Micky Dolenz health: ‘I’d have taken better care of myself’ Star on his health woes age 77

Peter Tork performs ‘I’m a Believer’ with The Monkees

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Dolenz is the last of The Monkees standing following the deaths of Davy Jones in 2012, Peter Tork in 2019, and Mike Nesmith last December. Yet the star has never seemed to get over losing his “brothers”. From the shock death of Davy, who was the youngest of the members, to the sad news that Peter was battling “serious health issues”, Dolenz completed The Monkees Farewell Tour just weeks before Nesmith’s passing after undergoing quadruple heart surgery.

Speaking about his health a few years ago, Dolenz shared: “I’m in good health, and I keep working — I certainly have no intention of retiring.

“Age only matters if you’re cheese or wine!”

With no “serious pre-existing medical issues” to worry about, Dolenz still keeps track of both his eating and drinking habits, as well as doing regular exercise just to maintain his health.

In a more recent 2022 interview he shared: “Even before losing Davy, Peter and Nes, I started thinking about my mortality and taking better care of myself – much more attention to my health, exercise and eating and drinking habits. I exercise and do yoga every day.

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“If I’d known I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself.

“Also now I really savour every day. Carpe diem. Living in the moment, trying to make the most of every one. I have cut back on my work. I’m much more selective about the offers I get.”

The star has also claimed that when looking retrospectively on his rock ‘n’ roll life, he wonders how he survived, especially as back in the 1960s and 70s the industry was fuelled by drugs and alcohol.

He added: “I was hanging out with Keith Moon and John Lennon, and while I never got into heavy drugs, I did experiment a lot.

“When I look back on my life, I wonder how I survived – my mother said I had a guardian angel. I don’t remember much of it, to be honest, although people tell me I had a good time. Now I drink, but usually just a few glasses of wine.”

Remaining adamant that he has never suffered from any major ailments or illnesses, the only concern Dolenz seems to have worried about is hypertension, to which can be attributed to his age.

When asked if he had ever Googled an illness, the drummer responded: “I had hypertension. I didn’t want to take medicine, so I looked it up on the internet and found some cardiovascular exercises which were helpful.”

However, with a father that passed away from a heart attack in his early 60s, the star also took more action to prevent the same fate.

“I also cut down on salt. My blood pressure is fine now,” he continued to say.

“My father died of a heart attack in his early 60s. But this was down to him being unfit and also smoking. He ran Marquis, the famous Italian restaurant on Sunset Strip in the 50s and 60s. In those days, a lot of lard was used in cooking and he ate everything on the menu.”

The NHS explains that hypertension refers to high blood pressure. If blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on blood vessels, heart and other organs, such as the brain, kidneys and eyes.

If this persists for a long period of time, it can put an individual at risk of a number of “serious and potentially life-threatening” health conditions including heart attacks and the following:

• Heart disease
• Strokes
• Heart failure
• Peripheral arterial disease
• Aortic aneurysms
• Kidney disease
• Vascular dementia.

The only way individuals know if they have high blood pressure is to have a test, which adults over the age of 40 are advised to have every five years. The NHS states that having this test could “save your life”.

Other ways in which individuals can ensure that they keep their blood pressure at the recommended level is to follow specific healthy lifestyle habits. These include:

• Reducing the amount of salt you eat and have a generally healthy diet
• Cutting back on alcohol
• Losing weight if you’re overweight
• Exercising regularly
• Cutting down on caffeine
• Stopping smoking.

Some individuals with extremely high levels of blood pressure may need to take medication to keep it under control. These typically come in tablet form and need to be taken once a day.

In addition to exercise, diet and measuring his blood pressure, Dolenz also shared that he takes multivitamins and other pills in order to “ease things along” as he gets older. He finished by saying: “Every day I take multivitamins and another supplement with vitamin D. I also take a fibre pill – called Nature’s Secret – to help with digestion. As a performer, I’m on the road a fair bit eating in less than salubrious restaurants, so I need to take something to ease things along.”

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