Micky Dolenz, Last Monkee Standing: “It’s Time to Take Off the Black Armband and Celebrate”

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Micky Dolenz Sets Out on a ’60 Years of the Monkees’ Tour in 2026

Micky Dolenz — Courtesy dis COMPANY

Micky Dolenz performing — Micky Dolenz. Photo courtesy dis COMPANY

Four years after Mike Nesmith’s death left Dolenz as the last surviving member of The Monkees, the singer and actor says he plans to celebrate the band’s legacy rather than dwell on loss during his 2026 concerts.

“It’s time to stop wearing the black armband and celebrate the Monkees’ story,” the 80-year-old Dolenz says. His new run, billed as Micky Dolenz: 60 Years of the Monkees, opens Feb. 12 in Solana Beach, California, and currently lists 22 shows running into November. “This won’t be a memorial or a heavy tribute — I’ll sing the songs and share the stories,” he adds, noting the production will be more structured than some of his other performances.

Dolenz says the concerts will follow a roughly chronological arc and will include footage from the original television episodes to help explain how the group formed. He still encounters people surprised to learn The Monkees began as a musical-comedy sitcom casting actors and musicians for a TV series — a concept that predated later television-musical hybrids.

The Monkees — Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, Davy Jones and Peter Tork — were assembled in 1965 through casting that even drew talents like Stephen Stills. Created by Bob Rafelson and inspired by the Beatles’ film successes, the show and its music were shepherded by Don Kirshner, and the band went on to score multiple No. 1 albums and top-10 hits such as “Last Train to Clarksville,” “I’m a Believer” and “Daydream Believer.”

After the TV series ended in 1968 the group continued in various forms, reuniting at times — most notably for a 20th-anniversary tour in 1986. Dolenz has been the one constant presence across the band’s history and toured with Nesmith until Nesmith’s death on Dec. 10, 2021.

Reflecting on the band’s origins, Dolenz compares The Monkees’ dynamic to a classic comedy troupe and says the creators clearly intended the project to extend beyond the screen: the casting selected performers who could act, sing, write and play, anticipating records and live shows would follow.

Dolenz also recalls how he ended up as the band’s drummer: although he originally auditioned on guitar with “Johnny B. Goode,” producers assigned him to drums, and he embraced the role by taking lessons and treating it as part of his acting work.

The chronological format of the 60 Years shows will give Dolenz room to spotlight later, lesser-known Monkees albums like The Monkees Present and Changes, while still delivering the hits fans expect. He says audiences are reassured when they know the classics are on the set list, which allows him to include deeper cuts and occasional covers woven into the stories behind the songs.

Outside of touring, Dolenz has published a second children’s book, Lalu Toot Toot, illustrated by his daughter Ami Dolenz; his first, Gakky Two-Feet, was released in 2006.

On Nov. 6, 2025, Dolenz announced that Lalu Toot-Toot is available for pre-order and that signed copies ordered in advance will be signed by both him and his daughter.