Before the Jonas Brothers, before Miley Cyrus, there was the Monkees, the original '60s prefab rock outfit, whose puckish Cockney lead singer Davy Jones will be in concert at 9 tonight at the Gold Strike Casino's Millennium Theater.

Though it's no more flattering, perhaps a better comparison for Jones and the Monkees may be to Disney's group the Cheetah Girls that originally featured the already-established Raven-Symoné. Similarly, Jones was already a big star when the Monkees were formed in 1965. He had begun his performing career at age 11 in the British soap opera "Coronation Street," and in 1960 the 15-year-old stole the show as the Artful Dodger in the original production of "Oliver!" (One of the actors to follow him in the role was Phil Collins.)

The role earned Jones a Tony Award nomination when the musical moved to Broadway three years later. Portending the next phase of his career, in 1964 Jones performed with the Broadway cast on "The Ed Sullivan Show," the same night as the Beatles.

A year later Jones was tapped to be a member of the Monkees, a band put together by the television production Screen Gems (under the musical supervision of Don Kirshner) to capitalize on the success of the Beatles. Jones was the only British member of the group, which also included Mickey Dolenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith. Together from 1965 to 1970, the Monkees sold more records during that time than either the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. Jones sang several of the group's hit singles, including their signature song "Daydream Believer."

In the late '60s, Jones' fame was such that an aspiring English songwriter of the same name felt compelled to change his name to David Bowie, thus sparking an inclination toward self-invention that has largely defined his career.

Following the break-up of the Monkees, Jones became a popular solo performer and actor, trading on his matinee idol status in a memorable episode of "The Brady Bunch." He has reunited with his former bandmates several times over the years, most recently touring with Dolenz in 2002, but according to an interview Jones gave this spring to The Baltimore Sun, no more Monkees tours are likely in the foreseeable future.

Jones has also periodically returned to the stage, appearing in a West End production of "Godspell" and even returning to "Oliver!" in the role of Fagin.

Tickets are $25 at the Gold Strike box office or by phone at (866) 245-4536. For more information, visit goldstrikemississippi.com or davyjones.net.

Adkins at Horseshoe

Last week, country star Trace Adkins, who performs at 9 tonight at Horseshoe Casino, taped an episode of the Country Music Television show "Crossroads," with Southern arena-rock mainstays .38 Special.

"He's claimed that we've kind of influenced his career through the years," Special guitarist Don Barnes told The Commercial Appeal about the unlikely pairing, airing on Sept. 24. "We're going to sing on his songs, and he's going to sing on ours. We like all his songs. He's got that country thing mixed with the big, amped-up funk sound. But it all comes from the same Southern rock attitude."

Barnes makes a fair assessment of the career of Adkins, who started in the mid-'90s as an Alan Jackson clone ("[This Ain't] No Thinkin' Thing"), but has of late found success by incorporating pop and urban elements into his music ("Honky Tonk Badonkadonk").

Adkins' latest single, the powerhouse ballad "Muddy Water," was released earlier this month. Its accompanying untitled album is scheduled to go on sale Nov. 25.

The concert is sold out. For more information, visit horseshoetunica.com or traceadkins.com.