Who was Bobby Hart’s wife? All about the Beloved Monkees co-writer’s family as he dies at 86

Bobby Hart, the famous songwriter for the popular 1960s band, The Monkees, died earlier this week on September 11. Hart was one half of the famous songwriting duo with Tommy Boyce that wrote many of the band's most iconic songs.

Bobby Hart was married to classical music singer Mary Ann Hart, who herself had an impactful career during the 1970s and 80s. At the moment, no cause of death has been released, and the official Instagram page of the band announced the news of his death, saying:

"Very sad news to report: Bobby Hart, the songwriting dynamo who was half of the duo responsible for so many Monkees songs, has died. With partner Tommy Boyce, Bobby penned tracks like ‘I Wanna Be Free,’ ‘Last Train to Clarksville, the iconic ‘Monkees’ theme, and so many more, in addition to his solo songwriting career with hits like ‘Hurt So Bad’ for Little Anthony & the Imperials. He will be remembered for his incredible talent and his innate spirituality.”

More about Bobby Hart and his family

Bobby Hart, whose birth name was Robert Luke Harshman, rose to fame in the 1960s as part of the songwriting duo along with Tommy Boyce, who died in 1994. Together, they collaborated with The Monkees on their major hits, and later joined two members of the band to release the album "Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart" in 1976.

Bobby Hart maintained an air of privacy when it came to his personal life. According to the Steve Hoffman Music Forum, Hart was previously married to a woman named Becky, whom he had met in high school. Not much is known about their marriage, but the couple welcomed two sons, Bobby Jr. and Brett, during the course of their marriage. Both sons have chosen to lead a life away from the spotlight.

After this, Hart was linked to mezzo-soprano singer Mary Ann Hart, who later became the Professor of Music at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music.

According to the official website of the university, Mary Ann Hart earned a Master's degree in Music from the University of Illinois in 1976. During her early career, she had won several prestigious competitions, like the Carnegie Hall International American Music Competition, the Concert Artists' Guild International American Music Competition, and many more.

She later recorded her own music that included tracks such as "Tell Me Why," "Make it Easy," and others. Additionally, she also lent her voice to the 1991 animated Disney film "Beauty and the Beast," though the exact details of her role are not known.

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She married Bobby Hart in 1980, and the couple remained together for fifty-five years until his passing earlier this week. The couple had no children together.

Bobby Hart, who was eighty-six years old at the time of his death, is survived by his two sisters, his wife Mary Ann Hart, his two sons from his previous marriage, several grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

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