The Monkees made a 1960s cultural and musical splash that pretty much took everyone by surprise. The delightful mop-top quartet of Davy Jones, Peter Tork, Mike Nesmith, and Micky Dolenz recorded catchy songs like "Daydream Believer" and "Last Train to Clarksville," to name a couple of their successful hits. Teenage girls swooned and really adored them. Today, only Micky Dolenz survives of his four bandmates.. At age 81, he is touring through the first months of 2027 in a nostalgic show called 60 Years of The Monkees. Dolenz is keeping their music and spirit alive for a new generation.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Dolenz Clapped Back at the Notion of the "Nepo Baby"
There are plenty of offspring of famous moms and dads who went into the same profession as their parents. This is not a new trend at all. Liza Minnelli, Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas, and scores more have been bitten by the show biz bug. More recently, Kaia Gerber, Dakota Johnson, Ella Beatty, Gracie Abrams, and many more have lineage that qualifies as Hollywood royalty. Whether it opens doors for them is anyone's guess. Some believe that it gives them instant entree into hard-to-break-into territory.
Micky Dolenz recently sounded off on the topic He scoffs at the idea of nepo babies having it easy.
He Let Fly at the Idea
Dolenz made his comments when he was interviewed for Biff Bam Pop! with Andy Burns. "I've been in the business for 70 years, since my first television series. My parents were both in the business, both singers and actors. My mom played piano, so it's just following in my father's footsteps, which is what we used to call it. Now they call it nepo baby — I think it's the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life."
Furthermore, he said, "We used to call it following in your father's footsteps, which so many people do in many different industries, just standard practice." The singer clarified that he did not grow up in an environment characterized by immense wealth and privilege, and he never was consumed with the goal of fame and fortune. In fact, he candidly said, "We didn't live the typical Hollywood celebrity lifestyle. We lived out on ranches with horses and chickens. Very down-to-earth."
Micky Dolenz also acknowledged to Andy Burns, "I never ever had that burning desire that you see in movies and musicals." He feels that helped him cope with "the disappointment of rejection, which is constant in this business."
