Micky Dolenz: who is last member of The Monkees, why is he suing the FBI, and what files do they have?

American actor and musician Micky Dolenz is planning to sue the FBI.

Dolenz is the last surviving member of the American pop band The Monkees who rose to fame in the 1960s.

But why is Dolenz suing the FBI and what files do they have on Dolenz and the other band members?

Who were The Monkees?

The Monkees were a pop band formed in Los Angeles in 1966. Its members consisted of the American actors and musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor and singer Davy Jones.

The group was formed by television producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider as part of the comedy sitcom of the same name.

The series followed the story of a band of four young men (The Monkees) trying to make a name for themselves as a rock n roll band and emulate the success of The Beatles.

The music production generated a great deal of conflict between members of the band and music supervisor Don Kirshner. During the series Kirshner limited the groups involvement during the song writing process and a great deal of the songs were written by professional songwriters and musicians.

The group faced a great deal of criticism for this and the band members regained control of the band after a brief power struggle.

Spurred by the success of the show, the Monkees are remembered as one of the most successful bands of the 1960s. The group sold over 75 million records worldwide and were best known for popular hits such as I’m a Believer, A Little Bit of Me and Daydream Believer.

Why is Micky Dolenz suing the FBI?

At the height of their popularity it is believed that the FBI kept tabs on Micky Dolenz and other members of The Monkees.

Dolenz is suing the FBI to find out more. Dolenz’s lawyer Mark Zaid said: “We know that the mid to late 1960s saw the FBI surveil Hollywood anti-war advocates and The Monkees were in the thick of things. This lawsuit seeks to expose why the FBI was monitoring The Monkees and its individual members.”

What files do the FBI have on the Monkees?

Dolenz has only received acknowledgements of his freedom of information request so far and the FBI has declined to comment.

The government has 20 days to respond to any freedom of information requests particularly when they are based on unusual circumstances.

The FBI has a long history of monitoring recording artists over the years it is found that they have kept tabs on the likes of John Lennon, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.