Monkees singer Peter Tork Dead at 77

Monkees singer Peter Tork died Thursday at the age of 77, his sister Anne Thorkelson has confirmed

The oldest member of the group in 1966 when their NBC show The Monkees first aired, the 24-year-old helped spark Monkeesmania with an offshoot of merchandise, top-selling music and tour tickets from the TV hit.

Although it only ran for two seasons, the Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider-produced program won an Emmy for outstanding comedy.

As well as playing bass for the four-piece, Tork sang lead on some of the band’s tracks including Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again

He penned the tune for the four-piece’s 1968 movie, Head, which features cameos from the likes of Dennis Hopper, Frank Zappa and Jack Nicholson

The Daydream Believer hitmakers surged in popularity past the likes of the Beatles and Rolling Stones in 1967 with their album selling 35 million copies, a round double that of their rivals combined