Billie Hayes Interview Script

Yes, I did do a segment of The Monkees, and it was great fun. I loved it. There was another fellow on there that—of course, there was the Monkees, but there was the fellow who played my son. I think Lou—Lou Jacoby? (Lou Antonio) Anyway, terrific actor. Well, you saw the segment, whatever, and yeah, I loved doing that show. It was really fun. Those guys are nuts.

I love people who have a freedom about themselves. They’re not like afraid to approach other people or to open up to other people, you know. You don’t have to tell people your laundry list, but I mean, you know, I mean, just open up. And the Monkees are like that. All of them. They were all very—they were nice to me. They were very outgoing with me, and… and they’re attractive, which is lovely, you know. And they’re talented young men. They’re really talented. And it was a very fun—I think it, I think we shot that in one day, maybe two, I’m not sure. But, I’m not sure. We—I did one segment.

I have ringing in the ears, you know, tinnitus? And I think that’s one of the things that started it. We were in a barn—this is The Monkees now—so we were inside this barn, right, and I had this gun—not a little gun, but a pretty good sized gun—and this is a wedding party now, and they’ve all got guns, right? And we were all shooting these guns. Well, nobody in those days thought of, you know, plugging up your ears. And it seemed like shortly thereafter, I started like getting little ringing, little teensy ringing. So now I kind of have to watch that because it gets, you know. That’s why I’m leaning into you, ha ha ha!