Born Peter Halsten Thorkelson, he performed as a folk musician in Greenwich Village and Los Angeles before being tapped for The Monkees television series (at the suggestion of Stephen Stills, who was turned down). According to bandmate Mickey Dolenz, Tork was the true bohemian of the group, forever hanging out in beatnik coffee houses and other alternative scenes as well as being heavy into Eastern spirituality.

Everything I've read from people who know him say that the dimwit character he played on the Monkees TV show was completely unlike his real self; that he's well-educated and intelligent. He also wrote the song "For Pete's Sake" which was used as the music for the closing credits of the show's second season.