When I heard the news that The Monkees’ Davy Jones had passed away today, I was heartbroken. I couldn’t believe it. At first, I foolishly thought maybe it was some kind of cruel hoax. Unless you have a heart of stone, who could resist that boyish grin and not feel a soft spot in their heart for the man who belted out the wistful lyrics of “Daydream Believer” at that piano with the funky colored background behind him?
I, like countless other women ranging in age from their 60s all the way down to their 20s, had a childhood crush on Davy. Thanks to cable networks like Nick at Nite, I grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s watching reruns of all the classic sitcoms, and The Monkees was always one of my favorites. One half-hour of watching those four adorable grown men — running around having zany adventures while singing songs and mimicking The Beatles — had me hooked.
However, I think the first time I ever laid eyes on Davy was watching the episode of The Brady Bunch in which Marcia persistently tries to get him to perform at her school dance. If ever there was a time for “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” envy, I think seeing her sitting on the Bradys’ ugly living room couch with Davy next to her, asking if she would go to the dance with him as his date would be that pivotal moment.
I was lucky enough to see Davy perform at a July 4 concert at the opening of an Indiana casino in 2008, and even luckier still, to have actually touched his hand during his performance of “Daydream Believer” as he graciously reached out and touched his fans that were in front of the stage. Seeing his still-handsome face with the bright stage lights behind him as his hand glided over mine … it was a magical moment. It was one of the most significant celebrity encounters of my life and that’s saying something because I regularly attend conventions to meet my childhood icons. Words can’t really describe how absolutely perfect that moment was and still is in my vivid memory of it.
I only regret I didn’t go see him perform last summer with Peter and Mickey … one of my friends went and got his autograph after the show. (Side note: I actually just made this same friend a Monkees jewelry box with some old vinyl artwork I glued to a jewelry box as a unique Christmas gift and I was going to give it to her later this week because I haven’t seen her in months. Now it’s going to seem like a morbid reminder that he’s dead but that wasn’t my intention.) Despite his small stature, he really was a man with a big heart and you could tell he always cared about his fans throughout the years. He was a heartthrob with a genuine heart of gold.
Thank you, Davy, for making the morning brighter … for making the night time nicer and for making the music softer.
Clacked by Kim Tibbs
on Feb 29, 2012 @ 20:56 EST5EDT
