NOSTALGIC REVEAL: Micky Dolenz Opens Up About the Untold Story Behind The Monkees’ Last Tour
Just one hour ago in Los Angeles, California, Micky Dolenz — the last surviving member of The Monkees — sat down for an intimate interview and shared memories that have remained largely unspoken for years. The topic was bittersweet: the band’s final tour, a farewell that carried both the joy of celebration and the ache of inevitable goodbyes.
For fans who grew up with The Monkees’ infectious blend of pop melodies and television charm, the group’s last run of shows in 2021 was more than a concert series. It was a living scrapbook — a chance to revisit the soundtrack of their youth, with songs like “I’m a Believer”, “Last Train to Clarksville”, and “Daydream Believer” echoing in arenas one last time.
But as Micky revealed, the tour was as much about the bond between him and Michael Nesmith — his final bandmate — as it was about the music.
“Mike and I both knew it was the end,” Micky said softly. “Not just the end of the tour, but the end of something we’d been part of for over fifty years. Every night, I looked over at him on stage and thought, ‘This is the last time we’ll share this moment.’”
Behind the scenes, Michael Nesmith was already battling health challenges, though he was determined to make it through the tour. Micky recalled moments where they’d sit in the dressing room before a show, guitars in hand, talking less about setlists and more about life — family, memories, and the friends they had lost along the way: Davy Jones and Peter Tork.
One memory stood out to Micky above the rest. On the final night of the tour, as they prepared to walk onstage, Nesmith turned to him and said, “Let’s make this one for the boys.” Micky understood immediately — it was a tribute not just to their fans, but to the bandmates who were no longer there to take that final bow.
The setlist that night flowed like a love letter to their history. When they reached “Daydream Believer”, the crowd’s singing nearly drowned out the band. Micky let the audience take the final chorus alone, stepping back from the microphone with a smile that was equal parts gratitude and grief.
“It hit me right then,” he recalled. “The Monkees weren’t just a band — we were a shared experience. We lived in people’s living rooms. We grew up with them, and they grew up with us.”
Just weeks after the tour ended, Michael Nesmith passed away, making that final run of shows an unplanned farewell not only to the band’s career, but to their decades-long friendship.
As Micky Dolenz reflected in Los Angeles, he made it clear that the tour’s true meaning went far beyond ticket sales or chart nostalgia.
“It wasn’t about saying goodbye,” he said. “It was about saying thank you — to Mike, to Davy, to Peter, and to every single fan who ever sang along.”
For those who were there, the last Monkees tour will forever be remembered not just for the music, but for the feeling in the room — a mix of joy, loss, and the rare kind of magic that happens when a final chapter is written in harmony.