Davy Jones, 1945-2012

[the_archfiend]

Sad news, but made sadder by the fact that he and the other three guys were pretty much prisoners to their made-for-TV origins as well as their celebrity status:

The group, which was dubbed the "prefab four" by critics, rebelled against its management in an effort to take control of its musical career.

The move worked to an extent -- band members, who had generally been replaced by session men on Monkees recordings, were allowed to play their own instruments and contribute songs -- but coincided with a decline in the Monkees' popularity. NBC canceled the TV series "The Monkees" after just two seasons, and the band lasted for only one more year after that.