Bobby Hart dead: The Monkees songwriter behind iconic tune dies as tributes pour in

Bobby Hart, one half of the iconic songwriting duo Boyce and Hart who were behind some of The Monkees' biggest hits including their iconic theme song, has died.

The Monkees penned a statement on their Instagram to announce the news. It read: "Very sad news to report: Bobby Hart, the songwriting dynamo who was half of the duo responsible for so many Monkees songs, has died.

With partner Tommy Boyce, Bobby penned tracks like "I Wanna Be Free," "Last Train to Clarksville," the iconic 'Monkees' theme, and so many more, in addition to his solo songwriting career with hits like "Hurts So Bad" for Little Anthony & the Imperials. He will be remembered for his incredible talent and his innate spirituality."

The tribute included an old comment from Bobby about his time with The Monkees in which he said: "It’s interesting and gratifying to look back these many years later and see that the Monkees are still with us, and they’re still being played somewhere...the records themselves have been staples that have gone on to sell for years and years.

"They still sound pretty fresh, and that we had an opportunity to do a lot of music that was married to visuals, and so, that in itself kinda seems to ensure that they’ll have a life of their own that’ll probably far outlast mine." The touching tribute ended with: "You will be so missed, Bobby."

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Following the announcement, fans have flocked to social media to pen their own tributes as one person wrote on X: "RIP Bobby Hart of songwriting/performing duo Boyce & Hart. So many great songs - Monkees theme, Last Train to Clarksville etc."

Another social media user commented: "So sad to learn about Bobby Hart this morning," while somebody else said: "Rest in peace Bobby Hart. Reunited once again with Tommy Boyce. Thanks for the wonderful songs, you will always be remembered."

Yet another expressed: "What? Nooo. 2025 really sucks rocks. We're losing the great ones daily. Damn. RIP Bobby," while a fifth added: "Such sad news. He left us with some great songs to keep his spirit alive forever. May Bobby rest in peace."

Bobby rose to fame in the mid 1960s as part of his singer-songwriter duo with Tommy, with their breakthrough hit coming in 1965 with Come A Little Bit Closer for Jay & the Americans. The same year they wrote, produced and performed the soundtrack for the pilot of The Monkees, including singing lead vocals.

The show's music supervisor, Don Kirshner later relieved them from their roles as producers, by claiming they were using studio time booked for Monkees songs to record tracks for their own solo projects.

Despite some negative publicity and being unsure of where things stood with the band, the duo attended one of their concerts and were brought on stage by band member Davy Jones, proving there was no bad blood between them.

As well as their work for other artists, the pair also enjoyed their own success as recording artists. They released three studio albums and had five charting singles, including I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight which reached at number eight in early 1968.

In his early years, he served in the army after finishing high school, before travelling to Los Angeles to seek out a music career, where Tommy was also trying to separately pursue a career as a songwriter.

Bobby leaves behind his wife MaryAnn Hart, who he was married to for 45 years after tying the knot in 1980. He was also dad to sons Bret and Bobby Jr from his previous marriage to high-school sweetheart Becky.