Peter Tork, of The Monkees, dead at 77

[FreddyE1977]

Peter Tork, bassist for the 60's TV prefab group The Monkees, has died at age 77.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...ory.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.6f7d023eabb6

Though cause of death was not specifically given, he was diagnosed with a rare form of
cancer in 2009.

Michael Nesmith and Mickey Dolenz remain as surviving band members.

 

[lawman]

RIP PETER TORK

Your a great memory, part of a great band, I know you will be remembered by us old goats because I can assure you, no Philly station will acknowledge or play any of the bands music...to honor you...

 

[davideduardo]

Your a great memory, part of a great band, I know you will be remembered by us old goats because I can assure you, no Philly station will acknowledge or play any of the bands music...to honor you...

Just think of this. If you were 16 when the Monkees had their first hits, you are over 70 now. No radio station can afford to program to 70-year-olds as there is nearly no ad revenue to be had for them.

 

[lawman]

I still think it would be nice for some station to give them a spin, when Chuck Berry, (who was much older) than Peter, passed almost two years ago, Radio One properties played his music, I am positive 100.3 was one.

 

[TheBigA]

I still think it would be nice for some station to give them a spin,

In point of fact, WXPN-FM played one of his compositions, "For Pete's Sake," around the time the news broke.

02-21-2019 13:14 pm The Monkees - For Pete's Sake - Headquarters

It's very likely that other AAA formatted stations that aim at people in their 70s played it.

 

[Will_H_69_9]

and now The Monkees now have something in common with The Beatles, and that's 2/4ths of them are now dead. RIP Peter Tork.

 

[KeithE4]

I still think it would be nice for some station to give them a spin, when Chuck Berry, (who was much older) than Peter, passed almost two years ago, Radio One properties played his music, I am positive 100.3 was one.

The difference between Berry and Tork is that Chuck Berry was one of the founders of Rock and Roll, who wrote dozens of hit songs that still are considered all-time classics and are still performed today. Peter Tork was an underrated musician and decent actor, but who never did anything significant in rock other than with The Monkees. His solo career, like the other Monkees save for Mike Nesmith, went nowhere.

Besides, The Monkees were strictly a product of their time (1966-69). Berry was an icon for over 60 years, and still is, even after his passing. Better to save the comparisons with Berry for when Bob Dylan leaves us.

 

[davideduardo]

I still think it would be nice for some station to give them a spin, when Chuck Berry, (who was much older) than Peter, passed almost two years ago, Radio One properties played his music, I am positive 100.3 was one.

I think that you find cases like Chuck Berry among certain ethnic groups who view stars as not only singers or actors or artists of some kind but also as representatives of their group. I see similar things among Hispanic audiences where the passing of a great star of a somewhat distant past will be similarly honored on stations that would otherwise never play one of the recordings of that artist.

This is actually a subject that is worthy of someone's doctoral thesis in sociology or cultural anthropology.

Besides that, when I think of the beginning of rock 'n roll, I think Bill Haley and Chuck Berry.

 

[TheBigA]

They're also all in their 70s. Mickey Dolenz is the youngest at 73, Ringo Starr is the oldest at 78. Next year would have been John Lennon's 80th.

 

[davideduardo]

They're also all in their 70s. Mickey Dolenz is the youngest at 73, Ringo Starr is the oldest at 78. Next year would have been John Lennon's 80th.

I saw Ringo last year in his Friends tour featuring some other greats of the era. He is amazing on stage, given his age, and really seemed to enjoy performing.

 

[KeithE4]

They're also all in their 70s. Mickey Dolenz is the youngest at 73, Ringo Starr is the oldest at 78. Next year would have been John Lennon's 80th.

Or older. Of the rock artists that had their first hits in the mid 1960s that are still with us, I believe Petula Clark is the oldest at age 86, followed by Bill Wyman at 82. Both are still active. I can't think of anyone from that era that's older (and I'm not counting 1950s guys like Little Richard, who's also 86).

 

[TheBigA]

Interesting to note that the two surviving band-mates are currently on the road, doing the Mike & Mickey Show. You can see if it's coming to your town here:

www.mickydolenz.com

 

[SaltyDog]

Or older. Of the rock artists that had their first hits in the mid 1960s that are still with us, I believe Petula Clark is the oldest at age 86, followed by Bill Wyman at 82. Both are still active. I can't think of anyone from that era that's older (and I'm not counting 1950s guys like Little Richard, who's also 86).

Petula Clark is still with us? I had no idea.

 

[CTListener]

Petula Clark is still with us? I had no idea.

She was already well established in England when America first heard her as part of the British Invasion, having started her recording career in 1949.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Just think of this. If you were 16 when the Monkees had their first hits, you are over 70 now. No radio station can afford to program to 70-year-olds as there is nearly no ad revenue to be had for them.

Sure there is. Chair lifts, catheters, funeral homes. I hear these ads on AM radio all the time.

 

[CTListener]

Sure there is. Chair lifts, catheters, funeral homes. I hear these ads on AM radio all the time.

He said "nearly" no. Those advertisers are bottom feeders, buying only the cheapest of air time.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I liked The Monkees because of their TV series. I didn't like rock music but I liked them. There was something quite appealing about Peter because on the show, he was the one who was dumb or clumsy.

People think they were just a silly teen act but as I recall they were more significant than that once they did the music themselves. And their videos inspired what became MTV.

 

[AM/FMRAINMAN]

The legendary WCBS FM in NY played I'm a Believer twice, Daydream Believer once and Last Train to Clarksville once. On our local classic hits stations WOGL, they did not play this at all...but I figured they probably would not play this, since this is a 60s band and they do not play 60s music anymore. WCBS is a bit different in that they seem to have a much bigger and wider playlist and that allows them the flexibility to play a band like this when someone from this era passes.
I was a fan of the monkees and had a few of their cds.

 

[tbolt909]

Just think of this. If you were 16 when the Monkees had their first hits, you are over 70 now. No radio station can afford to program to 70-year-olds as there is nearly no ad revenue to be had for them.

Poor Buddy at WECK Buffalo will be heartbroken. And to think you used to champion his cause. For the record, WECK plays 50s and 60s Pop Rock.

The Monkees may not have been as big as The Beatles, but they have legions of fans of all ages. John Lennon praised them for their comedic talent and musicianship. The Monkees made people feel good through their music and TV show. Peter Tork was a kind soul who certainly left his mark and will be fondly remembered...

 

[davideduardo]

Poor Buddy at WECK Buffalo will be heartbroken. And to think you used to champion his cause.

With my comment, I was responding to a person specifically saying that no Philadelphia station would be playing the Monkees tunes in tribute.

Philly has no WECK equivalent, and is a much larger and more transactional market where there is not much revenue to be had for older demos because so much is agency driven.