TLDR: George Michael Dolenz Jr. was born March 8, 1945, in Hollywood, cast as the drummer on The Monkees despite having never touched a drum kit, and is now, at 81, the sole surviving member following the deaths of Davy Jones in 2012, Peter Tork in 2019, and Michael Nesmith in 2021. He carries the band’s legacy forward through an active touring schedule, including a sold-out 60th anniversary tour running through 2026 and 2027, performing songs originally sung by his late bandmates as a deliberate way of keeping them present on stage.
Micky Dolenz was cast as the drummer of The Monkees despite never having played a drum in his life.
He had been performing as the lead singer of his own band, Micky and the One-Nighters, and sang Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” at his audition, which got him hired. The drumming came afterward, as a twelve-week crash course to make him passable enough for live shows.
A Child Star Before He Was a Monkee
Dolenz was born at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Hollywood, the son of actors George Dolenz and Janelle Johnson.
He began his show business career at eleven, starring as Corky in the 1950s children’s series Circus Boy under the stage name Mickey Braddock. After the show ended he made sporadic television appearances through his teenage years while attending Ulysses S. Grant High School in Valley Glen, graduating in 1962. He was attending college in Los Angeles when he auditioned for The Monkees in 1965.
He suffered from Perthes disease as a child, a hip condition that left one leg shorter and weaker than the other, which shaped an unorthodox right-handed, left-footed drumming setup he used throughout his career.
The Real Lead Singer, Not Just the Drummer
Despite being billed publicly as the drummer, Dolenz sang lead vocals on the majority of the Monkees’ studio recordings, including “Last Train to Clarksville” and “I’m a Believer,” the band’s best-selling single.
He is the only member who was part of the group from its inception through every subsequent reunion, and the only one with vocal recordings on all of the band’s studio albums.
He was also an early technology adopter within the band. In 1967 he purchased the third commercially sold Moog synthesizer, behind only Wendy Carlos and Buck Owens.
His performance on “Daily Nightly,” a Nesmith composition from the album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., was one of the first uses of a synthesizer on a rock recording.
The Brother He Never Had
Dolenz’s closest bond within the group was with Davy Jones. The two connected instantly at their 1965 auditions, both being former child stars with theatrical and television backgrounds unlike the folk-scene roots of Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork.
They briefly lived together in 1966 while waiting on apartments and continued performing together as a duo for decades after the band’s initial breakup, eventually touring as Dolenz, Jones, Boyce and Hart in 1976. Dolenz has called Jones the brother he never had.
Within the group’s internal dynamics, Dolenz and Jones were considered the entertainers, treating the show as a lucrative professional job, while Nesmith and Tork chafed against its manufactured constraints.
When Jones died in 2012, it was Dolenz who explained to the press why the three surviving members chose not to attend the funeral, a decision covered in full in our piece on Davy Jones.
Carrying It Alone
Following Nesmith’s death in December 2021, Dolenz became the last surviving original member of the group. Rather than stepping back, he has spent the years since building an active, sold-out touring career built specifically around the band’s legacy.
His “Songs & Stories” show walks audiences through the group’s history, and in late 2025 he launched a 60 Years of the Monkees anniversary tour that expanded repeatedly through 2026 due to demand, with dates running into 2027.
He has spoken candidly about what it means to perform songs originally sung by his late bandmates. “In a way, they have never left me because every night they’re there,” he said in a 2026 interview. “Every night they’re there. In the songs that I sing, because I sing songs that Mike might have done originally, or David, or Peter.”
In June 2026, at 81, he surprised fans with a new single, a cover of Paul Westerberg’s “Terri,” part of an upcoming collaborative EP also featuring Andy Partridge of XTC and Vicki Peterson of the Bangles.
For the full cast story, see our Monkees cast where are they now.
Micky Dolenz: Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the only surviving member of the Monkees?
Micky Dolenz, born March 8, 1945, is the sole surviving original member of the Monkees, following the deaths of Davy Jones in 2012, Peter Tork in 2019, and Michael Nesmith in 2021. As of 2026, at age 81, he continues to actively tour, including a multi-year 60th anniversary tour of Monkees music.
Did Micky Dolenz actually know how to play drums when he joined the Monkees?
No. Dolenz had never played drums before being cast in the show. He was hired primarily as a singer after performing Chuck Berry’s Johnny B. Goode at his audition, and was given a twelve-week crash course afterward to become passable enough for live performances. He sang lead vocals on the majority of Monkees recordings despite being publicly billed as the drummer.
Did Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz get along?
Yes, they shared one of the closest bonds in the group. The two connected instantly at their 1965 auditions, having similar backgrounds as former child stars, and remained close for decades, touring together as a duo after the band’s initial breakup. Dolenz has called Jones the brother he never had.
