Peter Tork facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Tork
Tork in 1966
Born	Peter Halsten Thorkelson (1942-02-13)February 13, 1942 Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died	February 21, 2019(2019-02-21) (aged 77) Mansfield, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation	Musician singer actor
Years active	1964–2019
Spouse(s)	Jody Babb ​ ​ (m. 1964; div. 1964)​ Reine Stewart ​ ​ (m. 1973; div. 1974)​ Barbara Iannoli ​ ​ (m. 1975; div. 1987)​ Pamela Grapes ​ (m. 2014)​
Children	3
Musical career
Genres	Rock pop blues folk
Instruments	Bass guitar keyboards vocals banjo guitar
Labels	Colgems RCA Victor Bell Arista Rhino Beachwood Recordings Sire 7A Records

Peter Halsten Thorkelson (born February 13, 1942 – died February 21, 2019), known as Peter Tork, was an American musician and actor. He was best known as the bass guitarist and keyboard player for the Monkees. He also starred in their NBC television show, The Monkees, from 1966 to 1968.

Peter Tork grew up in Connecticut. In the mid-1960s, he was part of the Greenwich Village folk scene in New York City. There, he became friends with musician Stephen Stills. After moving to Los Angeles with Stills, Peter tried out for a new TV show called The Monkees. The show ran from 1966 to 1968. It made Tork and his co-stars very popular with teens. Besides albums with the Monkees, Tork also released a solo album called Stranger Things Have Happened (1994). He also toured and recorded with James Lee Stanley and his own band, Shoe Suede Blues.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Peter Tork was born in Washington, D.C., in 1942. His father, Halsten John Thorkelson, was an economics professor. Peter started learning piano when he was nine years old. He was very good at music and learned to play many instruments. These included the banjo, acoustic bass, and guitar.

He went to high school in Connecticut. Later, he went to Carleton College. He then moved to New York City. There, he joined the folk music scene in Greenwich Village in the early 1960s. He met other musicians there, like Stephen Stills.

Joining The Monkees

Tork (right) with the Monkees in 1966

The Monkees was a pop band created for a TV show in the mid-1960s. Peter Tork was the oldest member of the band. Stephen Stills had tried out for the show but was not chosen. The producers thought his hair and teeth were not right for TV. When asked if he knew someone with a similar "open, Nordic look," Stills suggested Peter Tork.

Peter was a skilled musician before he joined the Monkees. At first, the band members were not allowed to play their own instruments on their first two albums. However, Peter played some guitar on Michael Nesmith's song "Papa Gene's Blues." Later, he played keyboard, bass guitar, banjo, and other instruments on the band's songs. He also helped write the theme song for the second season of The Monkees, called "For Pete's Sake." On the show, he often played a funny, "lovable dummy" character. This was a role he had used as a folk singer.

Peter Tork really wanted the four Monkees to work together as a real band. But their musical interests were different. In 1967, the band gained more control over their music. Peter added his musical touches, like the piano intro to "Daydream Believer" and the banjo on "You Told Me." He also wrote songs like "For Pete's Sake" and "Lady's Baby."

Jones and Tork, 1966

Six albums were made with the original Monkees. Four of these albums reached number one on the Billboard music chart. The band also had a successful TV show and toured a lot. But there were growing tensions within the group. Peter Tork felt tired from the busy schedule. He decided to leave the band in 1969. He paid $160,000 to end his contract early.

After The Monkees

After leaving the Monkees, Peter Tork continued making music. In 1967, he played banjo on George Harrison's soundtrack for the film Wonderwall. His banjo playing can be heard in the movie.

He formed a group called Peter Tork And/Or Release. They played at parties for their friends. One of their songs was considered for the movie Easy Rider. However, the band could not get a record deal. By 1970, Peter was a solo artist again. He later said he didn't know how to keep the band going. He ran out of money and couldn't support the group anymore.

Tork in 2009, holding 1959 yearbook photo.

Peter Tork moved to California in the early 1970s. He joined a choir and played guitar in a blues band. In the mid-1970s, he returned to Southern California. He got married and had a son. He also taught music, social studies, math, French, and history at several schools for three years.

In 1976, Peter Tork joined Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart on stage at Disneyland. Later that year, he recorded two Christmas songs with Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz.

In the early 1980s, Peter Tork recorded some demo songs for Sire Records. He also appeared on The Uncle Floyd Show, a TV show in New Jersey. He performed comedy and sang his songs. In 1981, he released a single called "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" with a band called the New Monks.

Monkees Reunions and Other Projects

Tork at the Chiller Theatre Expo in 2013

In 1986, Peter Tork reunited with Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz for a very successful 20th-anniversary tour. Michael Nesmith was not able to join them then. Tork and Dolenz recorded new songs for a greatest hits album. The three Monkees then recorded an album called Pool It! in 1987. Ten years later, all four original members recorded Justus. This was their first studio album together since 1968.

From 1986, Peter Tork toured on and off with his former bandmates. He also played with his own bands, the Peter Tork Project and Shoe Suede Blues. In 1994, he released his first full solo album, Stranger Things Have Happened. It included small appearances by Dolenz and Nesmith. In 1996, he worked with James Lee Stanley on an album called Two Man Band. They released a second album, Once Again, in 2001.

In 2002, Peter Tork continued working with his band Shoe Suede Blues. They played original blues music and blues versions of Monkees songs. They toured a lot after releasing their album Cambria Hotel in 2007.

Peter Tork also acted in TV shows. He played Topanga Lawrence's father, Jedidiah Lawrence, on the sitcom Boy Meets World. In one episode in 1995, he appeared with Jones and Dolenz. They played different characters but performed songs together. He also appeared as himself on the show Wings and as a band leader on The King of Queens.

Tork in 2016

In 2011, he joined Dolenz and Jones for An Evening with The Monkees: The 45th Anniversary Tour. In 2012, Tork, Dolenz, and Nesmith toured together to celebrate the 45th anniversary of their album Headquarters. They also honored the late Davy Jones. The trio toured again in 2013 and 2014. In 2016, Tork toured with Dolenz as the Monkees. This was his last tour before he passed away in 2019. Nesmith also joined some of these concerts.

Personal Life

In his later years, Peter Tork lived in Mansfield, Connecticut. He was married four times. His last marriage was to Pamela Grapes, from 2014 until his death. He had three children: a daughter named Hallie, a son named Ivan, and another daughter named Erica. As an adult, Peter Tork shared that he had Asperger syndrome.

Death

Peter Tork passed away at his home in Mansfield, Connecticut, on February 21, 2019. He was 77 years old. He died about ten years after being diagnosed with cancer.

Filmography

Film

Television

Song List

Songs written or co-written by Peter Tork include:

With The Monkees:

• "Band 6" (with Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith)
• "For Pete's Sake" (with Joey Richards)
• "Zilch" (with Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith)
• "No Time" (with Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith)
• "Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky"
• "Goin' Down" (with Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Diane Hildebrand)
• "Can You Dig It?"
• "Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again?”
• "Lady's Baby"
• "Tear the Top Right Off My Head"
• "Gettin' In"
• "Merry Go Round" (with Diane Hildebrand)
• "Run Away From Life"
• "I Believe You"
• "Mister Bob" (Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, Eric Van Den Brink)
• "Little Girl"

With James Lee Stanley:

• "Hi Babe"
• "Easy Rider"

With Shoe Suede Blues:

• "Ain't Your Fault"

Solo:

• "Get What You Pay For"
• "Sea Change (Take Me Down)”
• "Miracle"
• "Tender Is"
• "God Given Grant" (with Tork's brother, Nick Thorkelson)

Discography

Solo:

• Stranger Things Have Happened (1994)

With The Monkees:

• The Monkees (1966)
• More of the Monkees (1967)
• Headquarters (1967)
• Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. (1967)
• The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees (1968)
• Head (1968)
• Pool It! (1987)
• Justus (1996)
• Good Times! (2016)
• Christmas Party (2018)

With James Lee Stanley:

• Two Man Band (1996)
• Once Again (2001)
• Live/Backstage at the Coffee Gallery (2006)

With Shoe Suede Blues:

• Hands Down (2000 fan club only)
• Saved by the Blues (2003)
• Cambria Hotel (2007)
• Step By Step (2013)
• Relax Your Mind: Honoring the Music of Lead Belly (2018)

See also

In Spanish: Peter Tork para niños