Micky takes you back, back, BACK to his humble beginnings as a tiny tot eager to make his way in the world. It’s quite a trip—so hold on!
Greetings, Monkee-Maniacs—at least, I hope you are Monkee Maniacs. It’s me, Micky Dolenz, and I’m about to lay the story of my life on you from the very beginning. So hold on to my arm and away we go! This is one of the very first pictures ever taken of me. I was six months old and we lived in Tarzana, in the San Fernando Valley, California. My mom Janelle is holding me. My dad, the late Michael Dolenz, Sr., made this lawn-furniture couch I’m sitting on. I was seven months old when this picture was taken and even then I loved to pose for the camera. Here I am with my mom’s mom, whom I call “Mamoo”. I nicknamed her that when I first learned to talk, and the whole family still calls her that. At the age of one year, I learned to walk by holding on to my tailor-tot. When I first learned to write, I wrote on the top of this picture “…him is his mammas poonka wanka poonka.” When I was 14 months, mom had this baby photo booklet on me made. Smile for the camera? You bet. Laugh? Oh, I can do that too. More? How’s this? When I get started, I can’t stop— Even biting my tongue doesn’t— —seem to help very much! Okay, ma? Can I stop now? Here is a picture of me strolling along by Lake Arrowhead at the age of three. Those two ladies in Capri pants in the background are my mom and “Mamoo”. When I was three and a half we moved into a large house on Camarillo Street in North Hollywood. The house had been built by Bing Crosby, and he and his family had lived in it for a while. At the house on Camarillo Street we had three acres of land—and that was plenty of room to play in. My sisters and I had our own private “playground” and our own swimming pool. It was a gas.
Ah—I’ve suddenly run out of space. Well, I’ll have to save the rest of me till next issue. Chapter Two of “My Life Story In Pix” will appear in the May issue of 16 (which goes on sale March 21st). I’ll meet you right here then!