Letter: Monkees marked an era

While I grieve the loss of Davy Jones, I do not grieve the loss of the Monkees, who represented so very much about what is bad about the music industry ["Farewell, Daydream Believer," News, March 1].

The band was created, as if in a test tube, by industry people who considered talent to be the least necessary element of success. The look, the dress, the nationality (had to have a British singer!) were determined by the industry. They didn't write most of their songs. They mostly played no instruments on their recordings, and instead outside musicians were hired. Political or social commentary were not allowed.

Their songs were indeed catchy but, gratefully, the Monkees only lasted two seasons on their television show. The creation of test-tube groups like the Monkees stifles creativity, which is the opposite of what rock and roll and other popular music need to evolve. Rest in peace, Davy Jones. Good riddance to the Monkees.

Rev. Dwight Lee Wolter, Patchogue