Ran Away from Home
I ran away from home two times, because I just got the urge to leave. The first time I ran away, I took the family car, came to California for ten days, made a little money (I don’t remember how) and then I drove back. My mother was pretty shook. The second time I never went back.
I never dated much. I couldn’t get a date. I’d call up and say “Oh would you like to go out?” And they’d say “No, I don’t like you.” They used to really say this! It really used to shoot me down. Bad.
Lots of Girls
I would mess around with a lot of different girls, but none of them would ever go out with me. I just be their “buddy” and it was a drag! I really got tired of being a “pal”. they would tell me how much trouble they were having with Sid McLean or how upset they were that Bobby Lane wasn’t asking them out
I don’t really know how I met my wife. She sort of met me. It was at college. I didn’t graduate from high school, but I took some kind of test and they let me in. I went to college is sort of a means to an end. I just wanted to put myself somewhere so I could grow up a little more, which I realized I needed to do.
Met My Wife
My wife was going steady with another guy when I met her, so I didn’t date her until I asked her to marry me. You feel certain things about certain people and this was the way I felt immediately about my wife. I asked her to marry me and she said “No.” Then I waited a while and asked her again and she said “Yes.” We had a very nice wedding.
I got a guitar for Christmas when I was 19, but I couldn’t play any songs. I taught myself and I didn’t know any songs, so I wrote one. I thought, “Oh, this is easy,” and I started writing folk songs.
Did Folk Singing
After college I came to Hollywood and did some folk singing. Then I was in a rock ‘n’ roll group
composed of three people, but it had a short life because one guy got drafted. I was in the Air Force, but that wasn’t too successful either. I have loads of stories I can tell you about those times, but they only come to mind every once in a while. After I got out of the service I began singing again as a solo act at places like Ledbetter’s and the Troubadour. Then I saw the ad in Variety for the Monkees.
I had no idea why I was chosen to be a Monkee. I merely saw the ad in the paper and went down for the interview. I don’t know why they chose me, but I’m glad they did, because I am really enjoying everything that’s happening to me.
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