Davy Jones of the Monkees Dies at 66 – Justin Louis Remembers one of his First Favorite Bands

I was saddened earlier today when I saw Facebook start blowing up with reports of the death of Davy Jones from The Monkees. Unfortunately, the story is true. TMZ reports that the former teen idol suffered a heart attack this morning at his Florida home.

When I was a kid, for whatever reason, I was drawn to oldies. I liked the Beach Boys, but I loved The Monkees. One of my very first CDs was their 1991 boxed set, "Listen to the Band". It was a four disc set, and each CDs cover was a colorful headshot of a different member.

As I've gone through my radio career, one of my traditions has been to have artists sign CD inserts. I've always hoped to have each of my Monkees discs signed by the members (admittedly a bit of a tall order since Mike Nesmith has been famously reclusive since he last played with the original members in 1997).

Obviously I'm saddened today for a couple reasons, first; it's always sad when one of your first favorite artists passes, I'm disappointed that I'll never have disc 3 of the set signed, but mostly I'm saddened by the passing of someone who seemed like a truly decent guy. I have a number of friends and colleagues who have gotten to meet and work with Davy over the years and I have never heard anything but kind reports on him.

The Monkees may have not been the Beatles, and Davy may not have been Paul McCartney, but both the band and the individual have left their lasting marks on the entertainment industry and my earliest memories of enjoying music.

Rest in peace, Davy Jones.