the delphic expanse

He'll always be a Daydream Believer to me.

Rest in Peace.

I was actually just coming by to post about this. I've been in my hometown today, putting things into storage. I'd just had my hands on my 1986 Monkees Tour program when my aunt dropped by to give me the news.

When I'm not so tired I'll share my story about meeting Davy and what I went through to do it.

A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm going to be revisiting Mistress Euclid's Monkees Toe the Timeline tonight.

It may sound silly, but I really am heartbroken about this. The Monkees were the "other" center of my world (besides Star Trek) when I was a teenager, and as with Star Trek, I made some lifelong friends because of Monkees fandom. Davy touched my life in ways he'll never know.

I'm really sorry for your loss, Aquarius. And it was your loss, because he did touch your life.

It's funny, I told my mother (who is two years older than Davy) and she was heartbroken. She talked about how much she enjoyed the Monkees when they were on the air, how watching the show made her feel closer to the youth culture when she was in college.

This makes me so sad. The Monkees was also a big part of my life. We got our first color television so I could see the show in color. I hadn't thought of that in a long time.

Rest in peace, Davy.

I should be in bed, but I've been up watching Monkees episodes. I'm sharing this video link of an alternate version of "Words". Vocally it's a duet with Micky and Peter, but what's unusual about this is that Davy is performing on the drums. The Monkees were always dismissed as a "manufactured band" and ridiculed for not knowing how to play their own instruments. What most people don't know is that all four members were, in fact, accomplished musicians before coming on the show. Mike, Peter, and Micky had all been in bands before. Peter taught music. Davy played trumpet and -- get this -- drums. Producers rearranged the lineup because Davy was the "cute one" and not very tall; they wanted him in front and were afraid he'd get lost in back on the drums.

Enjoy.

We lost Davy too soon, but I'm comforted by the fact that he died doing what he loved, tending to his beloved horses. You can't ask for more than that!

Alight, now that I'm not so worn out from two days of working in the chilly air -- couple of Monkees-related stories from my youth.

In 1986, the Monkees got popular again thanks to MTV, and my high school friend Stacie was really into them,too. We found out that they were coming to the Detroit area, and I begged and pleaded with my mom to let me go. I was 16, Stacie was 15. At first my mom said no, but I told her Stacie's dad was taking us so she said okay.

Stacie's dad took us, alright. He took us to the venue, dropped us off at the gate, and then went and hung out at the bar down the street until we were done. I could've gotten into so much trouble, but it was SO worth it!

Then there was another time I lied and broke the rules for the Monkees -- Davy in particular. This was 1989. Davy had just published his autobiography, They Mada a Monkee Out of Me. The Monkees were coming to the Detroit area again, and earlier in the day before the show, Davy was going to be doing a book signing before the show. My buddy Julie and I wanted to go, but the problem was, we had a ride to the concert, but not the book signing. I asked my mom if I could take the car to the book signing and she said no..

That summer, I'd been working at a discount department store with a high school friend, Velvet. Velvet had a car and I knew she was working all day, so I called her and asked her if I could borrow it for a few hours. (After all, my mom said I couldn't take the car, she didn't say I couldn't *go* ). So I left my car at the store, took Velvet's car...picked up Julie...we dove to 'Birmingham and picked up Julie's friend who knew how to get to the venue...and the day just ruled! Davy signed our books, and it was a huge squee moment.

Back in the car, I take Julie's friend home, I take Julie home, get Velvet's car back to her, and barely beat my mom getting home for work! Couple hours later, off to the concert I go!

I'm not advocating that young people lie to their parents...but you know, some things are just THAT important! I could've gotten into a heap of hot water, and I'm here to tell you right now that it would've been totally worth it if I'd gotten caught and grounded for 20 years!

As we Trekkies know, fandom is about so much more than what we're fans of. For me, the Monkees are also about the friendships formed, the memories, and the people who became partners in crime.

To anyone who's told me they like how I write humor -- The Monkees show was the first and most influential thing that defined "funny" for me. When I first taught myself screenwriting, mimicking the style of their show was my "training ground". I owe Davy and the rest a lot for the way they unknowingly influenced my own creativity.

RIP, Davy. Thank you for everything.

My wife, Ave, is the biggest Monkees fan I know and she was really upset to learn about his passing, especially when she was so close to seeing them a few years ago and missed the opportunity. Now she'll never have another.

RIP, Davy Jones.

This morning, Micky Dolenz gave a very touching interview on The Today Show.