Peter Tork
TX, US
Former member of The Monkees who shares his story of recovering from alcoholism
While Peter Tork is best known as a member of the television, recording, and touring group The Monkees, his interests and experience reflect a broad and varied range, including time spent as a musician, actor, school teacher, music instructor, and philosophical explorer, as well as a public speaker. Tork has been playing music and acting continuously since childhood, starting with piano lessons, followed by an intense interest in the guitar and five-string banjo, and including playing French horn for both his high school band and college orchestra. He acted from his teen years in local theater, through college, where he was the Player King in "Hamlet," and on to his years with the Monkees television show, where he directed as well. Born into an academic household, Tork's mother had an MA in English and his father had a Ph.D. in economics. Tork attended Carleton College, named by "Newsweek" as one of the top schools in the country. While he left without a diploma, Tork maintains that he has "an education by osmosis." Continually since his youth, Tork has been interested in and has explored the questions that have long intrigued philosophers and mystical seekers. Although he has had little formal training in any single school of thought, he has managed to assemble a coherent philosophy from many successes which he has found useful on the many paths he has crossed. His understanding is majorly influenced by his experience as a recovering alcoholic, with certain structures of his recovery being integral to his overall world view. His explorations have also included Zen studies and esoteric Western religious thought. After leaving The Monkees, he became a teacher for three years at two private schools in the Los Angeles area, teaching English, Social Studies, and serving as a baseball coach. He's now back in the performance field as leader of the blues band, Shoe Suede Blues. With an informed, wide-ranging, humorous approach to his explorations and discussions, Tork brings recovery, wit and a world of ideas to bear in his talks with audiences across the country.
While Peter Tork is best known as a member of the television, recording, and touring group The Monkees, his interests and experience reflect a broad and varied range, including time spent as a musician, actor, school teacher, music instructor, and philosophical explorer, as well as a public speaker. Tork has been playing music and acting continuously since childhood, starting with piano lessons, followed by an intense interest in the guitar and five-string banjo, and including playing French horn for both his high school band and college orchestra. He acted from his teen years in local theater, through college, where he was the Player King in "Hamlet," and on to his years with the Monkees television show, where he directed as well. Born into an academic household, Tork's mother had an MA in English and his father had a Ph.D. in economics. Tork attended Carleton College, named by "Newsweek" as one of the top schools in the country. While he left without a diploma, Tork maintains that he has "an education by osmosis." Continually since his youth, Tork has been interested in and has explored the questions that have long intrigued philosophers and mystical seekers. Although he has had little formal training in any single school of thought, he has managed to assemble a coherent philosophy from many successes which he has found useful on the many paths he has crossed. His understanding is majorly influenced by his experience as a recovering alcoholic, with certain structures of his recovery being integral to his overall world view. His explorations have also included Zen studies and esoteric Western religious thought. After leaving The Monkees, he became a teacher for three years at two private schools in the Los Angeles area, teaching English, Social Studies, and serving as a baseball coach. He's now back in the performance field as leader of the blues band, Shoe Suede Blues. With an informed, wide-ranging, humorous approach to his explorations and discussions, Tork brings recovery, wit and a world of ideas to bear in his talks with audiences across the country.
2010