With his affable charm and non-threatening handsomeness, Davy Jones turned millions of teenage girls into daydream believers during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In the process, he and his band The Monkees sold more than sixty-five million albums, had several number one singles and toured the world. Now millions of fans are mourning after the singer was pronounced dead earlier today.
According to TMZ, Jones had a heart attack this morning, and by the time he reached the hospital, there was nothing doctors could do. He leaves behind a wife, four daughters and an entire generation of fans that were touched by his beautiful voice and affecting smile. He was sixty-six.
More than forty years after the apex of the Monkees’ popularity, it’s difficult to remember just how beloved the band was. A strong case could be made that, at one point, they were actually bigger than the Beatles. They charted four number one albums in a year, and the single “Daydream Believer” is one of only a couple dozen hits to ever sell more than ten million copies. The guys were everywhere, and at the heart of it all, was Davy Jones.
Born in Manchester in 1945, he was acting by the age of eleven and already had a studio contract in place by the time he auditioned for the Monkees at twenty. He won the role and proved a fan favorite in the series. He also contributed lead vocals on numerous tracks including the still wonderful “Daydream Believer”. Throughout the rest of his life, he toured on-and-off with the Monkees and some by himself. Numerous publications have voted him as the greatest or one of the greatest teen idols of all-time, an accolade Marcia Brady would most certainly agree with.
Pop Blend sends out its thoughts to Jones’ entire family, as well as the millions who he made smile over the years. His good-natured zest for life is what I’ll remember, as well as his vocals on “Daydream Believer”, one of the greatest pop songs ever sung. Take a listen in his honor…
