{"id":22441,"date":"2025-09-15T09:12:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T09:12:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/22441\/"},"modified":"2025-09-15T09:12:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T09:12:08","slug":"legendary-songwriter-behind-many-beloved-monkees-hits-has-died","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/22441\/","title":{"rendered":"Legendary songwriter behind many beloved \u2018Monkees\u2019 hits has died"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bobby Hart, a songwriting dynamo who partnered with Tommy Boyce to write iconic hits for \u201cThe Monkees\u201d has died, the band announced. <\/a><\/p>\n

He was 86. <\/p>\n

Hart had been in poor health since breaking his hip last year and died at his home in Los Angeles, his longtime friend Glenn Ballantyne told the Associated Press. <\/p>\n

Boyce and Hart were a well-known writing team in the mid-1960s, especially for the Monkees, the made-for-television group promoted by Don Kirshner that went on to become one of the decades\u2019 biggest chart-toppers with tracks like \u201c\u201dDaydream Believer.”<\/p>\n

The duo wrote hits like \u201cI Wanna Be Free,\u201d their first No. 1 hit, \u201cLast Train to Clarksville,\u201d and the iconic Monkees theme.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother great is gone,\u201d the Monkees\u2019 Micky Dolenz wrote. \u201cHis talent, humor, and calmness amidst chaos brought peace to those around him\u2014the eye of the hurricane. Rest in peace, Bobby.\u201d<\/p>\n

While working with The Monkees, Boyce and Hart embarked on a successful career as recording artists, releasing three albums on A&M Records. They also appeared in iconic sitcoms such as \u201cI Dream of Jeannie\u201d and \u201cBewitched.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boyce, who died in 1994, and Hart were the subjects of a 2014 documentary \u201cThe Guys Who Wrote \u2018Em.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s interesting and gratifying to look back these many years later and see that the Monkees are still with us, and they\u2019re still being played somewhere…\u201d Hart once said. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe records themselves have been staples…they\u2019ll have a life of their own that\u2019ll probably far outlast mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n