Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Gakky Two-Feet by Children's Bookshelf Talks with Micky Dolenz. Micky Dolenz was sitting in his Broadway dressing room recently, preparing for another performance as Zoser in the Elton John-Tim Rice production of Aida, when he realized he'd passed a milestone: his run with Aida had surpassed his tenure with , the '60s pop culture phenomenon that started out as a TV show about a band and became a band without a TV show. Dolenz, 61, is ready to be known for something else. His first picture book, Gakky Two-Feet , illustrated by David Clark, debuts from Putnam. He envisions a whole series of books about on "anthromythology," the fictionalization of key moments in human evolution. Interviewed from his home in Los Angeles, Dolenz explained that his fascination with the subject had nothing to do with having once been a Monkee himself. Can you explain how Gakky Two-Feet came about? Ever since I was a kid, I've had an enormous interest in the sciences—everything from quantum physics to anthropology. When my Scientific American arrives every month, I read it cover to cover. So the idea for Gakky , about the first quadruped who decided to stand up, came from Scientific American ? It did! I had read an article about hominid evolution and, one night shortly after that, I woke up and the Muse was standing by my bed. She was really cute, and she had a nine-millimeter Glock. She held it at my head and said, 'Write Gakky's story.' Not being one to deny a pretty Muse with a loaded Glock, I got up. And a couple of hours later, I had a first draft. Wow. Did the Muse call a publisher on your behalf, too? No, I ran into Nancy Paulsen [Putnam's publisher] and told her about it. She said, 'Send it in,' and they bought it. I'm hoping it's going to be a series of anthromythologies, which is what I'm calling these fictionalized stories about seminal moments in human evolution. Who was the first hominid to pick up a bone and have that epiphany that it could be used as a weapon? Who lit the first fire? Or figured out you could use a rock as a tool? Those moments have always fascinated me. Are there more books already under contract? Putnam bought the second one—about the first musical instrument, which is based on the discovery of a flute, made of bone, which was found in a cave in France. It's estimated to be 65,000 years old. Yowza! Right. I mean, there were undoubtedly instruments even older than that made of wood and reeds that disintegrated over time, but the ones made of bone, like all fossils, are the ones that have survived. But the story explores who played the first music and why. Got a title? Well, the working title is Lalu Toot-Toot but, of course, that could change. Will David Clark illustrate this one, too? I hope so. His illustrations are wonderful. Nancy did a great job of finding him because he brings a lot of fun to the manuscript. With all this science stuff, there's a danger of boring kids. It's not meant to be a textbook. It's just to get kids thinking. Like, the third book will be about the discovery of fire. And I'd like to write one about the first tools. This could keep you busy for a while. Writing is a great love of mine. The bio that appears at the back of Gakky is absolutely true. I sent my first manuscript to Boys Life when I was 12. It was rejected, and it's taken me this long to get up the nerve to write again. Either that or that gun-toting Muse. Okay, here's the really important question my editor insisted I ask: Who was your favorite Monkee? I can't answer that question. Impossible. You have to understand the evolution of those Monkees. We were cast together in a TV show. It wasn't a band in the classic sense. So when the show went off the air, we did stick together to perform, but it was more like the cast of a musical getting back together and recreating their roles. You know, like every few years Yul Brynner would star in The King and I again. Many people have fond memories of the Monkees. I fondly remember it, too. It was huge! A feather in my cap. But it was a very, very brief period in my life. Now, could I have gotten this book published if I hadn't been Micky the drummer from the Monkees? It probably smoothed the path but hopefully the book will stand on its own two legs. Who Is Micky Dolenz? Here's All You Need To Know About His Age, Height, Net Worth, Career, Personal Life, & Relationship. Body and Relation Status of Who Is Micky Dolenz? Here's All You Need To Know About His Age, Height, Net Worth, Career, Personal Life, & Relationship. Micky Dolenz is actor and musician best known as the frontman and drummer of the 1960s TV sitcom The Monkees . With the band, he made lead vocals for such hits including Last Train to Clarksville and . Throughout his career, the artist has worked on various stage programs and shown his appearance in many of the films and TV shows as well. Micky Dolenz's Early Life, Parents, Siblings, Education. Micky Dolenz was born on March 8, 1945, in Los Angeles, CA to father and mother . An American by nationality, he belongs to white ethnicity and shares the birth sign Pisces. Micky has three sisters Gemma Marie Dolenz, Kathleen Dolenz, and Deborah Dolenz . He was raised by his parents along with his siblings. In 1962 , he graduated from Ulysses S. Grant High School in Valley Glen, Los Angeles. Then, he attended Valley College and the Los Angeles Technical Institute, where he studied architecture. Age, Height, & Body Statistics. Age : As of 2019, Micky Dolenz is at the age of 74. Height : Dolenz stands tall 5 feet 10 inches or 178 cm similar to Tabria Majors, Katherine Pine, and Mark Harelik. Weight : His weight is 80 kg or 176 lbs. Eye Color : Micky has brown eyes. Hair Color: His hair color is brown. Body Measurement : Micky has a fit and healthy body but his exact measurement is not available. Personal Life, Relationship History, Marriage, Wife, Children. Micky is married three times in his life. He married Samantha Juste , a co-presenter on BBC TV's pop music show, in 1968. They were blessed with a child, daughter , on January 8, 1969 . Unfortunately, they got divorced in 1975. Following the separation, he tied a knot with Trina Dow in 1977. The pair had three daughters Charlotte Janelle , born on August 8, 1981; Emily Claire , born on July 25, 1983; and Georgia Rose, born on September 3, 1984. Dolenz. They parted their ways in 1991. After his separation with Dow, he shared his wedding vows with Donna Quinter, in 2002. Micky bought a house in 2001, Bell Canyon, California, and currently living with his spouse, Donna. Net Worth, Career, Earnings. According to Celebritynetworth, the popular American actor has a net worth of $9 million , as of 2019 . He has maintained such a wealth, all from his hard work and dedication throughout his career. He has not shared the exact figure of his salary on the media and tabloid sources, however, an actor earns around $39.84 per hour in average, making over $50 thousand in a year. Similarly, director has an average salary of around $92,220 per year, $44.34 per hour and musician can earn around $48.26 per year on average. Hence, he might be receiving his same amount from his works. Career. In 1964, he appeared in one episode of the NBC education drama series Mr. Novak. He auditioned for NBC's series ‘The Monkees’ and was selected for the role of the drummer, in 1965 . He joined the former Monkees songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart and embarked on a tour for two years as the ‘Golden Hits of the Monkees’ show, in 1975. Micky appeared in a murder mystery movie and was also featured in an episode of ‘Adam 12’. Also, he joined the WCBS-FM radio station as the morning disc jockey, in January 2005. On June 3, 2005, his tenure ended with his 100th show and he published his first children's book, ‘Gakky Two-Feet’ in 2006. In addition, he wrote a few songs for The Monkees band and sang the hit songs such as Last Train to Clarksville, Take a Giant Step, and I'm a Believer. Quick Summary of Micky Dolenz. Who is Micky Dolenz? Micky Dolenz is actor and musician best known for his appearance as a frontman and drummer 1960s TV sitcom The Monkees . I'm A Believer: My Life of Monkees, Music and Madness. Micky on: The Monkees Dressing Rooms: (page 96) Each of us had his own large dressing room that we were free to furnish and decorate as we pleased. This is where we hung out, held court, conducted our business affairs, and conducted our affair affairs. I'll describe them to you (the rooms, not the affairs), and you might gleam something of an insight into our individual personalities. Davy: Classic Hollywood/Broadway. Big mirror covering one whole wall, surrounded by a hundred lightbulbs. Pictures, postcards, letters, and opening-night telegrams encircle the mirror and cover the remaining walls. The only furniture is a bunk bed and a filing cabinet - to hold more pictures, postcards, letters, and opening-night telegrams. Peter: Wall-to-wall musical instruments and assorted paraphernalia. Keyboards, guitars, amps, microphones, tape recorders, sheet music. You never had to look around for Peter. If you needed him you could always find him hunched over his Fender Rhodes practicing a Bach Three-Part Invention. Mike: Country/Westers/Psychedelic. Dark and foreboding. Dimly lit by a string of Christmas tree lights. Black light posters and aluminum foil covered the walls, stacks of Car and Driver magazines covered the coffee table. For some strange reason that I never understood he had stuck a couple hundred safety pins in one wall. I often wondered what went on in that dressing room. An Evening with Micky Dolenz from the Monkees. You've missed it! This event has come and gone. We're sorry you missed it, but don't forget to check out our full list of events to see what else is coming to the State soon. You might also consider offering us some feedback if you'd like to see us bring "An Evening with Micky Dolenz from the Monkees" back soon! We always appreciate your input. Micky Dolenz was born in Los Angeles on March 8, 1945. His father George, starred in a number of films, and played the title character in the mid-1950s television series The Count of Monte Cristo. Micky first established himself as a performer at age ten when, under the stage name of “Mickey Braddock,” he starred in his own first TV series, Circus Boy, which aired on NBC and then ABC from 1956 to 1958. In his early teens, Micky guest-starred on a number of television shows. As he graduated high school and began attending college in the mid-‘60s, Dolenz also learned to play guitar. He soon began to perform with a number of rock ’n roll bands, including one called The Missing Links. In the fall of 1965, Micky was one of 400 applicants who responded to a trade ad that announced auditions for a new TV show about a rock band. He auditioned for The Monkees’ TV show by playing and singing Chuck Berry’s legendary rocker “Johnny B. Goode,” and wound up chosen for the show along with three other actors: , , and . The Monkees' debut single, "Last Train to Clarksville," featuring Micky on lead vocals, hit the charts on September 10, 1966 and rocketed swiftly to number one. Two days later, the television show debuted on NBC to great success. The TV ratings remained high for two seasons, and the show won two Emmy awards for the first season for “Outstanding Comedy Series” and “Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy” going to veteran director James Frawley. Micky and his fellow “TV bandmates” actually went on to become a real live rock band that first toured North America from late December 1966 to May 1967, and then began a US / UK summer 1967 tour that featured (at Micky’s invite, following the Monterey Pop Festival) none other than guitar legend Jimi Hendrix as the opening act for the first few dates. It was around this time that Micky also acquired one of the first Moog synthesizers ever made, which he played on the Monkees’ track written by Nesmith, “Daily Nightly,” almost two years before its use by The Beatles on their final studio album, Abbey Road. The Monkees also went on to star in their own feature film, Head, a 1968 psychedelic romp directed by the TV series’ co-creator from a script co-written by a young Jack Nicholson. The movie is now considered a cult classic. The TV ratings for The Monkees remained high during its initial two- season run, which ended with Micky actually in the director’s chair for the series’ final episode called “Mijacogeo” (a.k.a., “The Frodis Caper”). While the “Pre-Fab Four” continued to be seen in re-runs, Dolenz turned his attention back to the origins of his trade—acting, and now directing. In 1977, Micky flew to London to star in the West End production of the musical The Point! written by singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson. He planned to stay three months. Instead, he remained in England for twelve years. During that time, he further honed his behind-the-camera skills begun on The Monkees by working as a producer-director for the BBC and London Weekend Television. He also directed a short feature film, The Box, written by Michael Palin and Terry Jones of famed British comedy team Monty Python, and helmed numerous music videos. In the early 1980s, while in England, Dolenz directed a stage version of the Alan Parker-directed 1976 feature film Bugsy Malone—the cast of which included a then-unknown 14-year-old Welsh actress named Catherine Zeta-Jones. From 1983 to 1984, he was also responsible for creating and producing the British children's television show Luna. In 1986, the popular cable channel MTV re-broadcast episodes of The Monkees, exposing a whole new generation to the show and “Monkeemania.” Freshly back to the States, Micky joined with former Monkees bandmate Peter Tork to record new tracks for Arista Records. The first single, "That Was Then, This Is Now," became The Monkees’ first Top 20 record since 1968. Micky, Peter and fellow Monkee Davy Jones then subsequently reunited for a stellar 1986 summer tour, so successful that it sparked the reissue of all Monkees' classic LPs, as well as Pool It!, on Rhino Records. At one point in 1987, there were seven Monkees' albums on Billboard's Top 200 LPs chart. By 1996, The Monkees again joined together; this time, for a "30th Year Reunion" summer tour across America. The response was so great that they toured again the following year, this time finishing up in England. Ultimately, The Monkees achieved their greatest success not as a TV show but as viable recording artists; selling in excess of 65 million units, and achieving worldwide success. Their first four albums—The Monkees (1966); (1967); Headquarters (1967); and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, & Jones, Ltd. (1967) all reached the number-one position on the charts and launched three number-one singles: "Last Train to Clarksville," "I'm a Believer" (both with lead vocals by Micky), and "Daydream Believer." The group's first five albums also went platinum. Back home in the and with his powers as a live performer now hitting full stride, Micky went out on the road with the National Touring Company of Grease. He enjoyed musical theater so much that he went on to accept the lead role in a Canadian production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in 1993, and in 2004 he starred in the Elton John/Tim Rice Broadway musical Aida, as the character of “Zoser.” In 1993, Micky's autobiography I'm A Believer: My Life Of Monkees, Music, and Madness (Hyperion/Disney) was published. In addition to writing, Micky has divided his time between acting (The Drew Carey Show, Days Of Our Lives, and General Hospital); directing (Boy Meets World for ABC/Disney, and Pacific Blue for USA Networks); and touring with his own band featuring his sister, Coco Dolenz. In 2005, Dolenz was also on WCBS-FM as a morning “drive-time” on-air personality, and soon wrote, along with illustrator David H. Clark, his first children's book, Gakky Two-Feet (Putnam/Penguin) as well as the Buzztime Trivia-associated game book Micky Dolenz' Rock ’n Rollin' Trivia (Square One Publishers). June 2006 saw Dolenz onstage again in the role of “King Charlemagne” at the Goodspeed Opera House for the revival of the musical Pippin in East Haddam, Connecticut. He also toured later that year in the role. In 2007, he appeared in Rob Zombie's bloody remake of Halloween as “Derek Allan,” the somewhat eccentric owner of a gun shop where Dr. Sam Loomis (played by British actor Malcolm McDowell) buys a gun in his search for the famously murderous Michael Myers. In April 2007, Dolenz was featured on FOX-TV’s American Idol on the "Idol Gives Back" episode, when the show filmed celebrities singing and dancing to the Saturday Night Fever hit "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees.Micky also participated in the 2008–09 season of CMT's reality-TV music show Gone Country, competing against fellow celebrities Sheila E. (who eventually won), Taylor Dayne, George Clinton, and actor Richard Grieco. On January 29, 2011, Dolenz appeared as himself in the Syfy Channel’s movie Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, alongside both Debbie Gibson and Tiffany. Micky began 2010 with a comedic turn in the West End production of the hit musical Hairspray throughout the UK, playing the character of “Wilbur Turnblad.” His solo album, King for a Day—a tribute to the songs of Carole King—was released by Gigatone Records on August 31, 2010. Then in 2011, Micky regrouped with both Davy Jones and Peter Tork in order to perform a brand-new 45th anniversary Monkees tour starting that June. With performances both in England and the US (just as they had in 1967), the group garnered some of their best reviews ever— including an especially fine assessment of the band’s musical abilities from none other than Rolling Stone magazine. The press notices on Dolenz were particularly impressive, with the Huffington Post’s review comparing Micky’s voice to “a brilliant cross between Roy Orbison and Freddie Mercury.” The close of the tour, held at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California was especially joyous, as both fans and friends turned out for the event. They also appeared in August on the nationally broadcast talkfest, ABC’s talk show The View, with Dolenz's old compatriot Whoopi Goldberg as one of the hosts. In 2012, word began to spread that Micky was beginning (or was it finishing?) an as-yet-untitled new solo album. The only concept revealed was that each of the songs were to represent a particular moment in Micky’s life to date. “An audio scrapbook,” said Dolenz. The album, Remember (Robo Records/Universal), would be released that September. Earlier that year in February, however, while in New York preparing for a possible new theater role in a musical called Garage Band, Micky received the tragic news that Davy Jones unexpectedly passed away. It was a moment that shook Micky as much as it had Davy’s fans throughout the world, and Micky paid loving and heartfelt tribute to the man he considered in so many ways “a brother” in a flurry of requested media interviews. With a series of Davy Jones tributes scheduled, one done in early April at B.B. King's in New York, Micky then spent the summer of 2012 on a series of solo shows with his band and as part of the 2012 “Happy Together” tour. Micky also recorded a live album on October 19, 2012 at B.B. King's in Manhattan (with an introduction by Q104.3’s Jim Kerr), New York; and then, in a surprise move to Monkees fans everywhere, Micky regrouped in November with Peter Tork and the long-absent fourth Monkee, Michael Nesmith, for a series of Monkees reunion shows in the summer of 2012. The 12-date tour around the US proved fantastically successful, immediately creating a demand for a follow-up series of engagements. Pollstar, the concert tour industry’s leading trade publication, placed it in its Top 20 grossing concert tours in 2012. In January 2013, Dolenz embarked on a two-week series of performances in Hairspray to honor the 25th anniversary of the film written and directed by John Waters (who himself portrayed the Narrator during the performances). Dolenz and his own band also performed throughout the spring, including the venerable “Flower Power” concerts at Epcot, Florida. Micky also joined with David Cassidy and Peter Noone for the “Teen Idol” tour. Details then leaked in the early spring, and were later confirmed, that The Monkees would again reteam with Nesmith aboard in July 2013 for a summer tour with dates targeted for cities they did not travel to last time. In 2014, Micky was profiled on the Oprah Winfrey OWN cable-network show Where Are They Now?, and delivered another bravura performance at B. B. King’s in Manhattan, New York. Already a creative and artistic success many times over, Dolenz decided to “go entrepreneur” and formed a fine-furniture company with his daughter, Georgia, called “Dolenz & Daughters” (www.DolenzandDaughters.com). Micky has also appeared recently opposite Three Company’s TV veteran actress Joyce DeWitt in the play Comedy Is Hard, written by Emmy- award winning Simpsons writer Mike Reiss). The play was staged at the prestigious Ivoryton Playhouse in Connecticut. In 2015, Dolenz announced a new series of Monkees live shows together with Peter Tork beginning in April—along with two high-profile solo charity appearances in April, One Starry Night and Jammin’ for Jones. Last month, Micky debuted a new show, called A Little Bit Broadway, A Little Bit Rock ‘n Roll, which seamlessly combined several Broadway songs (“Mr. Cellophane” from Chicago; and, “One Of The Good Guys” from the play Closer Than Ever) to his patented-Monkee-classics, including Lieber-Stoller’s classic “D.W. Washburn” - the connective-tissue to his Monkees/Broadway history. The reviews were across the board terrific: said The Hollywood Reporter, “Delivering exuberant versions of several classic Monkees hits interspersed with theatrical songs both familiar and relatively obscure, the still youthful 70-year-old singer performed with an obvious joy that proved infectious.” And, from Show Biz 411, “Micky is such a perfectionist; he’s really rehearsed and the put the time in. It shows. This is no slapdash appearance by a former pop star. He’s a serious, engaging performer. When he was in the Monkees, no one believed that Micky actually sang and played instruments. He surprised everyone. And this weekend, he does it again. Big kudos!” The three shows were all sell-outs, resulting in a quick return engagement next month. The live album from the first set of shows will be released in late-September on Broadway Records. The day before the concert album’s release, Micky appeared on NBC’sThe Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and sat in to play with Fallon’s house band The Roots for the entire show. In an on-camera interview with Fallon, Micky reminded the host that years earlier—when Fallon had opened for The Monkees—he had said to Micky, “If I ever host The Tonight Show, I’ll have you on.” Fallon was filled with lavish praise for Micky, and told him he still had the poster from that Monkees concert on his office wall—still embraced as a magical moment for him. In early February 2016, news was officially released via Rhino Records that The Monkees (Micky with Peter Tork) would begin a tour in May in conjunction with their 50th anniversary. Also, a new album to be titledGood Times would be released, which would include participation from fellow original-Monkees member Michael Nesmith. Micky also attended 2016’s Grammy Awards, and posed for pictures alongside producer Nile Rodgers and Johnny Depp. Two days later, Dolenz was in a studio sitting next to Tom Petty, who had Micky as the first guest on his new Sirius/XM radio show “Tom Talks to Famous People.” Actor, singer, director, producer, writer, radio DJ, inventor, and all-around performer extraordinaire, Micky Dolenz stands tall as a paragon of taste and accomplishment in the rough-and-tumble world of show business and entertainment. And oh, by the way - he remains a believer . . . Monkees' Dolenz dines at downtown Calderone Club. Micky Dolenz of Monkees' fame dined at The Calderone Club, 842 N. Old World 3rd St., on Tuesday night. Micky Dolenz of The Monkees' fame dined at The Calderone Club, 842 N. Old World 3rd St., on Tuesday night. He was seated just off the bar with a female and wore a black hat. Many in the restaurant after the Marquette game noticed Dolenz, and he obliged a few autograph seekers. It is not known why he was in Milwaukee. Dolenz still tours with The Monkees and has a new children's book called "Gakky Two-Feet." Dolenz and his sister Coco perform Saturday night at an event called "QFEST Kick-Off 2006" at Bright House Networks Field in Clearwater, Fla. Later in the evening, assistant Marquette men's basketball coach Jean Prioleau also dined at the restaurant. In other celebrity citing news from Tuesday night, Cleveland Cavaliers' star Lebron James was at the Bradley Center seated right behind the UConn bench as Marquette beat #2 UConn.