Monkees Singer Michael Nesmith Dead At 78 | 95.7 The Jet
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Michael Nesmith, the singer and guitarist for the popular rock and pop band The Monkees, has died at the age of 78.
"With Infinite Love we announce that Michael Nesmith has passed away this morning in his home, surrounded by family, peacefully and of natural causes," his family said in a statement obtained by Rolling Stone. "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."
The Monkees -- whose original lineup consisted of Nesmith, Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork -- dominated the pop charts in the 1960s with hits including 'I'm a Believer,' 'Daydream Believer,' 'Last Train to Clarksville' and the theme song to their popular NBC television series The Monkees.
Nesmith was remembered as the Monkee in the green wool hat and credited for penning the band's hits 'Mary, Mary,' 'Circle Sky,' 'Listen to the Band' and 'The Girl I Knew Somewhere' and led the Monkees' gaining creative control of their albums from record producer Don Kirshner in 1967, leading to the release of Headquarters and other albums created on their own.
"We were kids with our own taste in music and were happier performing songs we liked - and/or wrote - than songs that were handed to us," Nesmith said in a 2012 interview with Rolling Stone after his bandmate Jones' death. "It made for a better performance. It was more fun. That this became a bone of contention seemed strange to me, and I think to some extent to each of us — sort of "What's the big deal, why won't you let us play the songs we are singing?"
Nesmith recorded his first solo album, Wichita Train Whistle Sings, in 1967, prior to the Monkees' initial breakup in 1971.
The Houston native founded the short-lived First National Band in 1970 and made several appearances alongside original Monkees bandmates over the years, despite missing the band's 20th anniversary reunion.
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R.I.P...
Awww....what a shame. I had a crush on him when I was like 5. Always watched the show. Dad called it idiot TV.
RIP, Mike
he was the only monkee I could stand and I remember in jr. high when the show premiered, it seemed like the next day half the guys in school started wearing those knit hats all the time, until the dress code got amended, again. wasn't his mom the inventor of correction fluid or white out?
I liked how Mickey Dolenz sang. He was a way better singer than Davey Jones
meh, I thought he acted a bit cheesy, but it was the 60's, so...
I didn't watch them that much. I was watching Gilligan's Island and Get Smart.
The only one that could actually act was Mike Nesmith. At least Mickey could sing. The one I couldn't stand was Peter
I couldn't stand davy jones. peter was the only real hippie in the group. he and mike were the only 2 that could actually play an instrument when don kirshner put the band together to cash in on the beatles craze. they made a real cheesy wannabe psychedelic movie called "head" in 1968.
Bummer. RIP Monkee Mike
Aww. RIP
When I was 13 my friend had tickets to see the Monkees at the Hollywood Bowl and invited me to go with him. I think that was in June 1967. His father drove us there and picked us up after the concert. All we could hear during the entire concert were screaming teenage girls, which went on non-stop, and we could not hear any of the music.
Many years later I became close friends with the studio drummer, Hal Blaine, who played on the Monkees' albums. He and Michael Nesmith were very good friends.
Sorry Jbb, it seems that I repeated your article. I didn't see it. I'll delete mine if you want me to.