Dear Readers,
So many false stories get started about my friends the Monkees that I want to take this opportunity to get some of them straightened out.
Here are some answers to the questions that I am most often asked.
Love, Ann Moses
Q. Is it true that Twiggy and Micky are madly in love?
A. No, it’s not true. Micky met Twiggy while he was in London on his vacation, but they only met for a few minutes and haven’t seen or talked to each other since.
Q. I’ve heard that ALL the Monkees were getting their hair cut. Is this true?
A. You’ve probably seen the Monkees’ new haircuts by now. Davy’s is shorter (especially in the back), sort of in a “dutch boy” cut. Peter is wearing his about an inch shorter than last year. Since Micky’s hair is very curly, he had so much trouble trying to straighten it all the time that he decided to just comb it straight back. Mike hasn’t changed his hair at all.
Q. I would like to know what Mr. Jones calls Davy—Davy, David or some other nickname?
A. Since I’ve never met Mr. Jones I asked our photographer, Bob Custer, about this. He was with Davy when he went home last spring and he remembers that Mr. Jones called him “Davy” most of the time, but occasionally called him “son.”
Q. Who is the leader of the Monkees?
A. There has never been an acknowledged leader of the group, since each has such an outstanding personality and drive all his own. However, from my observations Mike takes extra concern over wardrobe for stage, music and public relations. When decisions have to be made, they are always made by all four of the boys.
Q. I heard that Davy Jones got a crew cut and that he bought a wig. Is it true?
A. No.
Q. I read all the material on the Monkees I can get a hold of and I still can’t find the answers to these questions:
1. I read that Pontiac gave each of the Monkees a GTO, but I always read that Mike owns a Buick Riviera. What did he do, sell his GTO?
2. In the “Post” magazine they said the Monkees make $400 a week! Is that true?
A. 1. Mike drives his navy blue Riviera because he digs that car. His wife Phyllis drives their black GTO. It has blacked out windows, so she can see out, but no one can see in.
A. 2. The Monkees salary is $400 per week for their TV show. This does not include royalties from various other sources.
Q. In the third Monkee Spectacular there was a Monkee Quiz. One of the questions was “On what label do the Monkees record?” The answer was RCA Victor. I always thought it was Colgems. Which is right?
A. You had the right answer, we must have mis-typed that answer. The Monkees record label is Colgems which is distributed by RCA.
Q. I hate to say this about Mike, but I read in a book that when the Monkees are not acting and singing that Mike is not pleasant. Can that be true?
A. No, no, no. Mike, like all the Monkees, is a very friendly person and always fun to be around. I know there have been times when Mike would have loved to take a nap or take care of personal things, but he always took time to talk to me for stories or meet visitors on the set.
I remember one day Mike was making jokes and keeping everyone in good spirits. This was his first day back on the set following three days in bed with the flu. I asked Mike how he felt and he told me candidly that he felt horrible. “I can’t see any point in making everyone else miserable,” he said. That’s just one of the many ways Mike goes out of his way to be extra-nice to people.
Q. My friend and I are having a fight. We are in doubt about the Monkees having a manager. If they do, who is it?
A. They have no manager by that title, but all the jobs and responsibilities that a manager handles are executed by Ward Sylvester who is production executive for Raybert Productions. He travels with the Monkees wherever they go and oversees all the transactions that involve them as a group.
Q. I read an interview done on Peter Tork that Davy Jones was really 6'1" instead of 5'3" like he’s supposed to be. Is this true? If it is I don’t see why they made him shorter. We would have liked him just as much because he still has his good looks and personality. If he really is 6'1" the opinion of a lot of parents that this show is phony will only help to further convince them.
A. The interview you read was obviously done in fun and supposed to be a joke. Peter was probably exaggerating just for a laugh. Davy is REALLY 5'3" tall.
Q. Was Jumbo the Elephant from “Circus Boy” really Micky’s pet?
A. Micky loves animals and while he did the “Circus Boy” series he made friends with most of the animals on the show. However, Jumbo did not belong to Micky. Jumbo was a trained “show business” elephant.
Are you puzzled over any thing about the Monkees? Well, Write to me c/o Monkee Spectacular, 1800 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, Calif. 90028. Just mark “Monkee Rumors” on the envelope and I’ll be sure to answer your questions either by mail or in this column! Thanks, Ann.
