Micky Dolenz of the Monkees
Micky first established himself as a performer at age ten when, under the stage name of “Mickey Braddock,” he starred in his own first TV series, Circus Boy, which aired on NBC and then ABC from 1956 to 1958. In his early teens, Micky guest-starred on a number of television shows. As he graduated high school and began attending college in the mid-‘60s, Dolenz also learned to play guitar. He soon began to perform with a number of rock ’n roll bands, including one called The Missing Links.
In the fall of 1965, Micky was one of 400 applicants who responded to a trade ad that announced auditions for a new TV show about a rock band. He auditioned for The Monkees’ TV show by playing and singing Chuck Berry’s legendary rocker “Johnny B. Goode,” and wound up chosen for the show along with three other actors: Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork.
The TV ratings for The Monkees remained high during its initial two- season run, which ended with Micky actually in the director’s chair for the series’ final episode called “Mijacogeo” (a.k.a., “The Frodis Caper”). While the “Pre-Fab Four” continued to be seen in re-runs, Dolenz turned his attention back to the origins of his trade—acting, and now directing.
In 2015, Dolenz announced a new series of Monkees live shows together with Peter Tork beginning in April—along with two high-profile solo charity appearances in April, One Starry Night and Jammin’ for Jones. He also made plans for three appearances at the Feinstein’s 54 Below Broadway’s Supper Club in NYC for July, where he will record a new live album titled A Little Bit Broadway, A Little Bit Rock ’n Roll.
That album was released on Friday, September 25 (on Broadway Records) and the night before he appeared with The Roots on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on NBC.
Micky sat in with The Roots for the whole show giving the Monkees-hits a very contemporary spin.
Two more sold-out shows were held at Feinstein’s 54 Below that week as well.
In 2018 and 2019, Micky embarked on a tour with fellow-Monkee Michael Nesmith Across the US and Australia and New Zealand in June.
Actor, singer, director, producer, writer, radio DJ, inventor, and all-around performer extraordinaire, Micky Dolenz stands tall as a paragon of taste and accomplishment in the rough-and-tumble world of show business and entertainment. And oh, by the way - he remains a believer...
Micky Dolenz was born in Los Angeles on March 8, 1945. His father George, starred in a number of films, and played the title character in the mid-1950s television series The Count of Monte Cristo.
Micky first established himself as a performer at age ten when, under the stage name of “Mickey Braddock,” he starred in his own first TV series, Circus Boy, which aired on NBC and then ABC from 1956 to 1958. In his early teens, Micky guest-starred on a number of television shows. As he graduated high school and began attending college in the mid-‘60s, Dolenz also learned to play guitar. He soon began to perform with a number of rock ’n roll bands, including one called The Missing Links.
In the fall of 1965, Micky was one of 400 applicants who responded to a trade ad that announced auditions for a new TV show about a rock band. He auditioned for The Monkees’ TV show by playing and singing Chuck Berry’s legendary rocker “Johnny B. Goode,” and wound up chosen for the show along with three other actors: Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork.
The Monkees' debut single, "Last Train to Clarksville," featuring Micky on lead vocals, hit the charts on September 10, 1966 and rocketed swiftly to number one. Two days later, the television show debuted on NBC to great success. The TV ratings remained high for two seasons, and the show won two Emmy awards for the first season for “Outstanding Comedy Series” and “Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy” going to veteran director James Frawley.
Micky and his fellow “TV bandmates” actually went on to become a real live rock band that first toured North America from late December 1966 to May 1967, and then began a US / UK summer 1967 tour that featured (at Micky’s invite, following the Monterey Pop Festival) none other than guitar legend Jimi Hendrix as the opening act for the first few dates. It was around this time that Micky also acquired one of the first Moog synthesizers ever made, which he played on the Monkees’ track written by Nesmith, “Daily Nightly,” almost two years before its use by The Beatles on their final studio album, Abbey Road.
The Monkees also went on to star in their own feature film, Head, a 1968 psychedelic romp directed by the TV series’ co-creator Bob Rafelson from a script co-written by a young Jack Nicholson. The movie is now considered a cult classic.
The TV ratings for The Monkees remained high during its initial two- season run, which ended with Micky actually in the director’s chair for the series’ final episode called “Mijacogeo” (a.k.a., “The Frodis Caper”). While the “Pre-Fab Four” continued to be seen in re-runs, Dolenz turned his attention back to the origins of his trade—acting, and now directing.
In 2014, Micky was profiled on the Oprah Winfrey OWN cable-network show Where Are They Now?, and delivered another bravura performance at B. B. King’s in Manhattan, New York. Already a creative and artistic success many times over, Dolenz decided to “go entrepreneur” and formed a fine-furniture company with his daughter, Georgia, called “Dolenz & Daughters” (www.DolenzandDaughters.com).
Micky has also appeared recently opposite Three Company’s TV veteran actress Joyce DeWitt in the play Comedy Is Hard, written by Emmy-award winning Simpsons writer Mike Reiss). The play was staged at the prestigious Ivoryton Playhouse in Connecticut.
In 2015, Dolenz announced a new series of Monkees live shows together with Peter Tork beginning in April—along with two high-profile solo charity appearances in April, One Starry Night and Jammin’ for Jones. He also made plans for three appearances at the Feinstein’s 54 Below Broadway’s Supper Club in NYC for July, where he will record a new live album titled A Little Bit Broadway, A Little Bit Rock ’n Roll.
That album was released on Friday, September 25 (on Broadway Records) and the night before he appeared with The Roots on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on NBC.
Micky sat in with The Roots for the whole show giving the Monkees-hits a very contemporary spin.
Two more sold-out shows were held at Feinstein’s 54 Below that week as well.
In 2018 and 2019, Micky embarked on a tour with fellow-Monkee Michael Nesmith Across the US and Australia and New Zealand in June.
Actor, singer, director, producer, writer, radio DJ, inventor, and all-around performer extraordinaire, Micky Dolenz stands tall as a paragon of taste and accomplishment in the rough-and-tumble world of show business and entertainment. And oh, by the way - he remains a believer . . .
