Davy Jones, the actor and singer from the ’60s ironic rock band The Monkees, died today. He was 66.
Strange as it sounds the then-teen icon had a big impact on science fiction: Star Trek actor Walter Koenig has said on many occasions, such as a TV Guide interview and the book The Making of Star Trek, that his character, Russian navigator and backup science officer Pavel Chekov, was added to the series in its third and final season to capitalize on Monkees fever (itself inspired by Beatlemania). This origin story disputes other accounts that say the mop-topped character was created in response to Russian complaints that they should be represented because they were the first nation to put a man into space.
Hat tip to Airlock Alpha for the reminder
