We were going to post something about Leap Day because why not? Then the news broke that Davy Jones died of an apparent heart attack. The singer and member of The Monkees was 66.
Arguably, Mickey Dolenz was the more appropriate lead singer in that his unusual voice and his delivery seemed to come more from a rock & roll place -- that slight touch of rhythm and blues that makes the music fun.
But Jones was no slouch even if his inclusion in the prefab four implies that he was there to add British Invasion appeal since that's what the teenage girls were into when The Monkees was conceived for televison. His stage-trained voice was the smoothest of The Monkees and well suited to the slicker, pop-oriented hits.
In a June 29, 2011 radio interview on Seattle's KJR, Jones was doing PR for a Monkees reunion tour (minus Mike Nesmith). Though the tour would end abruptly, Jones seemed centered and at peace with his past during the interview. [Listen here: Jones' portion begins just past the halfway mark.]
Here he is singing lead on The Monkees' "Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)"
