Peter Tork: Monkees musician dies at 77

Peter Tork, a member of the pop group made for The Monkees television, died at the age of 77.

"There are no words at the moment … heart broken by the loss of my brother Monkee, Peter Tork," commented teammate Micky Dolenz.

Tork, who played keyboard and bbad for the group, was diagnosed with a rare form of tongue cancer in 2009.

The Monkees were huge in the 1960s, with successes such as I'm Believer and Daydream Believer.

An article on Tork's official Facebook page said that "devastating news" was shared "with heavier and broken hearts".

He said, "Our friend, mentor, teacher and incredible soul, Peter Tork, has left this world."

His contemporary, Brian Wilson, tweeted:

The group – Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork – were reunited for an American television series in 1966.

They were famous for their sharp image and were marketed as the American response to the Beatles, recording nine successes in the Top 40.

Tork played bbad and keyboard and also sang on some of the band's tracks.

The Monkees ran for only two series, but that was enough to win an Emmy Award for an outstanding comedy.

The publication on Facebook told Tork fans: "We want to thank each and every one of you for your love, your dedication and your support of our" boss ".

"Having your place in our world has been so important to all of us – know that Peter has extremely thanked you, his Torkees, and that one of his greatest joys was to be in front of you, to play his music and see you appreciate what he had to share.

"We send blessings and thoughts of comfort to all of you, with great gratitude, from the PTFB team."

follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a history suggestion email [email protected].