Friday, December 5, 2025

RIP Bobby Hart, Half of the Team with Tommy Boyce That Wrote the Monkees Hits, “Days of our Lives” Theme, “Hurts So Bad,” and More

Share

Micky Dolenz of the Monkees posted his goodbye yesterday to songwriter Bobby Hart age 86.

Hart and his late partner Tommy Boyce (who died in 1994) wrote the original Monkees hits including “Hey Hey We’re the Monkees,” “Last Train to Clarksville,” “I’m Not Your Steppin’ Stone,” and “Valeri.”

Boyce and Hart’s theme for the soap “Days of our Lives,” which began in 1965, can still be heard on the Peacock soap. (Not over the end credits, though, when something awful is heard.)

The pair had their own big million selling hit in 1968 called “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonite.” They also wrote Little Anthony and the Imperials’ “Hurt So Bad” (also a hit for Linda Ronstadt), and “Pretty Little Angel Eyes,” for Curtis Lee.

Boyce and Hart, despite their massive hits, have never been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. They even appeared on “Bewitched” and “I Dream of Jeannie” back in the day. That’s how famous they were! So many times their names came up in nominating meetings, but Mariah Carey and Madonna came first.

Donate to Showbiz411.com

Showbiz411 is now in its 13th year of providing breaking and exclusive entertainment news. This is an independent site, unlike the many Hollywood trades that are owned by one company. To continue providing news that takes a fresh look at what's going on in movies, music, theater, etc, advertising is our basis. Reader donations would be greatly appreciated, too. They are just another facet of keeping fact based journalism alive.
Thank you


Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

Read more

In Other News