Editing Micky Dolenz (section)

==Life and entertainment career==
Dolenz was born on March 8, 1945, at the [[Cedars-Sinai Medical Center|Cedars of Lebanon]] Hospital in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], the son of actors [[George Dolenz]] and [[Janelle Johnson]]. He has three sisters, Gemma Marie ("Coco"), Deborah, and Kathleen ("Gina").<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rocca |first1=Jane |title=Micky Dolenz on his career, marriages and raising daughters |url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/micky-dolenz-on-his-career-marriages-and-raising-daughters-20181128-p50iur.html |access-date=17 June 2024 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=1 December 2018 |language=en}}</ref> Gemma's nickname, Coco, is a shortened form of "Coco Sunshine", a nickname given to her as a child by Micky. Coco was a frequent guest on the set of ''The Monkees'' TV show and sometimes a guest performer on records by the Monkees, singing background vocals or duetting with Micky. She often performs as a member of Micky's backing band during his concerts.

Dolenz suffered from [[Legg–Calvé–Perthes disease|Perthes disease]] as a child, affecting his hip joint and right leg, leaving that leg weaker (and shorter) than the other. This resulted in Dolenz adapting an unorthodox drum setup – right-handed and left-footed – in his musical career.<ref name="Girouard">{{cite web |last1=Girouard |first1=Bob |title=Micky Dolenz {{!}} Modern Drummer Magazine |url=https://www.moderndrummer.com/2011/12/micky-dolenz/ |website=Modern Drummer Magazine |date=December 15, 2011  |access-date=10 September 2020}}</ref>

=== ''Circus Boy'' ===
[[File:Micky Dolenz Braddock Circus Boy 1958.JPG|thumb|left|upright=0.8|Dolenz as Corky]]
Dolenz began his show-business career in 1956 when he starred in a children's TV show called ''[[Circus Boy]]'' under the name '''Mickey Braddock'''.<ref> Matt Messina, "Western on NBC Agenda," ''New York Daily News'', June 7, 1966, p. 69. </ref> He played Corky, an orphaned water boy for the elephants in a one-ring [[circus]] at the start of the 20th century. The program ran for two seasons, after which Dolenz made sporadic appearances on network television shows and pursued his education. Dolenz went to [[Grant High School (Los Angeles)|Ulysses S. Grant High School]] in [[Valley Glen]] and graduated in 1962. In 1964, he was cast as Ed in the episode "Born of Kings and Angels" of the [[NBC]] education drama series ''[[Mr. Novak]]'', starring [[James Franciscus]] as an idealistic Los Angeles teacher. Dolenz was attending college in Los Angeles when he was hired for the "drummer" role in NBC's ''[[The Monkees (TV series)|The Monkees]]''.