Bobby Hart, the prolific songwriter who co-wrote some of The Monkees’ biggest hits, including “Last Train to Clarksville” and the group’s iconic theme song, died Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at his Los Angeles home. He was 86.
Hart’s wife, MaryAnn, confirmed that her husband’s death came after a long illness. His friend Glenn Ballantyne told reporters that Hart had been in declining health since breaking his hip in 2024.
As one half of the legendary songwriting duo Boyce and Hart, Hart worked alongside partner Tommy Boyce to create the musical foundation for The Monkees’ unprecedented success. The pair wrote the group’s 1966 number-one hit “Last Train to Clarksville,” as well as other chart-toppers, including “Valleri,” which reached number three on the Hot 100, “I Wanna Be Free,” “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone,” and “Words.”
Beyond their work with The Monkees, Boyce and Hart penned the theme song for the long-running soap opera “Days of Our Lives” and wrote “Hurt So Bad,” which became a number-10 pop hit for Little Anthony and the Imperials before being covered by numerous artists, including Linda Ronstadt, whose version reached number eight in 1980.
Micky Dolenz, the last surviving member of The Monkees, issued a statement describing Hart as “the stillness that is the eye of the hurricane.” Dolenz indicated that Hart, who, along with Boyce, penned and produced some of The Monkees’ greatest hits, made a vital contribution not only to the popular success of the group but to the essence and spirit of the entire venture.
Hart was born Robert Luke Harshman on February 18, 1939, in Phoenix, Arizona. He changed his name at the behest of a manager when he started his career as a solo artist with the 1960 single “Girl in the Window.” After meeting Tommy Boyce in 1959, the pair began recording together and scored their first chart single in 1962 with “Along Came Linda.”
The duo’s breakthrough as songwriters came with “Come a Little Bit Closer” for Jay and the Americans, which reached number three on the Billboard chart in 1964. They were subsequently signed to Screen Gems/Columbia Music and relocated to the West Coast in 1965, where they became involved in various television and film projects.
Boyce and Hart also found success as recording artists themselves, releasing three albums between 1967 and 1969. Their gold-selling single “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight” reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967. During their brief heyday as performers, they appeared on television shows including “Bewitched,” “The Flying Nun,” and “I Dream of Jeannie.”
In 1976, Hart and Boyce reunited with former Monkees members Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones to form Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart. The supergroup recorded one studio album but failed to achieve significant chart success, though they had a greater impact as a touring act.
Hart contributed to the musical arrangements of songs he co-wrote, including playing the Vox Continental organ on The Monkees’ version of “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone.” That song was originally recorded by the Liverpool Five and then Paul Revere & the Raiders before The Monkees took it to number 20 on the Hot 100.
Beyond pop music, Hart received an Oscar nomination in 1983 for “Over You,” a song from the film “Tender Mercies” starring Robert Duvall. He co-wrote the track with Austin Roberts. Hart and Boyce also engaged in political activism, writing “L.U.V.” (Let Us Vote) as part of a campaign in the 1960s to lower the voting age to 18.
Hart wrote an autobiography titled “Psychedelic Bubble Gum: Boyce & Hart, The Monkees, and Turning Mayhem into Miracles.” His songwriting partner Tommy Boyce died by suicide in 1994 at age 55.
Hart is survived by his wife MaryAnn, sons Bobby Jr. and Bret from his first marriage to Becky Brill, two sisters, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The Monkees’ official account confirmed the news, stating that Hart would be remembered for his incredible talent and innate spirituality.
