Peter Tork
David Jones 1945-2012 R.I.P.
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- A follow-up to my appearance on The Rachel Maddow Show
It has been a long time since I’ve done live TV (mostly taped), and I’m just nowhere near as fast on my feet as I’d like to be.
I had hoped to share, in my March 2nd conversation with Rachel, that in the outpouring of grief over Davy’s death (my grief, and the grief in the community), I have been reminded of many things that were unique about our shared experience in The Monkees TV show, as well as our subsequent reunions and dis-unions. The political context of Rachel Maddow’s show seemed a good place to discuss these memories.
When The Monkees first aired, it was the first time on network television (in the days when there were only three networks) that a group of young adults was presented as being in charge of their own lives, without a “wiser” senior adult figure directing or advising them. I’ve spoken of this before. In the wartime tumult of the 60s political and social change it was clear to many of us young adults that a great many figures in authority were not a reliable source of information or direction. Every Monday night, viewers tuned in to watch “four crazy boys” muddle through on their own and come out alright by the end of the half hour. The show was both a benign break from the carnage on the world stage and a reflection of a shift (introduced with The Beatles’ Hard Day’s Night) that we, as a generation, were called to account for our own truths, our own lives, our own destinies.
Regarding Davy’s death, I hoped to touch upon more deeply the richness of our relationship, which covered parts of six decades. A presence, and an absence now, that defies definition. I have yet to find the right words. Perhaps there simply are none, but I want to note that when I said I liked, loved and respected each bandmate in different ratios, it was Davy that I loved most.
Peace,
Peter T.
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Bio
- Long before "Peter Tork" became a legendary part of the prefab phenomenon known as the "The Monkees," he was a well-respected musician/artist in the burgeoning New York folk and blues scene. Peter's gift for playing a plethora of instruments (bass, guitar, keyboard, banjo and french horn) generated high demand for his services as a sideman/back-up artist. Peter knocked around for several hungry years in the mid-60's, hanging and performing with the likes of John Phillips, Steven Stills, Dave Van Ronk, Van Dyke Parks and Arthur Lee. The list goes on.The fateful call, which would change Peter's life forever, came in June of 1965. Friend and confidante, Steven Stills, not quite hitting the mark with his own audition, rung his buddy, urging him to give it a go. Twice. Stills remarks to the producers that he knew 'just the man to fill the bill' were spot on. Peter aced the audition for a what was to become a ground breaking multimedia project centered on a zany, young, rock/pop band - styled as THE American answer to the Beatles. The results were stellar and changed the popular music and television biz forever.Peter, never totally satisfied with prefab fame though at the height of his pop icon status, stuck to his roots as a starving artist. He could forever be found jamming with bands, learning and honing his chops. Music legend Jimi Hendrix jammed with Peter on several occasions, calling Peter - "The most talented Monkee."Peter has continued his solo career through the years, performing with his own bands, writing and recording and also making numerous guest appearances on a variety of TV programs.Peter realized a real love affair with the blues sometime during the 1990's. The result of that love is called Shoe Suede Blues.Defining Peter Tork and Shoe Suede Blues is akin to describing the history of popular music.Through Peter's band of seasoned pros, Shoe Suede Blues delivers a heartfelt soulful, uplifting and quite unforgettable mixture, divined from their vision of what music is all about.Peter Tork and Shoe Suede Blues...witness that the heart and soul of music lives.
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Contact
- There are a few ways to reach PeterFor booking info:For publicity:Please send fan mail to:524 San Anselmo Avenue #102San Anselmo, CA 94960
