MONKEES Lead Singer Davy Jones Dies at Age 66

TMZ reports that Davy Jones, lead singer of the popular band The Monkees, has passed away of a heart attack this morning, February 29, at Martin Memorial Hospital in Stuart, Florida.  He was 66 years old.  According to the report, the Martin County medical examiner's office received a call from the Hospital informing them of the death. 

Jones had worked in the entertainment business most of his life, beginning in the early 60's when he starred as the Artful Dodger in the West End production of "Oliver". The show was a huge success, and the young actor was invited to cross the Atlantic and join the show on Broadway where he received a Tony award nomination for Featured Actor. 

During the Broadway run, Jones and the cast of "Oliver" were invited to perform on the Ed Sullivan Show on a night that would later make television history. Sullivan's other guests that evening were none other than The Beatles, making their U.S. debut. "I just watched what they were doing from behind the curtain and I thought ‘I want to do this. Look at all those girls! ", Jones told BWW in a recent interview. "And here I thought you couldn't get any bigger or better than the standing ovations we were getting in "Oliver"!"

As a result of his Broadway success, Jones was offered a contract with Columbia Pictures and set out for the West coast, where he eventually auditioned for a new TV show about a pop-rock group called The Monkees. The producers sensed instant chemistry among Jones and his future band mates Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith and he was quickly offered the role. The series ran for two seasons, with Jones singing lead vocals on many of the group's biggest hits, including "I Wanna Be Free" and "Daydream Believer".

Despite the huge commercial success of the TV show, Jones' passion for the theater brought him  back to the stage where he starred in major productions of "The Boyfriend", "Grease" and "Godspell", in which he played the role of Jesus. 

Jones came full circle in the late 80's and early ‘90's when he once again starred in "Oliver", this time playing the role of Fagin. Jones relished the chance to depart from his role as a teen idol. "To play a character and to get away from the "stars in the eyes, get the girl thing", that was the most attractive and most satisfying thing that I ever did as an actor.", he told BWW.  A reviewer for The London Times commented on the performance, ‘if you're here to see Davy Jones from The Monkees, forget it. This guy's done his homework."

The singer is survived by his wife, Jessica and four daughters from previous marriages.