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• Considered the first "manufactured" rock group, the Monkees were assembled for the 1966 NBC television series of the same name. The band was loosely based on the Beatles, and soon songs like the No. 1 pop hit "Last Train to Clarksville" made the band a mega-success on both sides of the Atlantic.

  In March it was revealed former Monkees guitarist Peter Tork had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma. A type of cancer usually found in the salivary glands, but in Tork's case it was found on his tongue. He reportedly underwent surgery and is said to be in good condition.Radar Online: Former Monkee Peter Tork Has Cancer (March 5, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Genre: Pop, Rock
  2. Members: Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz
  3. Years active: Intermittently from 1966 to 2002
  4. Studio albums: 11
  5. TV show aired: September 12, 1966-September 9, 1968
  6. 1st two albums hit No. 1 in both the U.S. and England
  7. Billboard No. 1 singles: "Last Train to Clarksville," "I'm a Believer," "Daydream Believer"
  8. "I'm a Believer" was written by Neil Diamond
  9. Jimi Hendrix first played in America as the Monkees' opener
  10. Monkees film Head was co-written by Jack Nicholson

• Discography

  • 1966: The Monkees
  • 1967: More of The Monkees
  • 1967: Headquarters
  • 1967: Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.
  • 1968: The Birds, The Bees & the Monkees
  • 1968: Head
  • 1969: Instant Replay
  • 1969: The Monkees Present
  • 1970: Changes
  • 1987: Pool It!
  • 1996: Justus

• Not Just a Monkee Mom

  Michael Nesmith's mother invented the correction fluid that would become known as Liquid Paper when he was not yet 10 years old, but the Monkees was his first taste of real commercial success. Companies including IBM passed on picking up the product, so Bette Nesmith Graham sold the stuff from her home until Gillette finally purchased the rights for $47.5 million in 1979, a year before her death.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  The Beatles | The Beach Boys | Jimi Hendrix | Harry Nilsson | Jack Nicholson | Neil Diamond | John Lennon | The Kinks | The Who | The Rolling Stones | The Doors | Frank Zappa | The Lovin' Spoonful | The Byrds | Brian Wilson

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