January 24th, 2009 - McCormick Place, Chicago

A year and almost to the day later, Micky was at McCormick Place in Chicago with the Monkeemobile. The event was a World of Wheels show. The man who customized the Monkeemobile, George Barris, was also appearing, along with the Batmobile from the tv show, and Kitt from Knightrider. McCormick Place is a stop on the South Shore's route into the city. I decided I would go, and took my son Bill's g.f Jeanette with me. After I made up my mind, WLS-FM (the oldies radio station) had a contest. One was to answer 3 trivia questions about Micky, in order to win 2 tickets to the show, AND a brunch with him there at the Mc Pl Hyatt, sponsored by the radio station. Of course I knew the answers, so I had to put my entry in...for two reasons. Free admittance to the show, but more importantly, I HAD to see if I could get another meal with Micky! The day to notify the winners came and went, with no call from WLS. Aw shoot, well...I was still going. The next day, I get a call from them, saying a winner canceled out, so I was picked!

Jeanette and I took a morning train. Brrr! It was one of those below zero windchill days. But at least there wasn't any snowfall predicted. Once there, we it was still an hour before meeting the people from WLS, Matthew and Donna. (The next train would have gotten us there a half hour after we were to meet up.) So she and I walked around a bit on the floor of the W.O.W. We familiarized ourselves with our surroundings, and looked around briefly at all the custom cars and motorbikes. (The Monkeemobile was the first car we saw!)



People rushed around doing last minute things before the show opened. We could move about freely because we had gotten our hands stamped when we checked in at the show office. As it got closer to opening time, lonnnggg lines were forming at the ticket booths and entrance doors. I was surprized to see how quickly the lines got so long!

We made our way back to the s.o. as it got closer to the time to meet the radio people. In a few minutes, 2 young women came into the office. One of them wore a tee-shirt with the Monkees logo on it, and the years 1986-2006 underneath. Must have been more than one winner then, but it didn't bother me. We introduced ourselves to them. Can't recall their names at the moment, but I do recall they were sisters and from Crestwood, IL. Jeanette and I found them to be not very talkative. Were they shy? Were they upset they weren't the only winners, even?? Then Mr. Barris (who was to be feted at a luncheon and get an award), came in with some people. He asks the 4 of us if we were there for Micky. "Yes!", we all say in unison. "Great guy!", Mr. Barris replied. After they left, the WLS people came in. Everyone made introductions, and then we were off!

They took us all the way back to the Hyatt dining area, which was near where we came in off the train. Along the walk back, in my excitement I couldn't help but tell Matthew about having a meal once before. "What a neat experience!", he said. In the restaurant, we are led to private dining areas. There were 6 of us. The food gets ordered, and then here comes Micky! (with a liason.) Jeanette squeezes my arm as she tells me, "Omg, there he is!!" He enters and says hi to all of us. He orders, and he had things for the winners (a live cd of a concert in 2004 and a pair of drumsticks a-piece), and pictures for everyone he'd sign. When asked for names, I realize he may spell mine wrong, a common thing that happens to me. I spelled it out, stressing the second 'a' in my name. (The second 'a' is what usually gets omitted.) I figured if it's going to be personalized, my name ought to be spelled correctly, no? Micky said he used to sign his name M-i-c-k-y-7 - when people asked what the 7 was for, he told them the 7 is silent. Everyone laughed. After he finished the picture-signing, the food came. Once we all began to eat, he asks, "What did you have to do to win the contest?" Matthew and I tell him about the trivia questions. Micky asks where Matthew got the answers from - "Wikipedia", he says. Everyone laughed.
"Was it done online or on the air?", Micky asks.
"Online", Matthew and I say.
More eating.
Micky asks the winner from Crestwood "What year does your shirt have on it?"
She said, "1986."
"Ah," he said. "The younger generation."
Matthew's asst Donna says "I'm an old one, I'm so old," she groans and laughs.
"Me too, ya, me too," I say to her as I feebly raise my hand.
"Really?", Micky said to me. "Because you look familiar..."
"I do???" Omg I am thinking, deja-vu he remembers me from Hershey!
Matthew says, "Go on, tell him the story you told me."
"What story?", Micky asks, in an accusatory voice. I imagine he has no idea what is going to come out of my mouth, lol.
I say, "Well...I...I...wasn't going to bring it up because I am just one of many...I didn't expect you to remember me..."
Matthew says reassuringly, "Don't worry Micky, it's a neat little story."
"So tell me the story," Micky says to me. I tell him I saw him in Pippin. Without naming anyone, I tell him in general about the dinner we all had with him in Hershey. After I finish, he said, "Well, you do look very familiar to me."
"Do you know of a site online called ---- ?" I ask him.
"I am aware of it", he answers with a raised eyebrow to me. (That told me that he knew I knew the people he knew from there.)
I then finished my story with, "...so when this contest came up, I HAD to see if lightening would strike twice for me -" He laughed, along with the others. "And it did!"
He said, "I knew I'd seen you somewhere before.", and smiled at me!
Then he says to us, "Since you guys all are talking about being online, let me tell you my experiences with that and connecting to the fans...." He proceeds to tell of getting online in the mid-90's and posting in a Monkees community. (I knew of which one he was talking about.) He said they didn't believe it was him, even to turn him in to the server as an imposter! The server calls him and wants him to prove his identity! He said he figured that's it, I'm outta here. He said people online were very mean in the things they were saying to him.
Matthew said, "Wow, is that right?", as he shakes his head.
I say, "Not everyone is mean THESE days online."
"....Perhaps you were one of those people," he shakes his finger at me!
"Oh no not me!", I shoot back. "I didn't get online till '06! But of course by now, I have surfed all over the fandom..."
"Well watch out," he tells me. "Some fans are very, very mean."
More eating. Then Matthew begins to talk about the custom cars on the floor of the W.O.W. Micky said he used to have a Thunderbird that he cruised around in. I figure it was the early 60's he was talking about, so the movie American Graffiti came to mind with all the music. "What music were you listening to?", I ask. "Early 60's?"
"Very early 60's", he answers.
The other winner asks, "What color was it? Red???", in a sarcastic manner. She giggled with her sister. Imho she said red because the M-mobile was red. Why else would she, a fan, say red?
But Micky answers plainly, "No. It was white." More giggling from them. More eating. Then I mentioned that Gone Country 3 will be on that night, a show on CMT. "Yes! That's right!", he says with a smile. Matthew asks what it is, so Micky tells him it is a reality show that seems to him to have a purpose, because it helps you to write country songs, something he's been wanting to do. He says he doesn't like reality shows, otherwise.
He-he-he, so I ask "I don't suppose you can tell us who the winner is?" (It was being filmed this past November.)
"No." A collective 'awwww' went up from the group. "Well, they want you to watch it.", he replies. Ya, ya, we understand, we are telling him.
More eating. Some begin to have their plates being taken away. I seemed to have a little less than half of my food still on my plate - but then again thinking about it now, it appeared I was too busy talking! Friends have since asked me how can I have a conversation, let alone eat, with a person like him there. I say it isn't too hard. Just focus and do it. Though by that time, it was beginning to sink in that here was Micky of yore, in person, right in front of me! Again! Lol so when I noticed plates cleared away, I just told the waitress to take mine too. He-he-he I knew I wouldn't be able to eat much more. After the commotion ends, he says to Matthew, "Ok! We are finished? I've got to get over to the floor and go to work."



"Yes! Thank you Micky!", Matthew says.
"No problem. Nice to have met all of you," he said, "And you - ", he speaks to me, "...take care of yourself."
"I will!" Off he goes with the liason.
Omg

After the rest of us are thanking Matthew and Donna and saying good-bye, Jeanette and I go back to the floor. Whoa, it seems like just a few minutes passed, yet the line around Micky and Mr. Barris' exhibit was long and snaking all around. We didn't go through it, just stood and watched from different vantage points now and then, in between walking around amid the rest of the crowd at the show. By the time it was 2:30 or so, I'd seen enough. Jeanette was getting antsy as well. We headed back to the trains.

January 26th, 2008 - Star Plaza, Merrillville

Micky was one of 3 acts at a Salute to The 60's concert on this date at the Star Plaza Theater. The other two acts were the Grass Roots and the Buckinghams. I remember the Buckinghams came from the Chicago area. I liked their music.
I took my son Steve to the concert with me, though I'd see a few of the people I knew from online. 'This will be interesting' I thought, in light of the almost-snub in Calumet City. Turns out I spotted them easily and we all were talking, but I was picking up vibes I was intruding...body language and all that, you know....anyhow, once we were in the lobby area, there was a wait because sound checks were still being done. When we were finally let into the theater, they were seated right up in front. I wasn't that far away from them, down the aisle a little, seated right on the aisle.

The Grass Roots were on first. They played Midnight Confession, Temptation Eyes, etc. At one point, though, someone was telling the lead to speed it up from off-stage when he was introducing a song. I guess because the show got a late start?
The Buckinghams were next. Kind of a Drag, Susan, and Don't You Care, among other songs, had me on my feet and singing along. They even played a couple of songs by the group Chicago, because the lead singer said their manager in the 60's was also the manager of Chicago.

By the time Micky came on, I was full of energy from the Buckinghams. He was wearing black and gray and looking pretty good I thought! I did see a solo concert of his before, remember, but this one seemed a whole lot better for some reason. He can really sing so fine - and when he sang a Beatles song after he told about meeting them and being in the recording studio, he sang Oh Darlin'. Wow. Fantastic.

Afterwards, Micky was in the lobby for a meet-n-greet. I brought along a book for him to sign. It's called The Monkees Day By Day Story by Andrew Sandoval. I happened to see a few others with the same book too. There was a long line of people in front of me, but it was moving along at a good pace.



My turn and I say, "Hi Micky, will you sign this for me?"
"Sure darlin'"
"I saw you in Pippin."
"Did you like it?"
"Yes!" Then I said, "This is my son Steve."
Micky said, "Hi Steve! How are ya?"
"I'm doing fine!' Steve says.
"Great!", Micky says.
"Can I get a picture? My son will take it..."
Steve fumbles around with the camera, admitting, "I'm just a little nervous...ok, I got it."
"Thanks Micky!", I say and then we were moved along by the attendants.
I saw one of the online fans nearby, on the other side of the rope that was used to mark the line. "Let's go over there for a bit", I tell Steve. How come you were nervous?"
"I never met a really famous celebrity person before"' he said. "He was right in front of me!"
Once by my friend, I chatted with her as I watched all the interactions. "Where's everyone else?", I ask her.
"That-a-way I think...", pointing to the right. We stood talking about the concert. Then she told me she had to go find them.
The line ended. I heard Micky say, "So that's everybody?" Someone answered yes. "Ok then", he said. "I'm thirsty", I could hear him saying as he walked away with the attendants.
Then I saw the others coming my way. "Must be going home or something', I thought. "Hi guys! You leaving?"' I ask. Yes, they were saying, as I begin to walk with them. They sounded in a hurry...."Where are you staying?"' I ask.
"Down 30 to the east", one of them said. "We're going home from here right now."
By now we were all in the parking lot. Turns out they parked close to where I did. The driver was rushing everyone into their suv. "Bye!", they all were telling me. Zoom! Off they went! I became suspicious they were up to something, but then I put it out of my mind. I later inadvertently learned that they met up with Micky at an after party thing in the bar. Apparently they didn't want me to come too, let alone know about it.
I get da pichur guys...

Aug 25th, 2007 - Calumet City, IL

I learned that Davy would be coming to Calumet City, IL in the late summer, here in 2007. This was just a mere few miles from where I lived. Home turf. In fact, he would be playing in the high school parking lot where my two older sons went to school at! The mayor of the city, a woman, must have been a Davy fan. In the summer, the mayor's office had put on a concert series - every two weeks was a concert in a different location/park in the city. Some were local bands, some were big names from the '60's. On August 25th, a concert with Davy was scheduled at the athletic complex.

My friend Sherry and I planned to attend. Knowing that some online friends/fans were also going to be there, I walked around looking for them before Davy's show started. I couldn't find anyone. But while walking, I saw a bunch of people looking into a floor-length window inside a hallway area of the school, so I had to see what was happening. Sherry and I saw Davy in there, signing autographs and getting his picture taken with the mayor and her family and other city officials.
Then I heard someone calling my name. A woman came up to me who I didn't recognize, but then I saw someone I met in PA in one of those red 8-button Monkees shirts they wore in the first season, coming up behind her. "Hi, you must be ----," the woman said.
"Yes...," I said. "You must be....???"
"----," she said.
"Oh!," I said. "Hi!", and shook her hand. I greeted my fellow fan from Hershey as she caught up to us. "I was looking for anyone, where are you guys at?"
"We are sitting down over there on the other side of the fence.", she said.
My new friend said, "They saw you walking around, but no one wanted to come up to you."
'Ah-hah' I thought.....
"So I told them to point you out because I wanted to meet you. These things are just silly....," she said.
"I know," I said, immediately realizing that I was getting confirmation of a feeling I had lately that a couple of them had issues...or something...but I just say "Rediculous, wouldn't you say? I mean we ALL are fans, and that's all that matters!"
"Right!", she said.
"Well com'on," I replied, "I'd like to say hello to them." He-he-he.....and I proceeded to be led by them to where they were. One was sitting on a blanket on the blacktop, along with another who I had not met before, and a friend who brought the one I met. After introductions and some small talk, Sherry and I made our departure for another area to the right side of the stage. We happened to see Davy behind the stage, watching him prepare himself to go on. He was pacing back and forth a little, looked to me to be gearing up his incredible energy.

Then - on with the show! It was a great performance that he put on! I couldn't believe I was watching a Monkee in the parking lot of a place that felt like home to me. SO many trips back and forth I had taken when my sons went to school there in the mid-90's! Little did I know that I'd be seeing Davy here one day, about 10 yrs later.



He rocked, man! And in the encore, one of the songs he sang was No Time. A bunch of us went up to the stage, I could have reached out and touched his shoe! Lol After the show, he moved along a fence to greet everyone. Sherry and I were there, and the others I knew were by us and moving about. My turn and I say, "Hi Davy! It was a great show!"
"Thank you", he said. He had changed into a gray hoodie with a white tee-shirt under it, and jeans. Really looking good!
"I've been a fan from waaay back," I said. Why that is about the only thing I can say to him I'll never know.
"Well.....we won't tell anyone how old we are, will we," he laughed. He took my hand and cupped it in both of his. I laughed too. Then he moved on to the next person. Sherry and I stood around with the others talking and watching Davy, as the crowd began to thin out. Then poof! It was done. Sherry went home, but I stuck around with the others, and somehow ended up going to the motel room they had -- one invited me to come along. I'd seen some of her Monkee memorabilia that she brought before, but I went anyway. A couple hours later after talking with everyone, I headed for home.

Dec 9 -12, 2006 - Pippin II

This weekend, Pippin was in Hershey, PA. Those of us who had seen it in MI were going, and also meeting up with several who lived there on the east coast. It had been ages since I really took a trip far, MI being sorta in my neighborhood. Sorta. So when the idea of a Hershey trip began to be talked about among some of us, I figured, yeah go for it. It turned out to be such a good time I had in Oct, that I was willing to spend another weekend meeting even more fellow online fans, and seeing Micky perform again of course! It was great fun on the way there! Monkee cd's were played on the car's player, and we were singing along to them. My friend from central Indiana picked me up again, then we made a stop in MI, and then we also stopped in OH to pick up someone. I knew much of the older music in harmony (remember?), so that's just automatically how it come out of me, lol. "We ought to form a group!," one of them said. A wave of laughter overcame us. Another one looked at me quizzically - I suddenly realized what I was doing, so I told them I used to just sing whatever Micky was singing. "Ohhhh," they said in understanding, from one fan to another.

During the holiday season, apparently Hershey gets itself all decked out for Christmas, being the chocolate capital of the country. (World???). A LOT of tourists descend on the city at that time. The only hotel in town where we were able to find rooms was at the Hershey Lodge. And this was about a month beforehand. We split the cost amongst ourselves, so that it didn't cost too much. Turns out there were 11 of us total, but about half of them were able to find rooms elsewhere.

Otto the Duck is the pet of Pippin's girlfriend's son in the play. The duck gets sick and dies, actually. One fan made her own version of Otto at home, and brought him along with them on this trip. He sure ended up getting a lot of attention! We all had good seats right up front, behind the orchestra pit at the Theater. The grandmother in the play had an audience participation song. She made a reference to him right from the stage! "If that duck can sing along, you can do it!," she laughed. One of us were making Otto dance and sing from our seats. We thought it was hilarious that she would point him out from the stage.

After the show, all 11 of us were standing outside on the sidewalk in front of the main entrance to the Theater, talking about the show. Here comes Micky, walking up the sidewalk from the stage door exit on the side of the building! He walks right IN to the mix! Pictures, and talking, and signing things.....and he's asking "Who brought the duck?"
I said, "They did," pointing to my friends from MI.
"Oh!," he said. "Figures it would be you!" We all laughed.
My fellow Hoosier and I stayed in the background of the group. I later learned we both had the same idea - let these people have their turn. But after a few minutes, I see that Micky recognizes us from before. He is asking us, "How long will you be staying? Will you be here tomorrow?"
"Yes," we answer. "We'll be here till Monday."
"Great! Then let me meet you guys for dinner tomorrow. It's the least I can do for coming all THIS way." It was decided that 5:30 would be a good time. They also decided that a family restaurant called Friendly's in the area would be the place. Then Micky left us. But because the whole group heard this, everybody but one stayed through Sunday! She was the only one who just couldn't change her plans. One even went home and came back for it. Another one and I were hoping this 'dinner' would go over ok with Micky, because we both had the distinct impression that he would not be expecting ALL of us.

We spent Sunday afternoon seeing the famed chocolate factory with hundreds of other tourists, and browsing around the gift shop they had. I found a brown t-shirt with a Hershey candy bar wrapper on the front of it. We ate lightly at the deli/restaurant back at the Lodge to help kill time, too. I had a pepsi and a salad - scarfed it down actually, and then let out the loudest belch I have ever heard! Oh no! How embarrassing! The entire place stopped what they were doing and looked my way. "Oh! Pardon me!", I said sheepishly. Everyone in my group laughed, as I slid down in my chair, trying to make myself invisible.
Anyway, it was finally time to go to Friendly's. After the waitress began to take our orders, Micky arrived. I clearly saw a look of surprize when he saw 10 of us were there. I was watching for a reaction, if any - I saw him say to one of them that he knew, "How did you let this get out of hand?", as an aside. (He didn't want anyone else to hear it, but because I was being astute, I heard.) But no matter. He quickly took command over us, by asking each one where we came from and how we came to be fans. He was soooo charming and friendly. It was an awesome experience that I will never forget for the rest of my life.
So, my turn around the table, and I ask, "Will the play be coming to Chicago at all, because I'll definitely be there if it does!"
"No...," he answered.
"Well that's alright," I say. "Cuz I saw you in Chicago already, in a concert in 1969!," I blurt out. Everyone laughed, him too. I was tryin' REAL hard to remain calm. Silly me, lol.
"Wow!," Micky said. "You were a fan back then and saw a concert??"
"Yep!," I beamed.
"That's great!," he replies, and gives me one of his great big smiles. "Did we put on a good show?", he asks.
"I'll never forget it!", I answer.
"So you were a fan," he said as he sat back in his chair.
"Yes! Every Monday night at 6:30 Central I watched the show!." Everyone laughed again. Then he gave me a look - hard to describe. I picked up a vibe that he knew that I knew the story. Completely on the same page, like old friends or something. In that instant, I knew that he knew that I knew....and that's all I ever wanted from him. Recognition. That 13-yr-old fan in me was in Monkee heaven by now.
Well, Micky was the first to leave, after about an hour. He told everyone the dinner was on him and he'll see us at the play. We sat at the table a little longer. Some were going on home now, so everyone was saying their good-byes. Several of them were also grabbing his cup, napkin, etc, before the waitress could clear the table. I found that quite strange. It was like watching birds swooping down. Quite a strange sight to see.

Those of us staying went on to the Theater. It was the final performance before a 3-week Christmas break. Then the play would go to CA and then back east again, to finish up in mid-January.
Afterwards, cast members were looking to talk to us at that stage door exit outside the building. Otto the duck was still quite a popular little bird. Micky came out with an older man, said his hellos and thank yous, and told us Merry Christmas. Then poof! He was gone. People were waiting for him it was said. I stood around with the others and the cast. Then it dawned on me. It was all over. I snuck away to the cars in the parking lot. Well what can I say? After all the excitement of this weekend, I had to collect myself and step back into the real world.

But wait.....not quite time for the real world YET, I soon learned. The 5 of us from the Midwest, now by ourselves again, seemed to be on a mini-road trip. One was telling the driver to turn here, turn there, go down this stretch of road, go down that one - and more singing, laughing, talking, in the meantime. Suddenly it dawned on me - we must be heading for Davy's house! I knew he lived in PA. Where else would we be going at 11 pm at night, driving in the middle of nowhere? Sure enough, I begin to see a town with a huge Christmas tree lit up in the center of it. We turned off the main road in town onto a residential street. I couldn't see the name of it. A little ways down, the driver was told to stop. There was a large 3-story yellow farmhouse with a lot of windows, set behind a tell redwood fence. Spruce Lawn was written on a big white plaque on the fence. "Here it is," said the navigator. "This is where Davy lives, but he is not here right now, he is in FL over the holidays." The place was dark behind the fence, as 2 of us got out of the car to take a couple of pictures. Suddenly, van headlights came on inside the fence, over by what looked like a garage next to the house! "Go! Go!", the navigator was panicking, "We've got to get out of here! I don't wanna be seen!" So here's myself and the other, trying to catch up to the car as it began to move - "Wait for us!", we holler, as they open the doors to let us in. Whew! Zoom! Off we went.

The next day and a half were basically spent riding in the car, headed homeward. We stopped at a huge teddy bear factory called Boyd's Bears in PA that someone wanted to check out. It was located in a HUGE barn-type thing, and the PA countryside was absolutely beautiful surrounding it. It was like a scene from a jigsaw puzzle! We also made it over to Gettysburg before the long trip home.
I know I will NEVER forget this little roadtrip taken.

Oct 21-23, 2006 - Pippin I

In late 2006, Micky was in a revival of the 70's Tony award winning play, Pippin. He played the character of King Charlemagne, Pippin's father. It was in CT during the late summer, before going on the road. Lansing, MI was the closest it got to where I live. An online friend from central Indiana picked me up to head to MI. We met up with a couple other online friends when we got there. They said they knew Micky. They did. Three times I saw the play with the others - Sat evening, the Sun matinee, and the closing performance Sun night.



I remember Micky was in a play called Remains To Be Seen back in the day, in St. Charles, IL. It was in the early summer of 1970, I think??? Oh you can bet I wanted to go, but my Dad wouldn't take me to see it. So now full circle, and I was going to see THIS one, lol. And to see him in something other than Monkee-related was such a treat for me. I was so glad I decided to take this little trip. Silly as it may sound, it was all just so.....magical, to me, after the last 2 yrs of grief I had just been through. Seeing Peter when I wasn't expecting to also had that kind of magical quality to it.

Of course, needless to say, Micky was fantastic in the play.

And well, Sunday morning about 10:30 I met him!!! He was coming out of his hotel to get a bite to eat before the matinee performance. The ones who knew him knew where he was staying. "We want you to meet a couple of fans who came up from Indiana", they were saying.
"Wow, you came from Indiana?", he asked. "Whereabouts?" We told him. I must have mellowed out from the time in 2001, because I was able to speak and act like a rational adult. "Have you seen the play yet?", he asked.
"Yes", we answered.
"Your performance was great!", I told him.
"Thanks!", he said. I didn't pay a lot of attention to the next things said, because he was talking about his website or something. Then he said, "Well I was on my way to lunch, and then I've got to go to work. Nice to meet you, and thanks for coming up here to see me in the play."
"You're welcome!", I said, we said. He turned and walked off (into the sunset, j/k, lol) out into the parking lot. The others went into the lobby of the motel. I sat down on a bench outside, just watching him walk till I couldn't see him anymore. He has such a confident energy about him. Wow. 'There he goes,' I thought to myself. 'I can't believe I just met him!'

After the matinee performance, a couple of cast members were in the lobby of the theater (the Warton Center), selling Pippin posters, with autographs of cast members on them. 'Ok,' I thought, 'I'll get one and then it will have his autograph on it!'. When I did, the others did too. The money, $20, was going towards a donation for breast cancer. One of the cast members then took the 4 of us to an area backstage! A few of them were coming out to meet us - "We think it's really neat," they were telling us, "that you are fans of Micky and are coming to see him." Then Micky came out. "Oh!," he said to us, "It's only you! I thought it was somebody important!" Everyone laughed because it was quite clear that he was being funny.

After the final performance that evening, we went to a nearby family-style pizza restaurant. Having already eaten, I got me a really rich piece of cheesecake. Delicious! The 4 of us were talking, laughing, having a good time - when we began to realize that we were seeing CAST members walking past us to a private area....it was their closing cast party!!! Someone must have told Micky we were there, because next thing you know, he just came walking right on over to our table!! He told the one sitting next to me in the booth to scoot over so he can sit down!! Oh wow I thought, what a nice guy to come over and say hello to us! All I can remember of the conversation is that he was talking about beards (because he wore a fake one onstage), and magic (don't remember why exactly). The whole thing was a blur of excitement to me. After a short while, he was getting up to go back to his fellow cast members. I asked the one next to me if she would let me out so I can give Micky a hug. "Sure!," she said, and we ALL proceeded to get up and pass hugs around, actually.

The next mid-morning, Monday, the cast was going in and out of their tour bus with their luggage, Micky included. They were headed for Toronto, Canada next. He saw us and came over. "Thanks for coming again, and have a safe trip home!"
"Thank you Micky for being so kind," I told him. "You have a safe trip too!" The others spoke to him also, and that's it! Once I got back home inside my own front door, I let 'er rip, lol. Jumping up and down and shrieking, "I met him! I met him!" - 2 of my sons were around and said "We take it you had a good time, Mom???", and I proceeded to tell them this story.

Aug 12, 2006 - Brookfield Zoo

My next encounter with any of the Monkees was a little over 5 years later. There were many changes in my life. The biggest one was that my husb was diagnosed with colon cancer in May of '02, and passed in April of '04. Thank heavens the worst of the disease struck him only in the last 8 months of his battle. He was 47, I was 49. Then my parents passed in the following year, 2005, 6 months apart. I'm talking major grief. Barely healed over my husb passing, my heart broke all over again when my parents did. And then my sons were beginning to get older and go off on their own as well, now being in their 20's. You know, empty nest. In Feb of '06 I got online. I'd been online before on other people's computers, but now I had an e-mail address and a laptop, and was beginning to communicate within the www. Wow, what a world. By the month of May it occurred to me to see what would come up when I typed in the word 'Monkees'.

Jackpot!!! So THAT'S where all their fans were. I was VERY truly amazed when I saw soooo many pages and websites that had been created since the mid-1990's on and about them (though some were no longer functional by now). And all the pictures! Omg I hadn't seen them since I was 13 and 14 when they were on my bedroom walls, lol. Flashback time! That's when I first heard of the name for me - a first generation fan. And also when I first heard of the word 'dormant' being used. (That was also a name for me, in between the years of 1970 and 1999.) And I was also surprized to see that fans in the younger generations knew an awful lot about the episodes of the show, and were also even dissecting their music a bit. Who said what in which episode, who sang what where on a record, what is the story behind this song or that one, who played what when, who even wore what when....they knew a lot of details that really seemed like too much to know, lol. How can I explain it? True we fans all could barely wait for the next week's show to air, and we bought the music and magazines, and went screaming our heads off at concerts...but it was not quite like how many of their fans are today. Also, dare I say that back then, when a group fell in popularity like yesterday's news, that was it. You didn't really hear much about a group anymore. How was the general populace of Monkee fans to know anything about any of them anymore? No www back then, that's for sure. No people with little cameras in their cell phones, no cell phones even. It truely was a different world back then.

There was lots of talk in this newish (new to me anyway) online fandom in 2006, because it was the 40th anniversary since their show premiered on NBC. Wow it was hard to believe it was 40 years since I first held a Tiger Beat in my hands and swooned over pictures of Micky, lol. I had lived a lifetime. So off I went on the www, curiosity definitely getting the better of me as a fan. I was everywhere you can think of online, and even places you wouldn't think of, iso of ALL things Monkee, lol. And I found 'em!
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On a Chicago's oldies station, I heard a commercial for a concert with the Missing Links. This is a Monkees tribute band, what? I'd never heard of one for them before. I'd heard of tribute bands for other groups, locally. A band that played Santana music was a favorite of mine, called the Soundz of Santana. But I never heard of one for the Monkees. I was quite curious to hear how they sounded. So I figured since it looked like the Monkees weren't going to go on tour as a band, I'd go hear them!

They were to be playing at Brookfield Zoo on August 12th, 2006. The zoo had a promo that summer, a different animal was a star each week. The week of Aug 6-12 featured what else but monkeys. So the zoo booked the Missing Links on Saturday the 12th! My oldest son came with me. We took the South Shore to the city, and then caught the Metra to Brookfield for the 2 o'clock show. (There were 2 performances, this first one at 11.) Several other passengers walked through a nice tree lined section of town with us, which had arrows pointing the way to the zoo. Once we got to the area the concert was being held, an older man nearby me said that Peter had been to the 11 o'clock performance. Whaaaat? Rats! I missed it! The man said he might be back for the 2 o'clock who knows. But I figured he was gone already.

The Missing Links arrived in a limo. They were dressed in the 8-button shirts the Monkees wore in the first season, red ones. A small crowd gathered around them as they posed for pictures. Pretty neat, I told my son. One even wore a wool hat like Mike did. Everyone soon began moving to the stage area for the concert. These Missing Links were pretty good! Played the songs true to the record. An intermission came. When they came back on the stage, they were dressed like the Monkees were in the second season. And then they said, "We have a surprise performer." I grabbed my son's arm and shrieked, "Could it be Peter they are talking about!?" It was!!



He came bounding up onto the stage from my right. Great interaction between him and the band. At one point, one of them even held up a sign and pointed to Peter - the sign said 'He's really playing this!', lol, too funny. And I was literally only several feet away from watching Peter perform. Wow.

I later learned that Peter just happened to be in the Chicago area when he caught word the ML were to play at Brookfield. (It was promo'd on tv news but I didn't see that, myself..) He called them to ask if he could come and play along. Naturally they said yes! He was only going to do the 11 am show, but was talked into doing the 2 pm as well. Lucky me! I guess Peter was on hand to greet people earlier, but had to leave right away now, to catch a plane, they were saying afterwards. I was completely on Monkee-auto-pilot by that point, so I was absolutely drawn to follow Peter parallel from the audience side, as he walked off the stage and past some tables to a waiting golf-cart. He was quite friendly to everyone. "Hi Peter!", I said as he caught my gaze. "Hi there!" he said to me and flashed his great smile. He gave out 2 autographs, but when more people began to ask him all at once, he simply didn't have the time for any more.

Whoosh! They wisked him away in that golf-cart!

I had just signed into a fan site a couple weeks before, and when I got back on it later that day, I learned there was another member who was also there. We compared notes of the show and found she was only a little ways to the left side of me. I still will not forget this particular Saturday afternoon soon!

March 25, 2001 - Star Plaza, Merrillville

January's wknd papers showed upcoming performers at the Holiday Star Plaza Theater in Merrillville. On this date the Monkees were scheduled! What luck I was having, seeing one or another of them 3 yrs in a row! This time the group meant Peter instead of Mike. Of course, I HAD to go, because I'd seen them without Peter that long ago magical day. So off Bob and I went.



The concert itself was great, naturally. I really had no idea what to expect, though I knew it couldn't be 1969 again. But I wasn't disappointed in the least, especially as to what happened afterwards. I saw women of all ages, and suddenly realized they now had fans both young and old, because of their resurgence in popularity from the reunion in the 1980's. I just didn't partake in all that as a fan at the time. Real life and growing up or growing out of them as time went by, ya know? I did pay attention to any current news of them at that time, however, a Hollywood star on the walk of fame, Mike performing with them, etc.....and the first time I heard That Was Then on the radio I had to do a double-take. Whaa?? Is that Micky's voice? Nah, I must be hearing things, I said to myself. But I'd recognize that voice anywhere, and I knew it was. Anyway.....

Before the concert, I saw they were selling pictures of the 3 of them. Ah-hah! That meant they'd be around somewhere after the show to sign them, I figured. Well, outside the venue somewhere was a door marked 'stage', with a line of people quickly forming when the show was over. I got in the line while my husb brought the car closer. It got even longer behind me, when a man poked his head out that door and said, "If you want to see them, they'll be in the Khaki Lounge around in front, shortly."
I shouted at my husb as I went running to the car, "We've got to go to the lounge in front! A man said that's where they will be! Com'on, hurry!" I was screaming at him and jumping up and down like a madwoman.
"Calm down", he laughed. "I'll get you there." So around to the front we drove, and in we went.

After we were seated at a table around the perimeter of the bar, my husb went up and got a couple of beers for us. I sat and watched the place fill up with people quickly, but I didn't see any Monkees - yet. When he came back, he said, "You know, Micky is up there sitting on a stool.."
"You SAW him already?!??"
"Yep, over in that corner there", he gestured. "He's eating."
"Where? Where?", I said as I began to stand-up-sit-down.
"Over there. There's a line already forming."
"There is?!??"
"Ya, go check it out." So I got up and tried to head in that direction. TRIED is the word. People were everywhere the closer I got. I could hear them talking to one another, "He'll sign pictures when he's done eating", the word was passed down. I couldn't see him, so I sat back down. "He's eating", I said. "He'll sign when he's done."
"Told ya he was eating" my husb said.
At that moment, in walks PETER! At that point, my husb began to chuckle, watching the little fangirl in me. I was totally in Monkee heaven. Up-down-up-down watching Peter move about, and still trying to see Micky through the crowd. And THEN - in walks Davy!! Not only that, but he sits down at a table right near me. He had 2 women with him, who were dressed in business-type clothes. "Oh-my-god", I say. "I can't believe they are all right here in front of me!!" Mind you, by now I am hysterical, but whispering.
"The line's moving for Micky now...you'd better get in it", he says.
I took in a very deep breath, picture in hand, and went to the line. I can't believe this is happening I think to myself. My turn, and all I could do was say, "Hi Micky! Will you sign my picture?"
"Sure darlin'," he said and took the picture. Then he gave me a puzzled look, like as if to say 'anything else?'
But I just shook his hand and said, "Thanks! I've been a fan since I was 13."
"Really?", he said as he smiled at me.
"Yep!", and I quickly made my exit. I was so thrilled, I had to just sit down a minute!
Then I saw Peter standing alone, so I went up to him before he became otherwise occupied. At the same time, another woman was approaching him. "Well hello", Peter said to us. "And what can I do for you?"
"Umm...uh...um...", the other woman stammered, holding a picture. It was clear to me that she could not speak.
So I said, "We'd like to have your autograph." The woman just shook her head in agreement, and sorta thrust out her picture for Peter to sign. She stepped back and then she was gone. My turn.
"You two know each other?", Peter asked me.
"No...", I replied. "I just could see her, uh....dilemma, cuz I could barely hold it together when I met Micky a few minutes ago."
"Oh!", Peter said, laughing. "That was very kind of you."
"Bah, it was nothing," I answered. Then I suddenly realized that I was having a conversation with him. Now it was my turn to exit. "Thanks", I told Peter, and off I went back to my husb. Up-down-up-down, where's Micky, over there, where's Peter, there he is. He thought it was hilarious, watching me watch them.
Of course, I also approached Davy, who was still seated near me. "Hi," I said. "I saw you just a couple years ago at a concert in Hammond."
"Did you now," he said, as he took the picture.
"Yes, but you probably don't remember me."
"No but I remember Hammond," he said. And he signed the picture.

After a bit more time passing in which I watched and whispered hysterically to my husband, who thought it was hysterical to watch me, I was ready to go. He needed to get up in the morning for work. One more thing, I didn't bring a camera! Nor when I went to Navy Pier. Especially here - I had no idea that I'd be in this proximity to Micky, Davy, and Peter. I coulda kicked myself royal! Ah well, but I have the memory of it, etched in this little fangirls' mind forever.

July 29, 2000 - Navy Pier, Chicago

I heard on the oldies station that Micky would be at Navy Pier, on this date on a Teen Idols tour. Bobby Sherman and Peter Noone were the other two acts with him. "I have to go to this one definitely", I told my husb. "It's Micky!"

So off we went. Micky was the middle performer. His sister Coco was with him. That's the first time I heard that she sang backup with him on several recordings from the past. Bobby Sherman came on first - he has aged pretty good! For that matter, so did Micky. Peter Noone was very entertaining. I knew the music because I had a friend who was a Bobby Sherman fan. I also had a babysitter who was ga-ga over Herman's Hermits when I was younger. The whole show had me up and singing/dancing to the music. I had fun!

After the concert, I noticed others going to the back of the place, so my husb and I followed. Peter Noone was standing on the other side of these big black iron gates at the Skyline Stage. He was signing some autographs and cracking jokes with the fans. I asked him if Micky was going to come out, but he said Micky had already left! I was disappointed of course. But it was a good time nevertheless.


I later learned that Davy was the one usually on these tours, but he had cancelled out on some of the dates. I don't know why. So Micky was there in his stead. Pretty good of him to pick it up I thought, because he most likely had to re-arrange things in order to do that.

Early August 1999 - Augustfest, Hammond

I grew up, got married in 1976 on Valentine's Day image, and had 3 sons, now in their late teens. There was a yearly festival called Augustfest in Hammond. My husband and I attended regularly, because of the nightly free concerts every year. It only cost a $5 parking fee. We'd seen soooo many groups and singers that way, music people from the 60's onward.

Earlier that year, I happened across Micky's autobiography at a local library. Naturally, I was very curious to read what he had to say in it. Whoa, a real eye-opener. I mean all I had to go on was what I had read in those teen fan magazines back in the day. You know, all the fluff and squeaky clean stuff. I couldn't put his book down, lol. Nearly read all of it at once. It made a lot of sense to me. And it began to re-spark the fan in me.

So now here comes the line-up of acts at the Augustfest. DAVY was one of them! Whaaaat??!!? "I'm going! Are you coming along? I'm going.", I said to my husb. No if-ands-or-buts. He knew I had been a fan. It was such a good show Davy put on! His jokes were hilarious first time hearing them, and the music was great of course. Afterwards, he sat at a table at the back end of the concert area, and met the fans. In the next day's local paper, it was reported that there was around 500 in that line, whoa! He had stayed till the line was gone. My husb and I were about mid-way into the line. My turn, and I say, "Hi Davy! I was a fan in the very beginning, and I just want to tell you thank you, for bringing a bright spot to my life with your music and the show."
He said, "Why thank you for saying that....". To my husband, he said, "What's her name?" He wanted to include him in the conversation.
"------", my husb said.
"I appreciate you saying that, -----. Thank you very much.", Davy said. I shook his hand and my husb took a picture, but it didn't come out!! Light had gotten into the film or something, I dunno. A few other pictures from that roll didn't come out either.

But anyway, so I met Davy. He was so kind and pleasant to all the people in line. Wow.

April 26, 1969 - Auditorium Theater, Chicago

Intro: Flashback
In March of 1967, I was in the 7th grade. I had a friend named Virginia. If I called her on a Monday evening after dinner, she wouldn't talk to me. "I'll see you in school tomorrow", she'd say. After a couple times of that, I asked her what was happening that she didn't want to talk. She told me she was watching a tv show called The Monkees. So I tuned in.

Virginia, myself, another girl named Holly, and another named Janice, brought fan magazines to school, to look through during our lunch hour. We'd pour over all the info and pics of the Monkees in Tiger Beat, 16, Flip, and Fave.



Virginia and Holly were able to go to a Monkees concert in the summer, at the Chicago Stadium on July 30th. I pleaded with my Dad to let me go with them. They wanted me to, but he just refused. Holly's father was even going along, but Dad said no. I remember asking Virginia about the concert in the days afterwards. But she could barely speak about it, completely awestruck. She said her ears were ringing from all the screaming and noise, and that's about all I could get out of her. She said when Davy sang I Wanna Be Free, the crowd went wild. (Davy was her favorite one.) And she said that Peter was awesome on the banjo.

By the time their 2nd season began, my favorite Monkee had changed. It was now Micky. I thought he was soooo hot looking, and all over the place on the screen. I was completely under his spell.



After I began buying their records, I even found myself singing along to them in whatever part HE was singing, be it lead or harmony.

I wrote to his fan club, headed by his grandmother, a couple of times when I was 13. One day I finally got a reply - a handwritten envelop and a handwritten 'Dear ---'....the content said he was recording a lot and about to go to the desert to film a movie called Head. I'm not sure in hindsight if he actually wrote the content of the letter. I thought he did at the time. It WAS his handwriting.....But it could have just been the standard thing sent. But back then I was thrilled to receive a reply! Alas, this little gem has been long gone to the four winds by now.
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So here comes 1969. We fans know that the show was off the air in primetime, and Peter had left the group at the end of Dec '68. By then I was a freshman in h.s., and met new friends who were Monkee fans. (My other friends were moving away.) One day in March on the radio, I heard the Monkees were coming to Chicago on April the 26th. 'Oh my gosh I've got to go!', I thought. 'I probably will never get another chance!' Begging Dad as the date got closer became an everyday thing for me. And when their special 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee aired only 2 wks before the date, I really went to town with that. FINALLY, Dad came home with 2 tickets for my sister Marie and I, and one for him. My 2 new friends already had their tickets. Lucky them, they were a whole lot closer to the stage on the main floor than I was. My tickets were for seats right in the first row of the center balcony. No real matter though - I was GOING and that's all that counted!



Upon arriving at a South Shore station, we took a train into the city. I could hear other girls at the opposite end of the car we were in, talking about the Monkees. They were going to the concert too. After debarking the train, it was a short walk to the Auditorium Theater. I couldn't believe this day had come! Sam and the Goodtimers were their back-up band. And then....THERE THEY WERE! Micky, Mike, and Davy, omg! I was absolutely caught up in the moment, screaming and shouting their names with everyone else around me. My Dad put cotton in his ears. The place was at capacity. The whole experience is a blur of exitement to me today, but I still carry flashes of memory of them on the stage. Each one sang separately, and also together. There was a big movie screen behind and above them, showing them in the show and other places. All three of them wore black suits with white ruffly shirts. I remember they sang Tapioca Tundra, because that was my latest favorite song of theirs. And when Davy sang For Once In My Life, (a recent Stevie Wonder song), it was pandemonium. When Mike sang by himself, he told everyone to quiet down so they could hear him sing. Everyone DID. When Micky sang Goin' Down, I thought I was gonna pass out for a minute. I couldn't believe he was right there, singing it IN PERSON!

And then it was over! OVER!

In school the following Monday, my 2 friends and I compared our experiences, because of being in 2 different places in the A.T. For that matter, most of that week we had free time together, the topic usually turned to the concert. It took another few days after that for this little 14-yr-old to come back to earth and get on with end-of-the-school-year things.

By the time I finished my next (sophomore) year, however, that was about it. No more Monkees in the magazines much, and no more music...in fact, in my jr year I happened to see an album called Changes in the store. Apparently, Micky and Davy were the only ones on this, their last album. I hadn't even known it was out there. But you know, that's life, isn't it? Many yrs later I finally saw Head, their movie, on cable tv. I completely understood it, right off the bat.

Little did I know that 30 yrs later, in 1999 and for at least the next 10 yrs or so, I'd revisit my Monkee fandom, after reading a copy of Micky's autobiography that I happened across in a library....and that I'd be meeting up with other fans as well as the Monkees themselves!

(to be continued.....)