Have you ever noticed a tall, smiling, suntanned young man with brown curly hair standing in the background while the Monkees take central attention? If you have, chances are his name is David Pearl.
At 24, David is truly the only person who could claim the title as the 5th Monkee. He’s been with the boys since before the show hit TV and will probably still be with them long after it’s only a memory.
David’s life began in New York City where he lived until he was 8-years-old. After that he moved to Sandersville, Georgia for a year and then on to San Antonio, Texas where his relationship with the Monkees began.
Mike was attending the same college as David. After two years of pounding the books on a premed course, David decided medicine wasn’t for him and headed out toward Hollywood.
Mike had already preceded him by a year, so upon arriving in Hollywood he immediately dropped by Mike’s house. Here he met the person who was to have a great influence on him: David Jones.
At this time the boys were already anticipating the debut of the Monkees show on television, but it was still months away. David remembers his first evening with Davy as “one of the grooviest experiences of my life.” Even today David describes Davy as “a very real person. He’s all there all the time.”
Moved right in Permalink
Mike and Phyllis were just about ready to move from their apartment when David arrived on the scene. So after having a look around, David decided that Mike’s old apartment would be just fine for him. He moved right in.
When David tired of this place, Peter Tork invited him to stay at his house. So for six months David bunked with Peter. Finally he moved in with Davy, but only stayed there for three months.
Today he has his own apartment, but it’s quite close to Davy’s house and the two of them spend most of their free time together.
David, the person Permalink
Standing about 6 feet tall and weighing 155 pounds, David’s the kind of person most girls would love to date. But it isn’t because he’s a friend of the Monkees or just plain good looking. When you’re around David for more than a few minutes you quickly realize that he’s very unusual. There’s a warmth about him that comes from inside. He’s friendly and attentive toward others. Admitting he wants to be an actor, David doesn’t fit the usual actor mold because he’s not very aware of himself. He thinks about other people. The fact that he’s definitely with the Hollywood ‘in-group’ never seems to affect him.
Since he’s very particular about the girls he dates, David doesn’t consider himself a party boy. Unless he really likes a girl he’d rather stay home and watch “Mission Impossible” on television than be out with a girl he doesn’t care for. Most of the time he and Davy get together and shoot pool, minus dates. “These are the best evenings,” David laughs. “We’ve found a new spot down on the strip below Davy’s house called The Store. We can play pool together for hours, then go up to Davy’s house and write songs.”
Clothes Permalink
You’ll never catch David Pearl wearing anything but the grooviest clothes. In fact he has many of them especially designed. “Linda Haines,” David reveals, “has made many of my clothes. She’s a wonderful girl. I introduced her to Davy and now he’s very fond of her.”
David’s personal preference in clothes moves toward the old English style look. He picked up several suits on his last trip to England with Davy. In Hollywood David frequents Lenny’s Boot Parlor and also orders clothes from Davy’s Zilch store in New York. At home he usually wears comfortable, loose-fitting shirts, suede trousers and loafers.
On girls he dislikes the “Bonnie and Clyde” look. “A girl,” David believes, “is meant to be seen and not all covered up with clothes and long skirts. I like the Mini-mod look. I wish it would stay in for awhile.”
Philosophy Permalink
In the midst of all the excitement with the Beatles and their spriritualism [sic] and Gurus, David just smiles. “I think all this searching for a way of life is fine up to point, but I really believe that you can create any atmosphere you want for yourself at any time. You don’t have to seek someone else’s help.”
This pretty much sums up David’s true philosophy, because if and when he reaches his goal of becoming an actor, he will have done it very much on his own without seeking help from his very famous friends.
