind bars.

I read he was really, really generous to people he knew with his money.

Nesmith has his mother to thank for his riches. She was the inventor of Liquid Paper which she eventually sold to Gillette in 1979 for $47.5 million. He, an only child, inherited everything when she died.

Not my favorite but RIP.

And Nesmith's mother died early, he inherited her million$ when he was still in his 30s.

Quickly aging here.

[quote]I don’t remember Peter doing any vocals.

He did a few. He sang "Shades of Gray" on the Headquarters album, which I've been humming all morning.

Michael Nesmith not only inherited a huge pile of money, he started a video production company (or something like that) in the late 70s/early 80s that went on to make another huge pile of money.

Yes, poor Betty Nesmith Graham had less than a year to enjoy all her money before she died.

Did he give up butt in jail?

That’s a shame. ™

[quote] I don’t remember Peter doing any vocals.

Auntie Griselda. Peter was the “Ringo” of the group.

Nesmith wrote “Dofferent Drum,” a hit recorded by Linda Ronstadt

Obviously, it was Different Drum

Oh, man! What a sweet, sweet cutie he was. So loveable on The Monkees shows and movie(s).

Mike Nesmith produced Lionel Richie's "All Night Long" video, one of the most craptastic videos of the 80s.

Now I’ve got Auntie Griselda playing in my brain. 🤪

Peter Tork directed "The Monkees" episode "Monkees Mind Their Manor."

Nesmith gained enough respect and lucre via his production company and producing efforts to be named a Board member of the AFI a few years ago, if I recall correctly. He maintained his A-list credentials to a degree.

R2

I think it was the meth

r42 A is for asshole.

Ten years with tongue cancer...oy.

Nesmith produced the movie Repo Man.

In the first season of the Monkees, Nesmith’s character was listed as “Wool Hat” in TV Guide

Micky Dolenz told some interesting behind-the-scenes Monkeys stories on a recent Gilibert Gottfried podcast.

I wonder if he was the one who gave Farrah Fawcett anal cancer?

[quote]He smoked lots of dope in his time. I wonder if that had anything to do with causing his tongue cancer.

Yes. That was it. Dope.

I loved in the beginning credits when Peter would cry when they put the wrong name up on the screen.

Micky Dolenz lived in my building in the early 2000s with his gf (later wife) and their baby. His wife got busted for fraud because she was living in our rent subsidized building while she had another apartment she was subletting & she was living in a house owned by Dolenz in a California gated community in winter.

Our building was in the Mitchell Lama program, which was designed for middle income NYers who worked in the city. We paid rent on on a sliding scale dependent on our W2. At the time, we were trying to keep our building from leaving the program and there were stories of all kinds of people taking advantage of the program and these people were giving the vast majority of legitimate ML residents a bad name. By this time the internet was around, so building residents looked her up and found her other addresses and turned her in to the NYC Housing Authority. Dolenz was not arrested because his name was not on the lease. (But he was living in subsidized housing while being a DJ on WCBS FM.)

Ultimately she was found guilty of fraud and she handed over a check for the amount that NYCHA determined she’d defrauded the housing program (which was around $140k) and was sentenced to 5 days community service (which I’m sure she never did & were probably suspended).

We all lost our housing anyway when our building left the ML program & became luxury condos.

At least he outlived Peter Tomarken.

Damn and his father invented Post-It notes.

[quote]He smoked lots of dope in his time. I wonder if that had anything to do with causing his tongue cancer.

According to Michael Douglas, tongue cancer is caused by eating ladies private parts.

[quote]Damn and his father invented Post-It notes.

I think you mean Mike Nesmith's mother invented Liquid Paper.

I would not have told this story while he was alive, but in 1995(?), I met Peter Tork at a 12-step meeting in Storrs, CT. I was in grad school at UCONN at the time. After the meeting was over, I went up to him and said, "You look like Peter Tork from the Monkees!" Of course, he replied that that's because he WAS Peter Tork from the Monkees.

He was very personable and we talked for a couple of hours; I was shocked to find that he was a brilliant man, nothing at all like the character he played on the show. He told me that he was home visiting his parents, and that his father was a professor at UCONN (but not in my department). He had arranged to have the reunion tour do a concert that night in (perhaps) Hartford, and he said he would give me and my gf tickets and we could go backstage if we wanted to. I begged off, because I had been reading for my comps, and I didn't feel like I could take a night off. But I was very flattered.

He was very kind and gracious, with lovely manners. He was the only famous person I ever met at a 12-step meeting. But I will always remember his intelligence and warmth. RIP.

[quote]Damn and his father invented Post-It notes.

Don't go there.

It makes me think of the guy here who has tongue cancer.

I really liked Peter, on the show.

Nice story r56 thanks for sharing. Not only was Tork's father an academic, Tork's kids are extremely well-educated. One is an Ivy grad, the elder two have grad degrees and also work in academia. They use a different name than their dad's surname, one assumes for privacy, and I wonder if their father's obituary will list them.

At least he died peacefully, I just hate it when you childhood crushes start dying of old age. Peter was my favorite.

My brother loved them. They were yuuge in England. It was a big deal for an American group to crack England in the '60s.

They'd buy up half of Carnaby Street. Have jazzy Mini Coopers made up for them to take home.

I keep thinking of the song "Laugh"

Thank you for your tribute, elderlez @ R56

The Monkees arrive in London. Pandemonium.

I love Peter's "with it" Errol Flynn as Robin Hood-inspired "gear" in the 1967 Pathe newsreel.

For everything he went through with his health, he didn't age that bad.

Family statement

I always thought Peter was the cutest one.

Love these stories. 77 is a pretty good run, especially if you brought joy and laughter to people. Lol the Monkees show was so 60s. Lots of fun and innocence.

[quote] Micky Dolenz told some interesting behind-the-scenes Monkeys stories on a recent Gilibert Gottfried podcast.

I listened to the whole thing - and man, it 's long, but I think Micky gets drunker as he goes through the podcast. At 1.15 he starts actually crying when he's talking about the movie they made or something! He recovers but soon after sort of garbled thru the word "sensibilities" - anyway, wow. And he was close close friends with Repig Alice Cooper! Fuck that guy (Alice, not Micky)

One bit of Monkees gossip - I think Davy was an asshole which is why Mike wouldn't tour with the reconstituted group till after Davy died. One time Davy said Micky Dolenz looked like somebody had slapped him in the face with a frying pan. Methinks he was jealous of the real lead singer of the group.

* oh by 1.15 I mean one hour and 15 minutes into the podcast

They were huge in Engerland.

Remember watching the show as a kid in the early 70s.

Even when I was a kid, watching that Monkees show made me tired in a bad way.

I, too, always thought him the cutest. Kind, goofy and best friend material.

r68 Davy also married into an asshole family. His wife's relations wanted to control all aspects of the tour. I don't blame Mike for staying away. He and Micky are touring later this year. Nesmith did a West Coast US tour last month.

I guess he took the last train to Clarksville...

Nesmith also had bypass surgery this past summer. He and Mickey were due to perform at the Keswick Theater outside of Philadelphia when he fell ill.

Always liked Peter. Wish I could have seen him live. RIP

Mickey sang lead on most of their big songs ("I'm A Believer", "Last Train to Clarksville"), but Davy was the one the teenage girls loved. He ruled Tiger Beat Magazine, with fellow teen idols Donny Osmond, David Cassidy and Bobby Sherman.

I also thought Peter was the cutest. I think I read that he tried homosex once, as a top.

God, everybody's so fucking old now.

R22, this article gives more info about his daughter (one of 2) Hallie Thorkelson:

[quote] According to her social media profiles, Thorkelson lives in New York City and has worked as an educator for several years. The 49-year-old eldest daughter of The Monkees’ bassist is currently an assistant professor of practice at Relay Graduate School of Education, according to her Linkedin profile. She has worked there since 2015, when she started as a senior instructional fellow.

Micky, in a later interview, said that of all four of them, Peter was the only Monkee really acting contrary to type or natural character.

He wrote my favorite Monkees song. Though Mickey sang it on the record. For Pete's Sake, it's called. It served as the closing theme song during the second season. When they played it live more recently, they let Peter sing the lead, which was a mistake. The song was suited to Mickey's voice.

I love how groovy it is. Sundrenched, slightly prefabricated, and idealistic. It's what I imagine it felt like to live in Hollywood in the '60s.

He and Stephen Stills both tried out for the Monkees. Producers turned down Stills because of his fucked up teeth and thinning hair.

I believe Tork was the one who introduced Stills to the whole Laurel Canyon scene. Stills is before my time, but I've always had a bit of an obsession with him, so I know he and Tork were really good friends.

Tork was also awesomely Liberal. I recall him being on Rachel Maddow and he was great. RIP, Mr. Tork

R81 - I had that album - living in the middle of nowhere in Saskatchewan, as a very isolated, and out of place gay kid. Played it on a mono RCA record player. This album, and one from K-Tel (Crimson and Clover, anyone?) were played over and over again. That image of the record album is one of those things that had it not been posted here, would have never been a recall of my life again.

And, I also got out of a place I never fit into, and live over 5,000 km's away, in another country now.

[quote]Now I’ve got Auntie Griselda playing in my brain.

That song explains why Peter rarely sang lead.

As a kid, I watched The Monkees religiously in reruns. The original airing was before time. I loved it.

Peter once said in an interview that if the group had been put together according to what they could actually do, he would have been the lead guitarist, Mike the bassist, Davy the drummer and Micky the lead singer.

That’s lovely, R81.

[quote]Now I’ve got Auntie Griselda playing in my brain.

I hate you. I hadn't heard that song in a long time, so I just went to YT and now it's stuck in my head!

Davy was so short that he couldn't be seen behind the drums, so they put him up front with a handful of maracas. Micky and Mike sang all the good stuff.

Wasn't he involved with some members of the Manson family?

No, Ma’am, that was me.

Had such hots for Peter - definitely the cutest of the bunch. Used to see him going to AA meetings at the West Side YMCA.

Before the Monkees second wave of popularity, he was a high school teacher. He was a true hippie...reportedly many took advantage of his generosity in the Laurel Canyon days

Loved the show as a kid during the 80s revival and found their records in a used record shop.

Still love them today. As a kid I hated the song Auntie Grizelda, but now as an adult I love it.

As a boy Davy was my favorite. But when I started seeing reruns I was like wow Peter was really the cute one.

This is really sad. I wonder if it was oral sex. Seems to be becoming more prevalent.

[quote]He was a true hippie...reportedly many took advantage of his generosity in the Laurel Canyon days

Including men?

He was notorious for his orgies and groupies. Not the goofy guy we saw on their show, and quite the musician.

Tribute on MeTV tomorrow.

I loved the Monkees from the re-runs on the BBC in the 70s and 80s. Peter was always my favourite on the tv show; although musically his vocals could be painful at times.

The best thing he (and the others) ever did was the movie Head; Peter's two songs are terrific, including his vocal on Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again, it's miles away from Your Auntie Grizelda.

I saw the Monkees live twice, once as a trio in the 80s (minus Mike) and then all four of them. They are still the best manufactured band ever.

RIP Mr Tork and thanks for the music and the laughs.

[quote]One time Davy said Micky Dolenz looked like somebody had slapped him in the face with a frying pan. Methinks he was jealous of the real lead singer of the group.

Jealous or not, Mickey Dolenz really does look like someone slapped him in the face with a frying pan. They got in lots of short jokes at Davy's expense. Why should Mickey's wall-face be off limits?

R100, I feel Micky's pain.

George used to say that my face was shaped like a frying pan.

Davy was heading for a major career in the musical theater. I wonder if he ever resented he would have to spend his life as the manufactured TV icon of a 2 year series.

In the My Three Sons episode where he plays a guy from their hometown who became a rock star, Micky Dolenz is way, way hot.

Boy, that kid acting in R103's clip might be worse than even Vicky the robot. Jesus, he's awful.

It's a girl and she's Lief Garret's sister!

R104, that is the famous Dawnn Lewis who played Dodie, Fred MacMurray's step-daughter in the later eps of My Three Sons.

We are way off topic here, but fans of the old website "Jump The Shark" may remember pages and pages of posts mocking the unfortunate young Dawnn Lewis.

My bad, Dawn Lyn!

Dodie was painful to watch.

As a little boy I loved My Three Sons but even I stopped watching when Dodie came along. This most obnoxious child actor in the history of the world must have been cast at a drug fueled Hollywood party.

R108, R109, same here. Loved that show until she came along.

And entire episodes would be devoted to her!

[quote]That asshole Nesmith will be the one to last forever. The assholes always do.

How does he stack up to the inaptly named Mike Love?

Ah is Nes an asshole too? He recently had a quadruple bypass - but yeah, George Burns had one in his 70s and made it to 100.

Nesmith was an asshole back in the late 80s when the Monkees had a revival. He refused to do a reunion tour because of course he inherited all of his mother's money. The other three Monkees weren't nearly as well-off, and it wouldn't have killed Nesmith to reunite for a three-month tour so they could make some money.

Oh my, I just happen to come back to this thread. I didn't watch the whole clip @R103 because it was so bad. I didn't realize that was a little girl! She has David Cassidy's hair and even he looked more fem in the face.

happened*

Nesmith rejoined after Jones died because he knew the other 2 needed money. They did fine without him in their reunion tours, so he figured they didn’t need him. But after Jones died, he knew they did need him. Now Dolenz has no breadwinner. Nobody wants to see only him & Nesmith.

I read, back when the Monkees were in their late 60s hippie/Monterrey Pop days, that Peter Tork picked up teenage girl hitchhikers & got high with them. It was insinuated that more than just smoking a joust was involved. I guess this was normal behavior for California pop stars and visiting British bands. Poor Dennis Wilson just happened to pick the wrong girls 🥴

Thanks autocorrect, for turning joint into joust. (It also turned “girls” into “giros.” Is giro even a word? I know gyro is....)

[quote]Nesmith was an asshole back in the late 80s when the Monkees had a revival. He refused to do a reunion tour because of course he inherited all of his mother's money. The other three Monkees weren't nearly as well-off, and it wouldn't have killed Nesmith to reunite for a three-month tour so they could make some money.

r116 has it right, r113. Aside from his mom's money, Nesmith also essentionally invented MTV, and took far less than he was offerred to get out, because he didn't want it He also won a lawsuit against PBS, who ripped him off. Nesmith never needed the money after the Monkees, and helped all of them whenever he could.

Back in the late 80s during the Monkees big revival there was a big stink about Nesmith not joining them for a tour. People were pissed that he wouldn't do it.

I read somewhere that he hated Davy Jones and that's why he wouldn't tour with them - but abruptly changed his mind after Davy died. It makes sense - but maybe it was his tender-heartedness. But t'would have been a lot easier just to give them some money if he really didn't want to tour other than to help them out.

Could be wrong, but I recall the surviving Monkees gave a portion of post-Jones demise tour earnings to Davy's daughters, who weren't left much financially due to having a young goldigging stepmother. Jones had married some young chippy a few years before he died and she was fond of his fame and $. From recall, his youngest daughter was starting college and needed tuition support.

re Tork's family: accomplished bunch, maybe the most intellectual of any modern pop star. Father an econ prof, sister an attorney, one brother a writer/cartoonist. Two of his kids Ivy grads, both in academia; one niece a Fulbright scholar & executive, other niece & nephew uni profs, all Ivy undergrad/grad. Very liberal the entire bunch - his father's obit from a few yrs ago lists Oakland's Marxist library as a memorial donation recipient.

No one has said what his cause of death was but I think it was a recurrence of his oral cancer. He was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) in 2009 and declared “cancer free” in 2012, but this cancer is known to be slow but relentless in its growth with poor long-term survival rates. I found this while researching it:

“Due to its slow growth, ACC has a relatively indolent but relentless course. Unlike most carcinomas, most patients with ACC survive for 5 years, only to have tumors recur and progress. In a recent study of a cohort of 160 ACC patients, disease specific survival was 89% at 5 years but only 40% at 15 years.”

“Another unusual feature of ACC is that, unlike most carcinomas, it seldom metastasizes to regional lymph nodes. Distant metastasis is the most common presentation of treatment failure. The lung is by far the most common site of metastasis, with the liver being the second most common site.”

That plus he posted on Facebook shortly before his death something about his health being troublesome, and that he’d be focusing on spending time with his family and wouldn’t be posting further updates.

In the late 90s he did a one week residency at Eddie’s Attic, the somewhat famous acoustic music venue in Decatur, GA. I worked at a restaurant/bar across the street, and he was in there almost every lunch and dinner. He was super nice, unassuming, and a big tipper. Very good guy. One of the female servers slept with him 3 times that week, and she was about 20. So, there you go.

[quote]Very liberal the entire bunch - his father's obit from a few yrs ago lists Oakland's Marxist library as a memorial donation recipient.

Marxism was the guiding light that caused young Peter Tork to spend every nickel he made in his original stint with The Monkees partying with countless hangers-on.

Well he had a fun life.