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Peter Tork of The Monkees passes away age 77

Iconic American bass guitarist and keyboardist Peter Tork of the ’60s pop-rock group The Monkees has died at age 77, after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer a decade ago.

Announced on the musician’s Facebook page today, Peter’s family said he died peacefully at a family home in Connecticut after battling with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare cancer of the salivary glands.

Peter Tork, bass guitarist and keyboardist of the American pop-rock group The Monkees, has passed away at age 77  following a decade-long battle with a rare cancer.

Tork was born in Washington DC in 1942 and was best-known  as a founding member of The Monkees, a band that was originally conceived for the purpose of a rock n’ roll sitcom titled The Monkees. It had great success, airing between 1966-68 and telling the tale of a four-piece band who went on different adventures every week and sang on air frequently.

Often labelled as America’s response to Britain’s Beatles pandemonium, the band also consisted of Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, and Davy Jones and they continued to record music until 1971. Although the band didn’t write many of their own songs, they were blessed to have the best songwriters of the 60s/70s on board.

The Monkees’ sound to this day is timeless, with their lively pop-rock style resonating with many aspiring artists, including Australian singer Didirri, who’s cover of Randy Scouse Git has been streamed over 350,000 times on Spotify.

Peter Tork’s contribution to the band through his excellent musicianship and outgoing personality is incomprehensible. A sad day for all fans of The Monkees.

Via Pitchfork