The Talented Mr. Loafy, Carrier of The Monkees Flag

Happy Heavenly Birthday to my sorely missed friend and great musician

There’s no doubt that David a.k.a. Loafy Alexander was a proud flag-bearer for all things Monkees. On that note, Dave was also a deep Beatles-fanatic. He ran a Boston-based Beatles tribute band called Glass Onion, and you can hear the Fab 4 influence on Dave’s original song “That’s All I Want To Do”

fabulously produced by John Billings (Dave’s bandmate in The Monkees touring band).

So it was with irony that a Beatles song was playing in the background the day I learned of Dave’s untimely passing in 2022. It hit me hard because Dave and I kept in touch, like keeping up with the tribe. We’d spoken earlier that year, and he was in great spirits, but cancer has its own curve.

My friendship and work history with Dave started in 1994. At the time I was working with Davy Jones (of The Monkees) and Davy needed a quick-study keyboard player for his band + for an upcoming Brady Bunch musical tour. Jerry Renino (then Davy’s music director) found Dave and introduced him as “the perfect person for the job,” arriving with bonus skills on guitar, ukulele, and very strong vocals, not to mention long hair like a male Rapunzel.

It helped that Dave had the temperament of a gentle giant, which was tested as he was often the brunt for Davy’s jokes—from the “short/tall man” vignettes (“I can see right up your nose”) to the Archie & Edith routine that killed audiences every time. Then there was Dave’s spot-on Meatloaf parody, which may or may not explain why Dave’s nickname was “Loafy.”

In time Dave became imbedded in touring with The Monkees and with solo Micky Dolenz, and Dave took the Monkees songbook to heart.

Speaking of heart, he and I had confessional conversations, and there are stories about him that range from hilarious to unbelievable (they’re still talking about the “Lefty & Loafy gig” in Green Bay WI). Yet even when he was living on the edge in private, he was always on point for the music. I could count on his uncanny memory for musical details, and there was no guile or competitiveness with him. He always made me feel comfortable, and musicians I know are grateful to Dave for connecting them to meaningful gig opps.

Dave and I also intersected on Monkees spin-off gigs—including Davy’s first symphony pops concert in 2005 (I have a recording of this which I hope to post someday). We also worked on recordings that became part of Davy’s acclaimed JUSTME album series. Of all the clips I could post, I chose “My Love,” a track made in 1999 that Dave is conspicuous on. When I made this video for ”My Love” I intended for Dave and Jerry to have significant face time.

Meanwhile, thank you Dave for always making me feel like a brother. See you on that great stage in the sky.

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