Peter Tork, endearingly offbeat bassist and singer in the Monkees, dies at 77
02-21-19 | 11:17 AM
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Peter Tork, endearingly offbeat bassist and singer in the Monkees, dies at 77
Awwe Man. Story Here
Peter Tork, a blues and folk musician who became a teeny-bopper sensation as a member of the Monkees, the wisecracking, made-for-TV pop group that imitated and briefly outsold the Beatles, died Feb. 21. He was 77.
His death was confirmed by his sister Anne Thorkelson, who did not say where or how he died. Mr. Tork was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare cancer affecting his tongue, in 2009.
His death was confirmed by his sister Anne Thorkelson, who did not say where or how he died. Mr. Tork was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare cancer affecting his tongue, in 2009.
02-21-19 | 11:25 AM
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Re: Peter Tork, endearingly offbeat bassist and singer in the Monkees, dies at 77
Damn, I'm a huge Monkees fan. They were my first set of albums that I inherited from my sister. I see them anytime they come relatively close. I knew he was having some problems and stopped touring, but didn't realize it was this bad. 
02-21-19 | 01:38 PM
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Re: Peter Tork, endearingly offbeat bassist and singer in the Monkees, dies at 77
I saw Tork and Dolenz as The Monkees in 2016 and I’m really glad I did. I expected it to be a cheesy tribute but it was actually a really fun evening. RIP.
02-21-19 | 02:21 PM
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Re: Peter Tork, endearingly offbeat bassist and singer in the Monkees, dies at 77
Just like The Beatles, only two left.
Watched them every Saturday. Bought the DVD boxsets of their show.
Watched them every Saturday. Bought the DVD boxsets of their show.
02-21-19 | 03:39 PM
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Re: Peter Tork, endearingly offbeat bassist and singer in the Monkees, dies at 77
My parents had an old-school black and white TV that they mounted on the dashboard of their Astro minivan. They used to watch it while driving 
This was long before cars had any sort of screens built in but my god. One time a cop in Los Angeles yelled at my dad over his loudspeaker to turn it off when he drove up next to us on the highway
Anyway, I remember once we were driving through the middle of nowhere and we caught a broadcast of an episode of The Monkees and I was hooked. A shitty black and white image, fading in and out while we drove and I fell in love. First group I ever followed.
Such sad news. Peter had my favorite exchange ever on the show:
Madame Olinsky: I grow impatient.
Peter: I grow daffodils!
RIP
This was long before cars had any sort of screens built in but my god. One time a cop in Los Angeles yelled at my dad over his loudspeaker to turn it off when he drove up next to us on the highway Anyway, I remember once we were driving through the middle of nowhere and we caught a broadcast of an episode of The Monkees and I was hooked. A shitty black and white image, fading in and out while we drove and I fell in love. First group I ever followed.
Such sad news. Peter had my favorite exchange ever on the show:
Madame Olinsky: I grow impatient.
Peter: I grow daffodils!
RIP
02-21-19 | 04:20 PM
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Re: Peter Tork, endearingly offbeat bassist and singer in the Monkees, dies at 77
My parents were huge Monkees fans and we watched the re-runs on MTV when I was a kid. Later on, I thought it was hillarious that Topanga's dad on Boy Meets World was Peter Tork and they had that mini Monkees reunion with Dolenz and Davey Jones
02-21-19 | 08:40 PM
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DVD Talk Legend
Re: Peter Tork, endearingly offbeat bassist and singer in the Monkees, dies at 77
I had the pleasure of seeing Pete perform with Davy and MIcky in 2011, with Mike and Micky in 2012 and 2013, and with Micky in 2016. He was a CONSUMMATE musician -- playing guitar, keyboards, banjo, french horn, pretty much everything. And when he sang and danced, he did it with a SICK amount of energy, charisma, and stage presence.
He was clearly the most talented musician in The Monkees. Even Nez commented that he left the rest of the group in the dust, when it came to musical chops.
I love The Monkees. Scoff all you want but their catalog is one of the best in all of pop music, if you view them as not just the four members but the legion of talented songwriters, producers, and arrangers behind them. Don Kirschner, Carole King, Neil Diamond, Boyce and Hart, Cynthia Mann, Harry Nillsson ... Christ!
I don't mean Christ was one of their songwriters, but I wouldn't be surprised.
RIP Peter. You were never the dummy. We'd want you to stay, but The Porpoise is waiting; goodbye, goodbye, goodbye...
He was clearly the most talented musician in The Monkees. Even Nez commented that he left the rest of the group in the dust, when it came to musical chops.
I love The Monkees. Scoff all you want but their catalog is one of the best in all of pop music, if you view them as not just the four members but the legion of talented songwriters, producers, and arrangers behind them. Don Kirschner, Carole King, Neil Diamond, Boyce and Hart, Cynthia Mann, Harry Nillsson ... Christ!
I don't mean Christ was one of their songwriters, but I wouldn't be surprised.
RIP Peter. You were never the dummy. We'd want you to stay, but The Porpoise is waiting; goodbye, goodbye, goodbye...
02-21-19 | 09:37 PM
#9
Re: Peter Tork, endearingly offbeat bassist and singer in the Monkees, dies at 77
Such sad news . The Monkees were my first concert when I was 10, on their 30th Anniversary Tour in 1996. Davy Jones' death hit me harder than most celebrity deaths, and this ranks right up there :/
. The Monkees were my first concert when I was 10, on their 30th Anniversary Tour in 1996. Davy Jones' death hit me harder than most celebrity deaths, and this ranks right up there :/
02-23-19 | 02:18 PM
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Re: Peter Tork, endearingly offbeat bassist and singer in the Monkees, dies at 77
really sad news. Such a fun show to watch as a kid. RIP I may get a ration of shit for this but I probably liked the monkeys more than the beatles for the most part, the Fab four were great don't get me wrong but these guys were a little more relatable growing up in the mid 70s
02-23-19 | 03:09 PM
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Senior Member
Re: Peter Tork, endearingly offbeat bassist and singer in the Monkees, dies at 77
MeTV will be showing two Peter Tork-themed episodes of The Monkees Sunday afternoon (2/24).
https://metv.com/stories/metv-pays-t...on-february-24
https://metv.com/stories/metv-pays-t...on-february-24
