Goodbye, Davy.

We lost an icon this week…and with that loss, a piece of my childhood was lost as well.

When I was 9 years old, I was addicted to Nickelodeon. My favorite show was, by far, “You Can’t Do That On Television”. I also enjoyed “Double Dare”, “Out Of Control” and “Turkery Television”. Around that same time, Nick had started to show reruns of this show called “The Monkees”. A group of goofy young guys who lived together, got in to trouble, and played GREAT songs. I was hooked. At that time, I didn’t immediately realize that I was actually witnessing a rebirth of a phenomenon. It didn’t take long to figure out that what I was watching was 20 years old. It didn’t matter. I loved it and became an instant fan.

When I found out that The Monkees were embarking on a worldwide reunion tour to commemorate their 20th anniversary, I told my friends Cece & Dante (brother & sister and fellow fans of The Monkees)…and tickets for the concert at the Pontiac Silverdome were purchased. It was winter of 1986…and I experienced my very first concert ever.


(me and Cece sporting our Monkees 20th Anniversary Reunion Tour t-shirts, 1986)

Like many of my generation and generations before and after mine, The Monkees were my very first musical obsession. I ate, breathed, and slept Monkee music. I had ALL of their tapes (yes, tapes)…even the ones that weren’t particularly well received by critics OR fans. It didn’t matter to me. I loved all of it.

I would eventually go on to learn that there was, in fact, more music out there other than The Monkees (read: Harry Connick, Jr. obsession) but The Monkees would always hold a special place in my heart.

Today, when Jill sent me an email telling me that Davy Jones died, my initial reaction was denial…something that was likely shared by ALL of Davy’s fans. How could this be? I know we can’t live forever, but to happen so suddenly…just out of the blue. It was (and still is) incredibly shocking and terribly tragic.

As sad as it is, Davy and his legacy should be celebrated and honored. He was a teen idol, singer, actor, entertainer…and more importantly, a husband, father, and grandfather. The gifts he shared with the world will always be remembered and his contributions to the world of music will never be forgotten. He had a direct impact on my life as well of the lives of millions of fans around the world. As time continues, his music will continue to inspire future generations.

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