When I was 11 I became a massive fan of The Monkees. We had a so-called 'band' of kids on my street and we'd go along to people's houses and mime to Monkees records.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Wherever I go, people still shout out: 'Hey, hey, we're The Monkees.' And I never tire of that.
Many people have fond memories of 'The Monkees.' I fondly remember it, too.
When I was 20, in 1957, and maybe you would say I was old enough to know better, but nevertheless, I was completely nuts about Buddy Holly. And I loved pop bands that had absolutely no intellectual pretensions whatsoever. I loved the Monkees.
It was so much fun to do, play the blues and then play a Monkees' set on the same night.
I was addicted to 'The Monkees' TV programme - not so much because of the music but because of the commercials in between. The programme was sponsored by Yardley, and in the commercial breaks, there would be these English girls on roller skates, wearing hot pants, and I just thought, 'God! How neat!'
My guilty pleasure, to be frank with you, is 'The Monkees.'
The Monkees changed my life but ruined my acting career.
My mom was a huge Adam and the Ants fan. My granddad listened to a lot of Motown and Elvis and Johnny Cash. So I was kind of well-rounded.
Thelonious Monk was one of the musicians I most connected with early on. I'm a huge Betty Carter fan, and the way that Abbey Lincoln and Shirley Horn grew immensely from the time they were young is so inspirational.
My most favourite gigs that ever happened were solo, before The Monkees ever happened.