Monkees Singer/Songwriter Michael Nesmith Gone At 78

Nesmith Gone At 78 (Photo: Valeriya Zonkovych/Shutterstock.com)

The family of MONKEES singer/songwriter MICHAEL NESMITH has announced that he died this morning (12/10) of natural causes. According to a statement, he died peacefully in his home surrounded by family. He was 78 years old. 

According to ROLLING STONE, NESMITH was known as the MONKEE in the green wool hat with the thick TEXAS drawl, and the writer of songs like “Mary, Mary,” “Circle Sky,” “Listen to the Band,” and “The Girl I Knew Somewhere.” But he raged behind the scenes that the group didn’t have creative control of their albums, and in 1967 led the successful rebellion against record producer DON KIRSHNER. The group would subsequently release HEADQUARTERS and other albums they created largely on their own.

When the MONKEES dissolved in the late Sixties, NESMITH formed the FIRST NATIONAL BAND. And despite recording three classic country rock albums, escaping the shadow of the MONKEES proved nearly impossible. The group broke up shortly before the EAGLES hit big with “Take It Easy.”

NESMITH told ROLLING STONE in 2018, “I was heartbroken beyond speech. I couldn’t even utter the words ‘THE EAGLES’ and I loved 'Hotel California' and I love the EAGLES, the FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS and the BYRDS’ 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo,' all that stuff. That was right in my wheelhouse and I was agonized, VAN GOGH–agonized, not to compare myself to him, but I wanted to cut something off because I was like, ‘Why is this happening?’ THE EAGLES now have the biggest selling album of all time and mine is sitting in the closet of a closed record company?”

His life changed forever in 1980 when his mother, LIQUID PAPER Inventor BETTE NESMITH GRAHAM, died and left him her substantial fortune. He used the money to invest in a series of businesses along with movies like REPO MAN and TAPEHEADS. He didn’t participate in the MONKEES reunion tours of the Eighties, leading to the false impression he was ashamed of his pop past.

Nesmith told ROLLING STONE, "Quite the contrary. It was a nice part of the resume. It was a fun for me, and a great time of my life. I mean, where do you want be in the Sixties except the middle of rock & roll, hanging out with the scene? LONDON was an absolute blast, and so was LA back then. There was so much going on back then.”

A family statement said, “We ask that you respect our privacy at this time and we thank you for the love and light that all of you have shown him and us.”

Bandmate MICKY DOLENZ said, "I’m heartbroken. I’ve lost a dear friend and partner. I’m so grateful that we could spend the last couple of months together doing what we loved best – singing, laughing, and doing shtick. I’ll miss it all so much. Especially the shtick. Rest in peace, Nez. All my love, Mick"

« see more Net News