By Eleni P. Austin
I’ve been a Monkees fan since the show premiered in September 1966. Every Monday night I would watch the show in my feet pajamas and then it was bedtime. It ended at 8:30pm, and I was three years old. Even though the series ended after two seasons, it immediately went into syndication, guaranteeing my generation grew up laughing at the band’s antics, and loving l their iconic songs. Fast-forward to 1986, and MTV put Monkees reruns into heavy rotation, and created a whole new fan base. For the next 40 years, the band – Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork continued to record new albums and tour. Although critics initially dismissed their music in the ‘60s, as the years progressed, most conceded that the four-piece performed and created a surfeit of indelible songs.
Sadly, Micky Dolenz is now the last man standing, but he’s still touring, playing music that manages the neat trick of seeming fresh and familiar at the same time. Just ahead of his show at the Plaza Theater in Palm Springs, Micky was kind enough to answer a few burning questions.
ELENI: You came from a showbiz family and grew up during the Golden Age of Hollywood. What are your earliest memories of that era?
MICKY: My first series was Circus Boy and I loved it. I got cast in The Monkees and drove on the lot the first day of filming. The guard was the same one I had for Circus Boy. I actually thought that everyone’s family was like mine. Actors.
ELENI: Circus Boy happened when you were a kid, but by the time you were old enough to attend high school, you began fronting your own band and writing your own songs. What was the name of your band, and who were your earliest influences?
MICKY: The band was called Micky and The One-Nighters because that’s how long we usually played, one night. The Everly Brothers were a huge influence.
ELENI: It’s hard to believe The Monkees TV series premiered 60 years ago. Even though the critics initially dismissed the show and the music. But for me (and plenty of fans), both have stood the test of time. The show split the difference between silly and subversive. Meanwhile, the music sounds as fresh now as it did back in 1966.
MICKY: We have to give credit all around; the writers of the songs, Harry Nilsson, Carole King, Boyce & Hart, Paul Williams, David Gates, Neil Diamond…just the best.
ELENI: The Monkees went out on tour and rather famously tapped Jimi Hendrix to be your opening act. How did that come about?
MICKY: I had seen Hendrix in Greenwich Village, New York City. When I first met him, he was Jimmy James.
ELENI: When The Monkees ran it’s course, you continued to act and perform music. But soon, your passion shifted to directing, and that created a whole new career path for you. What ignited that ambition?
MICKY: I was interested in directing early on. The final Monkees episode, The Frodis Caper, I wrote and directed. I moved to England for 10 years after The Monkees TV show and worked there at the BBC.
ELENI: Back in 1986, MTV began airing Monkees reruns and a whole new generation discovered the sly charms of the series, as well as the timeless appeal of the music. Thanks to that boost, the band was back in the zeitgeist, and prepared to hit the road. How did it feel to go back out on tour 20 years after the show first hit?
MICKY: We got a call about going on tour for a month and it lasted for a full year.
ELENI: Sadly, Davy died at the beginning of 2012, but you, along with Peter and Mike, persevered. A decade ago, you recorded your best album, Good Times. Not only did it feature some great originals and a wonderful previously unreleased track that spotlighted Davy, but several well-known musicians stepped up and wrote some killer tracks specifically for The Monkees.
MICKY: We had some great songs from Rivers Cuomo (Weezer), Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie), Andy Partridge (XTC), plus Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller (Oasis and The Jam). Adam Schlesinger from Fountains Of Wayne (also one of the first casualties of Covid 19) did a great job. And of course, there was Neil Diamond’s “Love To Love,” featuring Davy.
ELENI: Although Peter died in 2019, you and Mike soldiered on as a duo and by 2021, he was gone too. You have stayed busy touring. You have also released a couple of great tour albums, Dolenz Sings Nesmith and Dolenz sings R.E.M. What was the impetus behind making those records?
MICKY: Making new music. Dolenz Sings Nesmith (songs by Mike Nesmith. produced by his son, Christian), was sort of a follow-up to my King For A Day album, which featured songs by Carole King.
ELENI: You are performing here in Palm Springs, at the newly refurbished Plaza Theatre on February 15th. Have you spent a lot of time in the desert?
MICKY: Love it here, I’ve spent time here for sure.
ELENI: Finally, you have been a solo act for a few years now. What can we expect from your upcoming show at The Plaza Theatre?
MICKY: It’s a celebration of The Monkees’ 60th anniversary. I’ll perform songs in chronological order and talk about creating them.
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Micky Dolenz At The Plaza Theatre, Sunday, February 15, 2026. 128 S. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs. https://palmspringsplazatheatre.com.
