Rest in Peace, Peter Tork of the Monkees: 1942-2019

Rock Cellar Magazine Staffon February 21, 2019Categories:Latest News
Rock Cellar Magazine

Sad news to share this Thursday, as Peter Tork of the Monkees has passed away at the age of 77.

A message was shared on his Facebook page:

It is with beyond-heavy and broken hearts that we share the devastating news that our friend, mentor, teacher, and amazing soul, Peter Tork, has passed from this world. As we have mentioned in the past, the PTFB team is made up of Peter’s friends, family and colleagues – we ask for your kindness and understanding in allowing us to grieve this huge loss privately. This page will remain open for your use in sharing your thoughts with your fellow fans and hopefully helping you through your own grieving journey, however the team will not be available for some time as we start to mend our own hearts and calm our minds.

We want to thank each and every one of you for your love, dedication and support of our “boss.” Having you in our world has meant so very much to all of us. Please know that Peter was extremely appreciative of you, his Torkees, and one of his deepest joys was to be out in front of you, playing his music, and seeing you enjoy what he had to share. We send blessings and thoughts of comfort to you all, with much gratitude ~ptfb team

Tork’s family later shared a longer message on Facebook:

We are all saddened to share the news that Peter Thorkelson — friend, father, husband, grandfather, philosopher, goofball, entertainer — died peacefully this morning at a family home in Connecticut. Peter succumbed to a 10 year bout with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare cancer of the salivary glands. Peter’s energy, intelligence, silliness, and curiosity were traits that for decades brought laughter and enjoyment to millions, including those of us closest to him. Those traits also equipped him well to take on cancer, a condition he met with unwavering humor and courage.
We are all still raw, and still have much to process, but we are also feeling appreciation for Peter’s contributions. We are grateful that we have an extended support network thanks to the attentive energy and dedication of Peter’s fans worldwide. We want those fans to know with absolute certainty that your spirit and goodwill fed Peter with continued energy and force (and of course humor).
With that, we ask that our family have time and space to grieve in privacy.
We are asking fans who would like to make contributions in Peter’s name to donate to the scholarship fund at The Institute for The Musical Arts in Massachusetts, a nonprofit that provides young women with music education, music recording, and music community. More info can be found here: https://www.ima.org/help-out/in-the-name-of-our-mothers/
For media inquiries, please email: publicity@petertork.com

In 2016, Peter Tork spoke with Rock Cellar at length about the Monkees, the group’s legacy and much more — click here to read that as our tribute to him, and may he rest in peace.

monkeespeter torkrest in peace
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