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TL;DR:

  • Richard was a huge fan of The Monkees’ Davy Jones when he was a kid.
  • Marx met Jones and revealed details of the conversation they had together.
  • Marx covered one of The Monkees’ songs as a tribute to Jones following his death.
The Monkees' Davy Jones in a chair
The Monkees’ Davy Jones | Express/Express/Getty Images

Richard Marx was a massive fan of The Monkees‘ Davy Jones. As a child, Marx met Jones. Subsequently, Marx performed one of The Monkees’ songs as a tribute.

Richard Marx cared about 1 of The Monkees more than the others

Marx is known for hits such as “Right Here Waiting for You,” “Don’t Mean Nothing,” and “Endless Summer Night.” In a 2012 post on his website, Marx discussed his feelings about Jones. “Davy Jones was, aside from Elvis, my boyhood hero,” he said. “I loved The Monkees, yes … but it was all about Davy. He was so cool.”

Marx said his father was friends with someone who worked in radio. Because of this, Marx was able to meet The Monkees at a radio event. He passed by Mike Nesmith and briefly spoke to Micky Dolenz but he cared about Jones most of all.

The Monkees’ Davy Jones gave his young fan a little gift

Marx discussed meeting Jones. “You know that thing about meeting your heroes and how it can often be a total letdown?” Marx said. “This was the polar opposite. The radio guy brought me into another room at the station and there sat Davy Jones, alone. He was only about 5′ 4″ but when he stood up he seemed 6′ 6”. He was handsome and had this big smile on his face.

“This was one of the most famous people on the planet and it was just me and him,” he added. “He’d been told I was a big fan (how unique!) and he asked me lots of questions about myself and my family and what I liked at school, etc. Davy sat and talked to me for about 15 minutes.”

In his 2021 book Stories to Tell: A Memoir, Marx said Jones asked him to name his favorite songs and his favorite subjects in school. In addition, Jones drew a picture for Marx. Marx had no idea what happened to it afterward.

Related

Mike Nesmith Said Why The Monkees’ ‘Daydream Believer’ Was His Favorite Song Davy Jones Sang for the Group

A Richard Marx performance was played at Davy Jones’ funeral

Marx believes meeting Jones partly inspired him to became a musician and a songwriter. Jones died in 2012. After reading about his death, Marx turned on a camera and sang “I Wanna Be Free” in tribute. Jones’ family played the video of Marx singing the song during the former Monkee’s funeral service.

Jones was a 1960s legend and he helped Marx become a 1980s legend.

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