The Monkees 2021 tour really is their last but Micky Dolenz won't retire

5 July 2021, 12:59 | Updated: 11 October 2023, 13:22

Micky Dolenz from the Monkees won't retire just yet
Micky Dolenz from the Monkees won't retire just yet. Picture: Getty

By Mayer Nissim

Mickey Dolenz and Mike Nesmith will play their last ever show as The Monkees in November.

Mickey Dolenz has confirmed that The Monkees upcoming Farewell Tour really will be the group's last ever shows.

In May, Dolenz and surviving Monkees bandmate Mike Nesmith announced a celebration of 55 Years of Monkeemania with a their final tour dates, starting on September 10 in and Spokane, Washington and closing on November 14 at The Greek in Los Angelis, California.

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Asked if it really was the end for the band, Dolenz told Closer Weekly: "The short answer is yes. I think this is the last time Mike and I will get together as the Monkees.

"We questioned whether we should have even called it the Monkees. It’s a different show because the other two main guys, David and Peter aren’t with us anymore. So, yes, I think this is probably the last hurrah."

Singer David 'Davy' Jones died of a heart attack in 2012, while bassist and keyboard player Peter Tork passed away after battling cancer for many years in 2019.

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But while these shows will be the last under the Monkees banner, Dolenz has pledged to keep on working.

Asked if he will ever retire, Dolenz replied: "I tried it once, and I got bored, so it’s not in my plans right now."

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Their farewell tour promises to be a career-spanning set, featuring songs dating from the band's 1966 self-titled debut album, to 2016's studio swansong Good Times!

Produced by Adam Schlesinger, Good Times! was recorded by the then-three surviving Monkees with a contribution from the late Jones, who fronted a cover of Neil Diamond's 'Love to Love' originally recorded in 1967 for the band's third album, before being shelved.