Micky taught us spontaneity and the love of being in the Here and Now. Micky was a man/child with a rubber face that could stretch in all sorts of comical expressions. Micky could find something funny in just about anything and he taught us that it was OK to laugh at ourselves. Micky was a master at impressions and seemed to revel in wearing all sorts of crazy costumes. He allowed the child in himself to have expression even before any of the theories on this sort of thing were accepted. From the interviews that we read in the various teen magazines, it seemed that Micky also loved experimenting with all sorts of gizmos , moog synthesizers, cameras, gyrocopters and so on. He was the kid who never stopped asking questions and as a result, never stopped learning. Micky played Micky and the Monkees wouldn’t have been the same without him. And Micky had one of the best pop voices around, up there with all the greatest voices in pop, or rock.

And then there was David. David Jones taught a great kissing 101 course every Monday night to millions of young teenagers. He was a real pro. Probably even taught the older teenagers a thing or two as well. When David said "Hello, my name is David Jones and I think I love you" many of us didn’t have to think, we knew we loved him. It was love at first sight, or maybe at first listen. David was an inspiration to anyone under six feet tall and proof that tall dark and handsome didn’t have a thing on not so tall, dark and gorgeous. David also had great hair and always dressed to impress. From interviews, we knew how much David loved his family. He was always speaking of his father or sisters or some family member. He let us see that it was ok to admit that you actually liked your parents or siblings which is not always cool to many teenagers. David had heart. He was tough, cocky and confident ..even cheeky. He often fought the duels, went the rounds in the ring and rescued many damsels in distress. I know many of us believed, maybe some of us still believe, that if given the chance, David would rescue us too.

The Monkees television series is now a classic and well loved part of pop culture. The men who made the magic are still out there entertaining, proving that their success was no accident. David, Micky, Mike and Peter were not only multi-talented men, they had the one thing you can’t teach anyone, personality. It was partly due to that personality that the magic has endured well into the 90’s. It is to the Monkees credit that they themselves see fit to continue creating under the banner of the Monkees. That they understand and embrace the magic that is uniquely theirs. As faithful fans, we have now learned even more than we learned all those years ago. We learned that it was alright for us to care about the Monkees, because we now know without a doubt, they care too. We don’t need to get a life, most of us actually have one, but that life has been enriched by the magic that was, and is, the Monkees. We thank them for that magic and we hope that they take care of themselves, for themselves, for their loved ones and for those of us who have made them part of our extended families - because in our way - the faithful fans love them unconditionally.


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