What is Mickey Dolenz's Net Worth?
Micky Dolenz is an American actor, director, musician, and radio personality who has a net worth of $6 million. Mickey Dolenz is best known as the drummer and vocalist of The Monkees, the made-for-TV band that became a legitimate musical phenomenon in the 1960s. Though initially cast as an actor who would play a drummer on television, Dolenz learned to drum for real and became an accomplished musician. His distinctive voice powered many of The Monkees' biggest hits, including "I'm a Believer," "Pleasant Valley Sunday," and "Last Train to Clarksville."
Before The Monkees, Dolenz had a successful career as a child actor under the name Mickey Braddock, starring in the TV series "Circus Boy" in the 1950s. After The Monkees disbanded in the late 1960s, he worked in television production in the UK and directed several shows.
Throughout his career, Dolenz has continued performing both solo and in various Monkees reunion configurations. He's appeared in theatrical productions, including "Pippin" and "Aida," and has released several solo albums. His distinctive voice has also been featured in animated series and video games. Following the deaths of Davy Jones, Peter Tork, and Michael Nesmith, Dolenz became the last surviving member of The Monkees and continues to perform their music live.
Early Life
George Michael Dolenz Jr. was born on March 8th, 1945, in Los Angeles, California. Raised by two actors alongside three younger sisters, Micky suffered from Perthes disease as a child. This affected his hip joint and his right leg, resulting in one leg being weaker and shorter than the other. Because of this medical condition, Dolenz was forced to create a custom, heavily unorthodox drum setup later in his musical career.
Although he would later earn renown as a musician, Micky actually began his entertainment career as a child actor. He began starring in children's TV shows at a young age, initially starring in a show called "Circus Boy." As Dolenz grew older and attended high school in Los Angeles, he continued to book various roles on TV shows. One of his most notable roles during this time was in the show "Mr. Novak."
(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
The Monkees
By the time Micky Dolenz had graduated from high school, he was already quite an advanced musician who had written many of his own songs. He initially formed his own band, with him as the main vocalist. However, it wasn't until he attended college that he auditioned for the Monkees. During the audition, he sang Chuck Berry's hit song "Johnny B. Goode." He was given a role with the band in 1965.
The band was unique in that it was marketed as a sitcom by NBC. When Micky Dolzen won a part in the band, he also won a role in the sitcom. At this point, Micky Dolenz had no idea how to play the drums, and he was taught how to "mime" playing the drums during the show's early days. However, as the series went on, he learned how to play the drums properly. After one year, he was confident enough to play the drums live while on tour with the Monkees. These early years were a little crazy, as the members of the Monkees would often play practical jokes on each other during recording sessions. In fact, it got so bad that the record label decided to bring each member in individually to record.
Various critics have since pointed to Dolenz's voice as the primary defining factor of the Monkees. The other members would often voluntarily turn over their lead vocal duties to Micky. Dolenz also wrote many of the band's songs, including "Randy Scouse Git." He also performed lead vocals for many of the band's most well-known hits, including "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "I'm a Believer." As the sitcom drew to a close, Micky also became increasingly involved behind the camera, eventually directing and co-writing the show's final episode.
Dolenz was also ahead of the game in terms of new music technology, as he purchased the third modular Moog synthesizer ever sold commercially. He later used a synthesizer on the song "Daily Nightly," which was one of the first recorded instances of a synthesizer being used in a rock song.
(Photo by Charles Norfleet/FilmMagic)
After The Monkees
Although Micky continued his musical career with many solo activities after the Monkees came to an end, he also focused heavily on film and TV work. Some of his most notable work was in voice acting, as he performed voices for characters in a wide range of Saturday morning cartoons. In the 70s, he also appeared in shows like "Adam-12" and "Cannon." He continued his voice acting career well into the modern era, performing in shows like "Mighty Magiswords."
During his post-Monkees days, Micky auditioned for characters like the Fonz in "Happy Days" and the Riddler in "Batman Forever." In the modern era, he is perhaps best known for appearing in two episodes of "Boy Meets World" and the 2007 Rob Zombie reboot of "Halloween."
Dolenz is also well known for his work as a radio host. In 2005, he replaced Dan Taylor as the host of an "oldies" radio station in New York. However, this job only lasted for one year before all on-air disc jockeys were replaced on the station. That in turn only lasted for a couple of years before the show went back to its old format, and Dolenz later returned to perform his 101st radio show.
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Real Estate
In 1992, Mickey bought a home in Sherman Oaks, California. He listed this home in 2001 for $625,000. In November 2021 he paid$750,000 for a home in Bell Canyon, California. This home, which is located within a gated community, remains his primary residence. Today it is worth around $2 million. Originally constructed in 1985, this residence was built with a Spanish Mediterranean aesthetic. It also lies on more than an acre of land, and there is a pool and spa outside.
