Micky Dolenz On Legacy Of The Monkees And Favorite Live Concert Moments

Micky Dolenz is the last living member of The Monkees, after the death of Michael Nesmith in December.

Dolenz paid tribute to his friend and bandmate in 2021 by putting his own spin on 14 Nesmith-penned tunes for the album Dolenz Sings Nesmith, one created in collaboration with Nesmith's son Christian who oversaw arrangements as the album. There are four more tracks from those sessions on the new EP.

Less than a month before Nesmith died, the pair wrapped up one final tour. Dolenz was back on the road four months later, paying tribute to Nesmith, Peter Tork and Davy Jones during a solo run which featured special never before seen video from his personal collection.

I first met him at the auditioning process. We had a lot in common. Dolenz explained on stage last month that he and Jones had both been child stars and that they were going to do a video tribute to Jones midway through a performance. We became friends. I miss him very much. Ladies and gentlemen, David Jones.

I spoke with Micky Dolenz, who is currently on tour with Felix Cavaliere's Rascals, about getting back on stage after the Pandemic. A transcript of our conversation is below.

What was it like at the end of last year and now this year, getting back on stage in front of fans?

It's weird! It has been kind of strange. I hate to say it, but I have been enjoying myself with the time off. I have really enjoyed the forced retirement. I got a lot done. Stay safe.

I was anxious to get back on the road and do some shows, especially since I had done some shows with Nez. I had a great time performing with him. We got along great. I miss him.

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That really made me think about that last tour. It seemed like completing those shows was important to him. What did you feel like during that run?

MD: It was. Very.

I was worried about his health. He had some health issues. We were all worried. He wasn't one to whine or moan. It was obvious that he was having issues. I was worried about that. He is a trooper.

You are absolutely correct. We asked him if he really wanted to do it, and he said yes.

You are back on the road after four months. How important is it to remember the legacies of your bandmates in the way that you are?

MD: We did some special video stuff, including a video that has never been seen before. Before I decided to do these shows, I reached out to fans and agents and asked them what they thought. The concert in Nashville had been delayed several times.

I thought about it. I reached out. The decision was unanimous. Please do it. I was going to call it The Monkees, but I decided to do it for the fans. I came up with the idea of "Micky Dolenz celebrates The Monkees." Everyone seems to be enjoying it.

We have special video sections for each of the three guys.

I'm always interested when something like this comes up, like this video of The Monkees that nobody has ever seen. There is still something out there that is waiting to be found. One of the bands where we assume we have seen everything is The Monkees. How did you find this? Did you discover it or were you looking for it?

MD: I have had it for a long time and I know I have had it. It was all in boxes. Someone helped me catalog it. A lot of it is silly and lousy home movies. Some of it is cute. Some of it is very interesting. I had someone help me catalog it and we decided to take advantage of it.

You have really been forced to ponder the legacy of The Monkees after finding this video and putting together this celebratory show. What does the band mean to you?

I'm the last man standing, you know? That has had an effect on me. I think about it when I am on the road. It's weird when I'm back home. It is kind of weird. I haven't fully computed it yet.

We talked about the Dolenz Sings Nesmith album a year ago. There is a new EP. What was it like working with Mike's son Christian on it?

We didn't work that much together. He gave us good treatment. It was definitely a collaboration with Christian. He and Christian talked. During the Pandemic there wasn't much chance of collaborating with anyone in person. When he heard the product, he said he was very proud of it. He said that he was very proud of it.

I think Christian did an incredible job of re-telling these songs. As a kid, he's heard them his whole life.

I was listening to a song. The string arrangement on The Crippled Lion is beautiful. Is that Christian's arrangement?

Yes, everything. Christian did everything. There were more than one musician on it. The arrangement was down to Christian and I had a hand in it.

I'm really interested in the birthday of the soul- writer. Is that the story that Nez copyrighted but never recorded?

MD: Yes. That is correct. We had the publishers, Screen Gem, and he would write something and copyright it. He was prolific. We never got around to recording it. It is as simple as that. That is a virgin tune.

It was interesting to listen to some of the blues. It's hard to believe that was an outtake. You recorded your take on the song that Mike wrote. Do those lyrics have a new meaning to you now?

MD: That's interesting, you should say that. I think they did. I sing a lot of his songs. He didn't write any of them. I am doing it with my sister. I have done that before in my solo shows.

I want to know if you remember your first concert or if there is a formative early concert moment that still sticks out for you.

MD: I have a few that stand out. One would have seen James Brown. It was in L.A. in the early 60s. There is a big theatre. Maybe like the Shrine Auditorium? It could be,, or,, or,, or,, or,, or,, or,, or,, or,, or,, or,, or But watching him live.

I was a huge fan of Johnny Mathis and saw him live recently. He had an influence on a lot of my music.

My first performance was when I was 10 years old and I was promoting the series Circus Boy. I had learned to play the guitar. They sent us a junket. I went across the country in a train with my pet elephant. We went to Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh to do a publicity thing. They asked if I could sing on that guitar, I know a couple of things. There was a band that knew the song and backed me up. I found a multi-track recording of this. I used my guitar to sing two or three songs. The elephant came out and did some circus tricks.

I opened for an elephant.