Biographie
Tommy Boyce's solo and collaborative songwriting efforts have reportedly generated record sales exceeding 85 million. Alongside his partner Bobby Hart, Tommy wrote the theme for Days of Our Lives (1965) and hits for artists such as Andy Williams, Dean Martin, The Animals, and Del Shannon, as well as music for television and films. They also played a role in lowering the U.S. voting age to 18. And, of course, there's The Monkees.
Tommy Boyce's career began in the late 1950s. Before the era of color TV, he had already made a name for himself as one of the brightest young writers from the famed Brill Building era. His breakthrough came with "Be My Guest" for Fats Domino, a song he wrote solo but credited to the artist and the person who helped connect him to Domino. According to Caroline Boyce, Tommy never regretted sharing the songwriting income because it opened doors for him.
In 1962, Tommy moved to New York to write for Ray Peterson and Curtis Lee. His collaboration with Lee produced his second top ten hit, "Pretty Little Angel Eyes," followed by "Under The Moon Of Love" (both featured on the CD The Best Of Curtis Lee). In spring 1965, Bobby Hart joined Tommy in California. One of their first joint projects was composing the theme for Days of Our Lives, which has aired for over 30 years. By 1966, Boyce and Hart crafted the musical identity for four actors portraying musicians in a weekly TV sitcom. The Monkees became a global sensation, rivaled perhaps only by Star Trek (1966). Boyce and Hart wrote 30 songs for the band, some of which they later recorded themselves. Seeing The Monkees' success, Tommy and Bobby decided to form their own act. Benefiting from their teen magazine popularity tied to The Monkees, they signed with A&M Records and achieved several chart hits including "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight?", "Alice Long," "I'm Gonna Blow You A Kiss In The Wind," and "Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows." They also appeared on TV shows like Bewitched (1964), I Dream of Jeannie (1965), and The Flying Nun (1967).
In 1968, the duo supported Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign and led the "Let Us Vote" (L.U.V.) campaign, which contributed to lowering the U.S. voting age from 21 to 18.
During the 1970s, Tommy authored How To Write A Hit Song And Sell It (published by Wilshire Books), inspiring generations of songwriters. His partnership with Melvin Powers produced two country chart hits: "Who Wants A Slightly Used Woman" and "Mr. Songwriter." Tommy later reunited with Bobby in the Monkees revival group "Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart," which originated from a special trip entertaining Vietnamese internment camps in the early 1970s alongside figures like Susan Sarandon and Beau Bridges. According to longtime friend and musician Keith Allison, this trip sparked the idea for the group. They recorded two albums for Capitol Records in 1976 and embarked on a successful world tour commemorating The Monkees' tenth anniversary.
In the late 1970s, Tommy moved to England, continuing his work as a writer and producer. He made a significant impact on the UK music scene, working with artists including Iggy Pop, Meat Loaf, The Pleasers, The Darts, and Showaddywaddy, with several of his songs charting again. In the 1980s, he returned to the U.S. and settled in Nashville, Tennessee, where he continued songwriting and performed surprise guest appearances in local clubs. Bobby and Tommy remained close friends until Tommy's untimely death in 1994. Together, they recorded three albums: Test Patterns, I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight, and It's All Happening On The Inside—all available on CD. Tommy released two solo albums: Christopher Cloud - Blown Away, featuring members of AIM, and the Australian four-track EP Tommy Boyce and His Rockin' Sixties Band (as of 2019, these are not available on CD). Bobby remains active in the industry, composing for various projects.
More than forty years later, the influence of Boyce and Hart endures. Tune into any oldies station, and you'll likely hear a Boyce and Hart song at least once during the day.
