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SCARSDALE, N.Y. – When The Monkees were at the height of their popularity, Scarsdale Public Schools Director of Public Information Vicki Presser had a unique perspective.
Presser's father, Stan Free, played clavinet on the album where the group took control of its music, 1967's "Headquarters," making him one of the few outside musicians the band used on the album. He also is credited with playing piano on several other of the group's songs.
Presser reminisced following news that Monkees singer and actor Davy Jones, 66, died Wednesday morning. Preliminary reports are Jones suffered a heart attack.
The diminutive 1960s pop icon from Great Britain was the voice of several hits of the era, including "Daydream Believer," "I Wanna Be Free" and "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You."
"I watched it every week," Presser, of White Plains, said of the TV show that aired from 1966-68.
Presser said Jones was "the cute one" and her favorite of the four group members. She never met him, though. Neither did her father.
As for her father, Presser said, "He was not a fan of rock music. He was a jazz musician. His comment about rock and roll was always, 'It's alright for what it is.'"
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