Peter Tork of the Monkees Dead at 77

Peter Tork, a bassist and singer with '60s teen sensations the Monkees, died Thursday. He was 77.

Tork's sister, Anne Thorkelson, confirmed his death to The Washington Post without providing a cause. He had been diagnosed with a rare cancer of the tongue in 2009.

A Facebook statement from Tork's family read:

"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/."

Peter Halsten Thorkelson was born February 13, 1943, in Washington, D.C. As a teenager, he studied music, later moving to NYC's Greenwich Village, becoming a part of its folk-music scene. He moved to Los Angeles, answering an ad seeking "4 Insane Boys, Ages 17-21" for what would turn out to be the Beatles knock-off group the Monkees. The boy band's four members — Tork, Michael Nesmith, Davy Jones and Micky Dolez — were initially kept away from meaningful creative contributions to their music, which was largely written by such hitmakers as Carole King, Neil Sedaka and Neil Diamond.

The Monkees may have been cooked up as a cash-in, but its members flexed their power as they took off, eventually wresting control of their output, led by multi-instrumentalist Tork.

The group scored four #1 studio albums, one after the other, and enjoyed hit singles with "Last Train to Clarksville" (1966, #1), "I'm a Believer" (1966, #1), "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You" (1967, #2), "Pleasant Valley Sunday" (1967, #3), "Daydream Believer" (1967, #1), "Valleri" (1968, #3) and others, including the #20 hit "That Was Then, This Is Now" (1986), released well after their initial success.

The group's broadly comic TV series "The Monkees" (1966-1968) was a short-lasting sensation, but also an Emmy winner. On it, Tork played dumb; in life, he was anything but.

Tork bolted the group after their psychedelic film "Head" (1968), written by Jack Nicholson, crashed and burned. He was a member of the band Release, did time in jail on a minor drug charge, worked as a teacher and a singing waiter, and was open about his long struggle with alcoholism.

Tork did rejoin the Monkees in the '80s, taking part in reunion tours ever since. On his own, he released the positively reviewed solo album "Stranger Things Have Happened" (1994).

Tork is survived by his fourth wife, Pamela Grapes; his daughter Hallie; his daughter Erica; his son Ivan; and his brother and sister.

His death, following the death of Monkees frontman Davy Jones in 2012, leaves original Monkees members Dolenz, 73, and Nesmith, 76.

Stars have been remembering Tork on social media: