Make sure to visit the Official Peter Tork Website for updates.
| 
|  |
Into each life some tears must fall;
Our hearts may sometimes break.
And sorrows come to one and all,
For all must give and take.
But God never leaves us hopeless;
He listens to each prayer.
And when we're filled with peacefullness,
An Angel has been there.
-- Clay Harrison --
Make sure to check out Peter Tork Updates (articles, interviews). I have moved several items to that page on June 13, 2008. In doing that, I found several links to web sites that no longer exist. Those have been removed.
If you are interested in Monkees related articles and Monkees merchandise on the net, I have a PTsgirl Purple Haze - Monkees Related Articles On The Net page.
"Come On In" (love that song) and I hope you enjoy the site.
Make sure to visit these web sites......
Saturday, November 28th and Sunday, November 29th, 2009
Special guests of honor will be on hand to meet fans, take photos and sign autographs, and all autographs are free.
Ex-Monkee Peter Tork believes in staying positive
By David Yonke – Blade Staff Writer
Toledo Blade.com
November 5, 2009
Peter Tork never asked "Why me?" when he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer a year ago. The former Monkee prefers a more positive outlook on life.
The 65-year-old singer-guitarist, who will perform a concert in Toledo tomorrow night with his Shoe Suede Blues band, said he stayed away from negative thoughts after being told he had adenoid cystic carcinoma, or ACC, of the lower tongue.
"A good attitude generates more comfort. When people say, 'Why me?' and 'How could this happen?' or 'Somebody must be made to pay for my problems,' that attitude is a low-skill approach. It's not very contentment-making," Tork said in an interview last week.
And while he added that he's not afraid to die, it's not because he believes in a glorious afterlife.
"I don't like pain and I don't want to hurt, but the sheer fact of dying in and of itself is of no consequence to me," he said. "When I die, there won't be a 'me' of any kind. There won't be anything, no collection of what we think of as an immutable, individual something or other."
Tork obviously has been doing a lot of philosophizing since his days with the Monkees, the mid-1960s pop-rock band formed by corporate executives looking to tap into some of the Beatlemania phenomenon.
The group proved to be an artistic as well as a commercial success, with a body of work that Tork considers today to be among the best in rock history. Those hits include "Last Train to Clarksville," "I'm a Believer," and "Pleasant Valley Sunday."
Tork, who writes an advice column for the Daily Panic Web site, said he's fully recovered from cancer treatment, but recently has been struggling with hitting falsetto notes.
"I was singing fine two months after I quit radiation," he said. "So it's probably not related to the cancer or treatment at all. I hope it's only momentary."
Shoe Suede Blues features Tork on guitar, keyboards, and vocals, backed by a drummer, bass player, and guitarist. The band will play songs from Tork's solo albums, his Shoe Suede Blues CDs, and, of course, a few Monkees classics such as "Daydream Believer" and "Last Train to Clarksville."
But Tork likes to give the golden oldies a new look.
"We make 'Clarksville' into a slow grind, for example," he said.
Former Monkee Peter Tork and his band Shoe Suede Blues will perform at the Toledo Civic Center, 237 South Erie St., tomorrow with opening bands Elixir and the Nu-Tones. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.; the show starts at 8. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Information: 419-478-2539 or online at niteoutproductions.com.
Note: The web site below has a place for comments. Make sure to check it out.
Peter Tork's Cancer Returns
Courant.com
June 12, 2009
Peter Tork’s cancer has recurred, a spokeswoman for the Mansfield resident and former Monkee said Thursday.
"The doctors have given him an excellent chance, 80 percent, of containing this new tumor and shrinking it, said Therra C. Gwyn, who described Tork as "shaken but not stirred" by the news.
Tork, 67, had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer earlier this year and in March had chemotherapy and radiation treatment successfully enough to resume performing in recent weeks, including gigs in Mansfield and Manchester.
The singer and guitarist, who now performs with a group called Shoe Suede Blues, will continue radiation treatment, Gwyn said "He states unequivocally that he's planning on carrying on for a long time," she said.
Peter Tork Celebrates His Old School With A Rock-Blues Blend
By Thomas Kintner - Special to The Courant
May 31, 2009
In March, Peter Tork had surgery to treat a rare, slow-growing form of head and neck cancer. Friday night, the former Monkee, who nowadays fronts a quartet called Shoe Suede Blues, performed in public for the first time since his surgery, as part of the 50th anniversary celebration at E.O. Smith High School in Mansfield.
A member of the school's first graduating class, the 67-year-old Tork today makes his home in town. He was chatty and sported his typical playful wit in conversation outside the room before his show, showing few effects of his illness as he noted with a sharp chuckle that the worst right now is a numb lip and pain in his teeth. He expects to begin radiation treatments within the next week.
Established as a sort of headliner for the evening despite being called a "surprise guest," he wandered the school gymnasium among a crowd of a little more than 100 in advance of his own set, and encountered several acquaintances. He laughed to recall that he had run into a girl who in the sixth grade passed him a note suggesting they get together.
Tork noted with a little regret that the gym, with its thudding, rough acoustics, is not an ideal place to play, but acknowledged there was something nice about playing at home, and punctuated that admission with a laugh, cackling, "and being here means I know I've got the best band in town!"
He was certainly right about that in the context of the night's somewhat misnamed "Battle of the Bands." He certainly would have been the runaway winner had there been a competition between him and the three groups of past graduates who played blunt covers of everything from Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit" to a splattered rock rendition of "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy." The disparity was less noticeable in the context of the school's celebration, and in fact helped give the main attraction a pleasantly informal vibe.
Tork's quartet plowed through a throwback blend of rock and blues, whether digging into Monkees fare for "Last Train to Clarksville" done as a beefy blues simmer, or seeing Tork jump from electric guitar to keyboards to propel the springy, old-school chug of "Wine-Texas BBQ." He included expected tunes such as "I'm a Believer" and "Daydream Believer," but snapped at lyrics with the most enthusiasm when he got to sharp-edged workouts like "Saved by the Blues."
Always more of a musician than Monkees records let on, Tork kept up with the very capable Lauren Ellis as they lined up their electric licks, with him doing the lion's share of the filling as his brother Nick Thorkelson hammered at keyboards as a guest on "Wild About My Lovin'." The taste for rebellion that has always been an undercurrent of Tork's work reared its head again when he closed his 11-song, 50-minute show with what he termed a "nasty," Sex Pistols-style version of "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," and it was encouraging to see that despite his recent troubles, he still had the vitality needed to offer that edge.
Ex-Monkee Peter Tork Battles Cancer
Aversion.com
May 29, 2009
Peter Tork, best known for his stint in '60s pop band The Monkees, is tackling radiation treatment and a summer tour at the same time.
The onetime Monkee was diagnosed with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma in March, and underwent surgery to remove a tumor from the base of his tongue. Surgeons had to un-hinge his jaw in order to reach the growth, but the procedure was deemed a success. Now, he begins a six-week cycle of radiation treatment to fight a relapse.
The brush with cancer inspired Tork to launch his Peter Tork Hope On Project, an effort to help raise funs for research for rare forms of cancer such as the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma he suffered. He'll be peddling those goddamned plastic bracelets that have become synonymous with cancer research efforts emblazoned with his "Hope On" slogan.
"Although we are not going so far to start a full-fledged charity since we don't presently have the time or man or woman power for that," Tork said in a statement, "we will be donating a percentage of profits from the sale of Hope On wristbands to the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundatlon and another charity for rare cancer to help them do what they do best - educate, fund research and raise awareness. Pretty cool, huh?"
After that he has little time to rest. His latest musical vehicle, Suede Shoe Blues, plays tonight and sporadically through the summer.
Peter Tork and the Monkees celebrate 40 years of 'Head'
By Shirley Halperin
Hollywood Insider - EW.com
November 12, 2008
The Monkees' 1968 movie Head (original trailer below) may not have been much of a commercial success, but 40 years after its ill-fated theatrical release, the acid casualty-turned-cult classic will get a second shot at Hollywood glory with an anniversary screening and Q&A being held in Los Angeles tonight as part of American Cinematheque's "Mods and Rockers" series. Two of the band's members, Davy Jones and Peter Tork, will be in attendance at the famed Egyptian Theater, which happens to be across the street from what was once the Vogue Theater, where the movie premiered on Nov. 19, 1968, and drew the likes of Dennis Hopper, Robert Redford, and Carl Reiner. "I don't remember much about that night," Tork tells EW.com, "except that we were there. But I do know this: the audience for the movie on Wednesday is going to be bigger than the crowd we got in 1968."
Despite their celebrity status at the time, and the fact that Jack Nicholson co-wrote and co-produced the film billed as The Monkees' answer to the Beatles' A Hard Day's Night, Head turned out to be a colossal dud. With no tangible plot, but rather a series of sometimes psychedelic, more often nonsensical out-there vignettes, the band's venture into movie-making would precipitate its ultimate demise. The irony, says Tork (who now writes an advice column for web-zine The Daily Panic), is that their intent was to break away from the pop image that ostensibly trapped them, but the movie only drove home the idea that there was no way out. "There was a bit of a contradiction between the plan and execution," he says. "I think if due consideration had been given to where we wanted The Monkees to go next, we would have not only had a better movie, but maybe even moved the career forward instead of stopping it dead in its tracks."
No word on whether Nicholson will join in the festivities. Dolenz, jokes Tork, "had a prior commitment which he made as soon as he heard about this." Nesmith remains estranged from his former bandmates. More of our Q&A with Tork after the jump.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: When the idea for Head was bandied about, was it based on artistic expression, rebellion, or just an opportunity to cash in on the Monkees name?
PETER TORK: It was an expression of where we were at the time. When we first talked about making a movie, the four of us agreed that we really didn't want to do a 90-minute episode of The Monkees. We wanted to go beyond sitcom situations, because growing up, Mickey and I had seen some of our favorite TV shows, like McHale's Navy and Dragnet, turn into awful movies.The fairest understanding of the movie was that it was [director and co-producer] Bob Rafelson's take on the Monkees phenomenon overall, without much of a comment or a conclusion. The gist of the movie is the Monkees remain trapped and it seems like they're never getting out of it, which was peculiar because the movie was an effort to get out of it. Other than that, it was a little surreal, some parts are extraordinarily funny, and a lot of that is Jack Nicholson's idea of what was funny.
What was your history with Nicholson at that point?
He didn't have much of a history with us. He'd come around the set for a while. He was fun and funny. He had a style and gestures. Mike adopted him completely. And then one day Bob said, "Jack's going to help make the movie." We were delighted because there was no mistaking Jack's power and capacity, intellectually and artistically. It was clear that here was a man who managed to make himself socially acceptable by bottling all of his insanity and putting it into useful channels. A very rare quality and one that's made him the superstar that he is. You couldn't help but feel that.
There were plenty of psychedelic films being produced at that time to varying degrees of success, so why didn't Head stick?
The Monkees ran into a brick wall and [Head] was part of that. And the fact that it was marketed as a head movie to the suburban kids and as a suburban, bubblegum movie to all the heads didn't help much either. It was a disaster in the making from some points of view. Commercially, surely.
How is the relationship between the four of you now?
Davy and Mickey and I talk when the occasion arises. Both of those guys did shows near where I live, and I joined them for a couple of numbers onstage. We had a great time and lovely conversation. Those are very funny guys. Michael does not figure in my cosmos anymore. I know nothing, I see nothing, I care nothing.
From pop to blues, Peter Tork moves on
By Doug Wallen
metro Philadelphia
August 28, 2008
Best known as the cheeky guitarist for the 1960s’ chart-topping, TV-invading, bubblegum creation the Monkees, Peter Tork has been making music his entire adult life, from Greenwich Village folk to psychedelic pop. These days he leads Shoe Suede Blues, an outfit whose raucous originals and covers may surprise Monkees fans. But as Tork tells it, the blues were always a part of his musical DNA, even when he didn’t realize it.
Your current band is more bluesy than people might expect.
I’ve always been in that direction. It’s only been a matter of being able to implement it. Back in the Monkees days, when Micky [Dolenz] sang, “I’m a believer,” I showed him how to sing it as a blues note. It was always more shuffle, more soul, more blues [for me]. I’m kind of slow; I didn’t realize how much the blues meant to me until my middle years.
You still do Monkees songs live, right?
We do “Last Train to Clarksville” (and others). It’s straight-ahead arrangement but a bluesy beat. And we do songs by Muddy Waters and Albert King … the real stuff.
Before the Monkees you were a folk singer, and now you’re fronting a blues band. Is it all of a piece to you?
It is all of a piece but it rolls over and a different view is presented. I didn’t go anywhere near the blues in my folky days, and I did singer-songwriter pop after the Monkees. But when this band started, we went straight to the blues book for all our jams. There was no ’60s froth or bubblegum tunes. It was sort of given to me to do and it was liberation in so many ways.
Instead of disowning the Monkees or leaning on them, you seem to have reconciled your past with the band.
It was a struggle. I sought to divorce myself completely at the outset. I did no Monkees songs for years. But I get it - you come to a Peter Tork show and you want to hear some Monkees. [Shoe Suede Blues] is a very rigorous, on-your-toes kind of thing, and the Monkees thing is something for fans to hang their expectations on. After going from one extreme to the other, we thought, “Let’s try the middle.”
New item added as of March 8, 2008:
Ever Needed To Ask A Monkee For Advice? Who Hasn't?"
Ask Peter Tork" Debuts Online at thedailypanic.com
Former teen idol and current Shoe Suede Blues-man and solo artist Peter Tork is taking questions on a variety of topics from people all over the globe in his new column, "Ask Peter Tork". Find it exclusively online at http:// thedailypanic.com Have a question? Peter Tork has an answer. Think of it as having your own Monkee Uncle.
Atlanta, Ga (PRWEB) February 25, 2008 ---Hey, hey he's...an advice columnist? Peter Tork, former member of the Monkees and long time heartthrob of women "of a certain age" hasn't stopped rocking - he's still got a blues band on the road and does Monkee-related appearances to the delight of old and new fans, but he's also taking his life experience and passing it on to readers who ask his advice on everything from boy trouble to boy bands.
Along with Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith, as the TV and pop music darlings the Monkees, Peter Tork rocketed to world wide stardom in the 1960s and has periodically toured and worked with his former bandmates since then, including several very popular reunion tours and a TV special.
As part of the motley and irresistible crew of writers at http://www.thedailypanic.com, Peter is the newly-minted advice columnist and author of "Ask Peter Tork".
"It just seemed a natural addition for Peter, as far as I could see" says The Daily Panic editor Therra Cathryn Gwyn, a hurricane Katrina refugee who came up with the idea for her webzine while living in her RV, " Peter is incredibly patient. I have watched him sit and listen to people's problems -- at times people he barely knew -- for far longer than most of us would and in the end give them good, solid advice. Luckily for us, he's both book-smart and savvy in life experience. He's been a TV and music mega-star, had highs that would have killed some people, lows that would have killed others and a career that's lasted longer than some of his fans have been alive. He's a recovering alcoholic now sober for over 25 years, has oodles of relationship experience, he's got great, productive children, he lived through the 60s and is still rocking in his 60s. If that doesn't qualify him to dish out some advice, I don't know what does."
"Ask Peter Tork" is not just advice for the lovelorn, however. Fans and the curious write in asking about everything from relationships to rock star quirks, from guy talk to guitars. And, surprising to some, nearly as many men as women write in.
"Peter is one of the six pop stars in the world who are actually interested in something other than themselves," Gwyn jokes,"If your kids want to ask a rock star for advice, steer them away from Tommy Lee and towards Peter Tork."
Find Peter and the rest of The Daily Panic crew shakin' at http://www.thedailypanic.com.
You can write to him yourself at askpetertork@thedailypanic.com. Think of it as having your own Monkee Uncle.
The Daily Panic.com - Ask Peter Tork
YouTube.com Videos of Peter Tork, James Lee Stanley and The Monkees
Added 11/16/2006
A fellow Monkees fan informed me of YouTube.com videos for Peter Tork, James Lee Stanley and The Monkees. What would we do without fellow fans? Thank you! By the way, I believe this fan was adopted by Mama Dolenz :)
YouTube.com - Video results for Peter Tork
YouTube.com - Video results for James Lee Stanley
YouTube.com - Video results for The Monkees
Attention Monkees fans, the spelling of "Monkeys" was not my doing. ;) - PTsgirl
Peter Tork - Getty Images
Found this quirky item on the internet.....
Soup :: Pikes Peak US Superbike Images - Caption for photo:
Little known fact: Hacking's PPIR fury was motivated by a bystander telling him Mike Nesmith was the most talented Monkee. 'It was Peter Tork, damnit!' he seethed.
I played a simpleton. It was a character I had developed on the Greenwich Village stages as a way of protecting myself against the results of my bad jokes. "Of course you wouldn't like that joke because what kind of a fool I am." It just expanded from there.
During this time, Peter was exposed to music by his parents. They listened to various types of music, but mostly classical. At an early age, he studied classical piano. He went on to master several instruments including acoustic and bass guitar, banjo, harmonica, harpsichord and organ. Eventually, he became interested in jazz and folk music. His love for classical music remains to this day, performing classical pieces at his concerts.
The harpsichord was something I wanted to do because I am partly a classicist. Bach was my favorite composer, and the harpsichords were my thing. When Mike was in my dressing room, I was noodling around with the solo for "The Girl I Knew Somewhere," and I hit that discord on the beat at the end - I hadn't meant to do that. I said, "What was that?" Mike said, I heard it!" That was great - we were tickled to death to have this funny note on the record. On "Shades Of Gray," Mike wrote the horn and cello parts, sang them to me, and I notated them. I was also really pleased with the little piano introduction I wrote. We were just thrilled to death with that song.
Peter Halsten Thorkelson was born February 13, 1942, to John and Virginia Thorkelson in Washington, D.C. Because Peter's father was in the army, he grew up in various locations, being schooled at home (Detroit, Berlin Germany, Wisconsin, Connecticut). After completing service in the army, his father went back to Wisconsin to earn his degree in teaching. Peter and his family then settled in Connecticut where his father had his entire teaching career as a university professor.
In high school, Peter did musicals, amature theatricals, and piano recitals. He also did folk harmonizing with his friends. He became interested in rock n' roll for a brief time during his teen years. The Elvis Presley 1956 hit "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" was the song that had Peter notice the current trend in music. Even though he took notice, his background in classical music kept him from doing a complete turn around.
After high school, Peter was considering a music major at the school he was attending - Carlton College located in Northfield MN. He discovered that he did not have the attention or concentration span for such a major. Peter was involved in other activities at that time which included theatre, radio station DJ and music ensembles. When he was able to get enough people together, Peter did folk music performances.
During the early 1960s, he became involved in the Greenwich Village music scene and began performing folk music (banjo and guitar) at the local clubs. He also played piano for The Buffalo Fish, Stephen Still's group. At this time, rock bands were forming in record numbers in the wake of the Beatle phenomenon. At the urging of Stephen Stills, Peter attended an open audition for The Monkees, a new television show starring four young actor/musicians.
I was playing at the Golden Bear for Steve Stills and Ron Long, who were called The Buffalo Fish. Steve was my buddy from Greenwich Village; we knew each other because we were the kids who looked alike. When I was on the way out, Steve called me over and said, "Peter, I've just met this guy who is doing a TV show based on A Hard Day's Night. You should try out." I dismissed the idea, "Yeah, yeah." He said. "Peter, this is Steve. You really should go try out for this thing." "Oh, all right." So I got on the bus in Huntington Beach and schlepped all the way to Hollywood for the auditions. Up until then, I hadn't done anything except for a couple of hootenannies at the Troubadour, where, incidentally, I met Mike. I thought that because I knew Steve Stills, and he knew Bob Rafelson, that I was going to get special entree into the auditioning process. I walked in - "Take a seat, please." I waited like everybody else. Mike came in and said "Hello, Pete." One kid did get special treatment. Davy Jones walked through, like he owned the place. But I've grown to love him now. I do.
I was protecting myself by not becoming too involved, because I always feared that what I wanted would be taken away from me, so I didn't dare want anything. When Micky said, "You can't go back in the studio," that was the end for me of any hopes of having a real live group, which is what I wanted at the time. At that point, I had had it. I was utterly disappointed. So when I had the chance, I quit.
Peter Tork, Michael Nesmith, Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz became part of the teen idol craze during the 1960's. The Monkees television show continued for two seasons (1966-1968). During the second season, their television audience began to wander. The Monkees really started to fall apart after the release and failure of their movie HEAD. When he had the chance, Peter quit The Monkees. This was sometime after the taping of the 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee TV special for NBC.
Even though Peter quit, he advanced as both a musician and a songwriter. His song "For Pete's Sake" was used during the second season closing credits. Other notable works that Peter has written or performed include "Come On In", "Lady's Baby", "Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again", "Seeger's Theme", "Tear The Top Right Off Of My Head", "Can You Dig It?", "Riu Chiu", "Words", "Shades Of Gray", "I Don't Think You Know Me", "Peter Patterson's Pet Pig Porky" and "Your Auntie Grizelda." When he re-united with the Monkees in 1987 for the Anniversary Tour, he conceived "Gettin' In" as a show opener, "to get into the hearts of the audience." For the 1997 Monkees World Tour, he performed his song "I Believe You" from the JUSTUS CD.
I was raised in the Pete Seeger folk singing tradition of authenticity, integrity and honor. I thought bands played on their records. So when they told us to show up for our first recording session, I brought my guitar. They didn't want me to play. They said, "What are you complaining about? You're making money." I was distraught. I look back on it now, and it makes all kinds of sense that we didn't play. Obviously, we didn't know enough about pop music record production to be able to crank out two tunes a week for the show, as well as act in it. When we started filming, the TV episodes, it took us five twelve-hour days per week. We'd walk out of those things with our eyes crossed, and we were in no condition to be making records. We finally did make our Headquarters album. We were doing forty to fifty and sometimes seventy takes apiece on the basic tracks. I didn't realize beforehand, but we weren't ready. But I was upset that I wasn't playing on the tracks on the first album. I did play fourth guitar on the two sessions that Mike produced. So that's me on "Papa Gene's Blues." You can't hear me, but I'm in there; four guitars all playing the same thing.
   |  Peter Tork Biography - Page 2.Peter Tork - IMDb (Internet Movie Database)Peter Tork UpdatePeter Tork Retro PhotosPeter and James Concert PhotosPeter Tork Official Web SiteShoe Suede Blues Web SiteJames Lee Stanley Web SitePTsgirl Purple Haze - About The MonkeesMonkees Related Articles On The NetMonkees Related ItemsMonkees Related SitesWhat Kind Of Girl Likes The Monkees?Monkees RecipesSpecial RecipesEnjoy These Other SitesEmail PTsgirl |
PTsgirl Shoe Suede Blues Photos - Club 66
Monkees 2001 Concert Tour Photos - Courtesy of SheLovesTork
View Guestbook
Thank you to ford-dad for taking the time to create the Peter graphic below and the Monkees graphics (mobile and group) located on my web pages.
|  |
Below are other web pages I have created.
If you are a fellow fan of the quirky comedy The Office - both British and U.S. versions, check out my pages for both versions. I also have a page for Martin Freeman (a.k.a. Tim - The Office - BBC).
If you are a fellow fan of the drama 24, then take a peek at my Kiefer Sutherland page. - LMR
