Love Is Understanding - Remembering Peter Tork Of The Monkees

 Oh, Peter Tork.

Peter Tork and Jacqueline Boyd - Monkees Convention 2014
Photo courtesy of ILoveMickyDolenz.com

We just learned the news today of Peter's magical mystery trip into the next life and of course whenever that happens, we are left back on this planet stuck with all of our misery and pain.  As Monkees fans, after we lost our beloved Davy Jones, it shifted a little.  Suddenly, our own mortality was evident and all we could do was hold on dearly to Micky, Peter and Mike to get us through our loss.

We are now moving into a new world without Peter and it’s weird and scary.  We all thought we’d heard Auntie Grizelda way too many times and now, I’m suddenly extremely grateful I got to hear him perform it at every show.  It became a fun little inside joke for the fans and whenever we meet each other at future concerts, I hope we find a way to pay tribute to the man who tortured our ears with Auntie Grizelda over and over until we just burst out laughing.  We KNOW these boys.  We can laugh with them and feel a part of their brotherhood and Peter most certainly always knew how to keep his fans laughing and filled with joy when he performed on stage. 

The first time I met Peter, I admit it wasn’t quite the dream fangirl experience I had hoped for.  I’d driven six hours down to some random town in Pennsylvania in 2000 to see Peter Tork perform with the Shoe Suede Blues.  I had planned my outfit for months.  I had brought my most prized Monkees possessions in the hopes that he would do an autograph signing.  I actually met Peter long before I met Micky.

That night, Peter walked on stage and staunchly declared, “I’d just like everyone here to know that if you have come here tonight because you associate me with that ‘band who shall not be named’, you should probably just leave now.  I don’t want to hear about it or them.  THIS is what I do now and if you don’t like it, leave.”

I crumbled and felt every painful second of my heart stopping and then plummeting to the ground, taking out my stomach on the way down.  I was crushed.  Of course, I was a teenager and The Monkees had been everything to me for as long as I can remember.  It broke my heart and even though I sheepishly waited in the merch line to get a picture with him, I knew it was futile and he hated me.  My world was over.

Yes, please take into consideration that 18/19 year old girls are emotionally fragile and intense and it should have stopped me from ever resorting myself into being "THAT" desperate fan.  Of course, lucky for Peter that Micky Dolenz was still my fake boyfriend and future fake husband so no matter how I felt about Peter, I could NEVER avoid Micky or any of the rest of The Monkees and so I continued going to show after show.

Micky Dolenz - is there anything the man CAN'T do??  Sorry, of course this tribute is most certainly not about Micky Dolenz (other than the fact that I think about him 24/7 and he naturally makes his way into every conversation I have because it’s like a disease… albeit an awesome disease because it involves me thinking about Micky Dolenz 24/7).

Micky brought me back.  The next time I saw Peter Tork, it was in Buffalo, NY at a baseball game and after the show, the boys (Micky, Peter and Davy) got in one of those tiny carts and did a lap around the field so we could all scream our heads off for them.  As I saw them approach my spot behind home plate, my heart instantly knew what to do and I threw up a bold, exuberant peace sign high into the air.

Peter Tork’s eyes darted directly to my two trembling fingers and his face brightened.  He pointed directly at me with the same exuberance I had flashed my peace sign and with that signature adorable smile of his, looked right into my eyes and gave me a huge thumbs up and said, “RIGHT ON!”

I got up to leave, we drove home, and it was overall a good night.

Just kidding.  😉 The second the boys had driven away from my view, I collapsed.  Full on emotional breakdown of my legs and entire body.  I was laughing and crying and I said “he saw me!  He acknowledged me!!  He KNOWS ME!  We made a real connection!”  And then my boyfriend at the time (who by the way stole the only picture I have of that memory with Peter at the Shoe Suede Blues show and never gave it back, so screw you Jay) had to basically carry me out of the stadium, into our car and then drive me home.

I cried and rejoiced and celebrated the brief moment that solidified what I had always known:  The Monkees are human beings.  They have good days and bad days, like we all do.  No amount of bad days will ever make me stop appreciating the music and the way their music changed me and my entire life.  The way it still changes my life.  The way it has NEVER STOPPED inspiring me. 

Many years passed, I saw many Monkees concerts with Peter included.  I got to speak to him a few times at both of the Monkees Conventions and other events.  He was an absolute delight, took time to joke and laugh with everyone in line and make sure every fan got their special moment.

Peter Tork spoke of peace, love and all things hippie.  It is what I love and cherish him for.  My heart breaks for his wife Pam, his children, his family, his friends, Micky, Mike and anyone else who had the honour of being a part of Peter’s world. 

Thank you, Peter.  May you rest in peace and say hello to Davy for us, will you? 

Love,

Jacqueline Boyd 
Toronto, Canada
www.ILoveMickyDolenz.com

We were born to love one another,

This is something we all need,

We were born to love one another,

We must be what we're going to be,

And what we have to be is free.

- Peter Tork