I remember it as if it was yesterday.  I was 8 years old, and this cool new television show was coming on.

It was about the adventures of an American Rock ‘n Roll Band, who lived in a beachfront house and drove a GTO convertible.  I mean, what could be cooler than that?

The guys were all American boys, except for one little short feller.  This guy quickly became one of the biggest teen idols of all time. The girls, old and young, went nuts for him.

And on top of that, he sang with such a pure voice, you just knew that he had some training, somewhere.

And now, today, some 46 years later, I found out that he has passed away from a heart attack…much too soon.  You guessed it.  The band was The Monkees.  The man was Davy Jones.

Here’s some information you may not know about him, courtesy of Biography.com:

…A member of the Monkees, Davy Jones became a popular teen idol of the late 1960s. He started his acting career at the age of 11, winning a role on the popular British soap opera Coronation Street.

For a time, Jones trained to become a jockey but he gave it up to perform in the theater. He played the Artful Dodger in a London production of the musical Oliver! In 1963, Jones reprised the role for his Broadway debut. He received a Tony Award nomination for his performance that same year.

Jones landed a few television guest appearances and other roles before getting his big break. Along with Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Mickey Dolenz, he was selected for a new television series about a rock group modeled after the Beatles. The Monkees debuted in September 1966 and audiences adored the humorous antics of this manufactured band. Jones especially attracted a lot of attention from fans for his charm and boyish good looks.

It wasn’t long before the Monkees scored on the music charts. Their version of Neil Diamond’s “I’m a Believer” and “Last Train to Clarksville” were their first number one hits. More successful singles followed, including another Neil Diamond tune, “Little Bit Me, Little Bit You,” Gerry Goffin and Carole King’s “Pleasant Valley Sunday”, and “Daydream Believer” by John Stewart of the Kingston Trio. Their albums sold millions of copies.

The Monkees even starred in their own feature film, Head (1968). Unfortunately for the so-called Pre-Fab Four, it was a dud at the box office. That same year, their series was canceled and Tork left the group. Jones and the remaining members soldiered on for a while, releasing 1969’s Instant Replay before splitting up.

After the Monkees, Jones continued acting and singing. He released a self-titled album in 1971. That same year, Jones made a memorable appearance on the hit family sitcom The Brady Bunch as himself. He was teenager Marsha Brady’s dream date for the prom. Jones had guest roles on a number of other shows, trading in on his popularity as a teen idol.

Returning to music, Jones teamed up with Dolenz and former Monkees songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. They released one album together in 1976, which failed to make much of an impression on the music buying public.

There was a renewed interest in the Monkees, however, in the 1980s. Some of their original recordings returned to the charts and Dolenz, Tork, and Jones reunited for a concert tour in 1986. That same year, the group released a greatest hits collection, Then and Now, which featured a new track, “That Was Then, This Is Now.” Reruns of the group’s series started airing on MTV in 1987, giving the band even more of a boost. That same year, the Monkees released the album Pool It!

Nesmith returned to the group in the mid-1990s for a successful tour and a new album, 1996’s Justus. While the new recording failed to make the charts, the Monkees previous albums have remained strong sellers over the years. The Best of the Monkees reached number 51 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2003.

Outside of his activities with the Monkees, Jones continued to act. He had a cameo in The Brady Bunch Movie (1995) and appeared on such shows as Boy Meets World, The Single Guy, and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. On the London stage, Jones appeared in Oliver!—this time around playing Fagin. He also starred in a revival of Godspell as Jesus.

Known for his wit and warm sense of humor, Jones wrote several autobiographies, including 1987’s They Made a Monkee Out of Me. He also owned several thoroughbred race horses. Music, however, has remained his main passion. He has recorded several solo albums, including 2001’s Just Me.

In his later years, Jones spent much of the year on tour with his band. He released a collection of his most requested songs entitledIncredible Revisited in 2008. Jones also made numerous personal appearances to meet up with fans and participated in a number of sporting events for charity.

In 2009, Davy Jones was named Number 2 of the list of All Time Best Teen Idols

Active until the end, Jones died today of a heart attack, in Florida, at the age of 66.  He is survived by his wife Jessica; his four daughters from previous relationships, Annabel, Talia, Jessica, and Sarah; and several grandchildren.

As somebody who carried a Monkees lunch box to Elementary School and had a toy Monkeemobile in his bedroom, I just want to say thank you, Davy, for all those evenings I spent glued to the television and all of those hours I spent listening to my Monkees albums.

One of my step-sons gave me the Essential Monkees CD for Christmas, a few years ago.  I think I will go listen to it.