The lead singer of Monkees hits such as \u201cLast Train to Clarksville\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m a Believer,\u201d Dolenz was an early Hendrix fan, from when he was playing in New York City as Jimmy James and the Blue Flames<\/a>, and before his fateful move to England and the formation of the Experience there.<\/p>\n Best picks for you<\/p>\n \u201cI had seen him in New York at the Cafe Au Go Go with John Hammond,\u201d Dolenz tells us. \u201cHis claim to fame was he\u2019s the guy who plays guitar with his teeth.\u201d<\/p>\n A little more than a year later, Dolenz spied Hendrix again with his new band members: drummer Mitch Mitchell and bass<\/a> guitarist Noel Redding.<\/p>\n \u201cI was at the Monterey Pop Festival and all of a sudden, onstage comes this trio dressed up in crazy stuff. And I look and say, \u2018Hey, that\u2019s the guy that played guitar with his teeth!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Dolenz was dazzled by Hendrix\u2019s performance<\/a>, which included him famously setting his Fender Stratocaster<\/a> on fire and smashing the electric guitar<\/a> to pieces.<\/p>\n \u201cI remembered him\u2026 and I was blown away by him and, of course, his talent, and by Noel Redding and Mitch, too,\u201d Dolenz recalls. \u201cIt was the most incredible rock blues that we\u2019d ever heard. I was dumbfounded, as everybody was.\u201d<\/p>\n \n The Monkees circa 1967, around the time of their tour with Hendrix. (Image credit: Courtesy Micky Dolenz)<\/p>\n That was in June 1967, by which time Dolenz and the Monkees had a hit NBC TV series, three chart-topping, multi-Platinum albums and three number one singles to their credit. At the time, they were in the midst of planning their first major U.S. tour.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were looking for an opening act,\u201d Dolenz remembers, \u201cand I suggested him to the producers of the show. I said, \u2018Y\u2019know, he\u2019s very theatrical,\u2019 which he was, of course. And the Monkees, to me, was essentially a theatrical act. We were a TV show, right?<\/p>\n Don’t miss these<\/p>\n \u201cSo I thought it was a good mix, and I loved his music. That had a lot to do with why I recommended it. I was like, \u2018Wow, this would be great.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n File that under \u201cSeemed Like a Good Idea at the Time.\u201d<\/p>\n Hendrix and company took the tour \u2014 over the strenuous objections of Chas Chandler, Hendrix\u2019s producer\/manager, who knew the Experience\u2019s electric church would not play well to a female-dominated teen crowd bent on worshipping Dolenz and Monkees mates Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork, with whom Hendrix had become friendly at Monterey. Hendrix was subsequently Tork\u2019s house guest in Laurel Hills, California as well.<\/p>\n \n Peter Tork (left) and Jimi Hendrix photographed in 1967. Hendrix was Tork’s houseguest during his stay in Los Angeles. (Image credit: Micky Dolenz)<\/p>\n Dick Clark, who promoted the tour, recalled later, \u201cI\u2019m positive that there must have been some concerns and skepticism raised, because anybody could have seen it was not a compatible coupling… That\u2019s what [the Monkees] wanted, and the deal was made.<\/p>\n \u201cThey fancied themselves as being an attractive coupling. It wasn\u2019t, and the audience was totally lost.\u201d<\/p>\n The tour began on July 8, 1967 in Jacksonville, Florida, about two months after the release of Hendrix\u2019s Are You Experienced album, followed by a sea cruise the next day to celebrate Mitchell\u2019s birthday before a show in Miami that night. The reception was predictable, with Monkees-mania ruling and the Experience playing to chants of \u201cWe want the Monkees!\u201d and \u201cWe want Davy!\u201d<\/p>\n Less than two weeks into the tour Chandler met with Clark, who agreed to take the band off the bill. The promoter concocted a story that they\u2019d received complaints \u2014 including one from the Daughters of the American Revolution \u2014 that Hendrix\u2019s performance was \u201ctoo erotic,\u201d leading to the Experience being \u201cbarred from the tour\u201d after eight shows.<\/p>\n \n Hendrix on the tour bus with Experience bassist Noel Redding (right) and drummer Mitch Mitchell (rear). (Image credit: Micky Dolenz)<\/p>\n Hendrix himself spoke to New Musical Express about the situation some time after.<\/p>\n \u201cFirstly they gave us the \u2018death\u2019 spot on the show \u2014 right before the Monkees were due on. The audience just screamed and yelled for the Monkees. Finally, they agreed to let us go on first and things were much better. But we were not getting any billing \u2014 all the posters for the show just screamed out \u2018Monkees!\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cThen some parents who brought their young kids complained that our act was vulgar. We decided it was just the wrong audience. I think they\u2019re replacing me with Mickey Mouse.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe felt bad, we felt terrible,\u201d Dolenz says now, \u201cbut he knew it wasn\u2019t our fault, and we knew it wasn\u2019t his fault. It comes with the territory. We knew he was still great, and believe you me, Jimi Hendrix would have done just fine without opening for the Monkees.\u201d<\/p>\n Nevertheless, Dolenz adds, \u201cWe all became quite good friends. He was very kind, quiet, very gentle, not at all like his onstage persona. We really had a good time hanging out together.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/8Qvrt3wFDXeJAcP2VCb8Hm.jpg\")
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