Bobby Hart, Who Helped Give the Monkees Their Music, Dies at 86 NYT | Top Stories By: Alex Traub 15 September 2025 at 11:18 The hit songwriting duo he and Tommy Boyce formed a in the 1960s was best known for the unexpectedly popular tunes of a made-for-TV band. © Johnny Franklin/andmorebears, via Getty ImagesBobby Hart, left, and Tommy Boyce in Phoenix in 1968. They were best friends who helped provide the songs for the television phenomenon that was “The Monkees.”