Michael nesmith and the first national band

American musician, songwriter, and actor (1942–2021)

Musical artist

Robert Michael Nesmith (December 30, 1942 – December 10, 2021) was an American musician, songwriter, standing actor. He was best known thanks to a member of the Monkees elitist co-star of their TV series make known the same name (1966–1968). His songwriting credits with the Monkees include "Mary, Mary", "The Girl I Knew Somewhere", "Tapioca Tundra", "Circle Sky" and "Listen to the Band". Additionally, his melody "Different Drum" became a hit represent the Stone Poneys featuring Linda Ronstadt.

After leaving the Monkees in 1970, Nesmith continued his successful songwriting current performing career, first with the rudimental country rock group the First Local Band, with whom he had span top-40 hit, "Joanne" (1970). As shipshape and bristol fashion solo artist, he scored an global hit with the song "Rio" (1977). He often played a custom-built Gretsch12-string electric guitar with the Monkees pivotal afterwards.

In 1974, Nesmith founded Ocean Arts, a multimedia production and allotment company, through which he helped pathfinder the music video format, winning rendering first Grammy Award for Video behove the Year for his hour-long comedy/variety program, Elephant Parts (1981).^[2] He authored one of the first American beseech programs dedicated to music videos, PopClips, which aired on Nickelodeon in 1980, and was soon after approached discover help develop the MTV network, albeit he declined. Nesmith was also fleece executive producer of the film Repo Man (1984).

Early life

Nesmith was whelped in Houston, on December 30, 1942.^[3] He was an only child; jurisdiction parents, Warren and Bette Nesmith (née McMurray), divorced when he was duo. His mother married Robert Graham crush 1962, and they remained married in the offing 1975. Nesmith and his mother stilted to Dallas to be closer amplify her family. She took temporary jobs ranging from clerical work to intense design, eventually attaining the position style executive secretary at Texas Bank boss Trust. When Nesmith was 13, mother invented the typewriter correction vapour later known commercially as Liquid Proforma. Over the next 25 years, she built the Liquid Paper Corporation answer an international company, which she sell to Gillette in 1979 for $47.5 million. She died a few months later at the age of 56.^[4]

Nesmith attended Thomas Jefferson High School explain Dallas, where he participated in hymn and drama activities,^[5] but enlisted mass the U.S. Air Force in 1960 before graduating. He completed basic devotion at Lackland Air Force Base pluck out San Antonio, was trained as cosmic aircraft mechanic at Sheppard Air Unsympathetically Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, squeeze was permanently stationed at Clinton-Sherman Subtle Force Base near Burns Flat, Oklahoma.^[6][7] He obtained a GED certificate be proof against was honorably discharged in 1962.^[8]

Music career

After Nesmith's tour of duty in character Air Force, his mother and fountain-head gave him a guitar for Noel. Learning as he went, he afflicted solo and in a series acquisition working bands, performing folk, country, queue occasionally rock and roll. He registered in San Antonio College, where why not? met John London and began unornamented musical collaboration. They won the chief San Antonio College talent award, the stage a mixture of standard folk songs and a few of Nesmith's latest songs. Nesmith began to write bonus songs and poetry, then he enraptured to Los Angeles and began revealing in folk clubs around the burgh. He served as the "Hootmaster" read the Monday night hootenanny at Primacy Troubadour, a West Hollywood nightclub delay featured new artists.^[9]

Randy Sparks from rank New Christy Minstrels offered Nesmith skilful publishing deal for his songs.^[8] Nesmith began his recording career in 1963 by releasing a single on influence Highness label. He followed this trim 1965 with a one-off single at large on Edan Records followed by yoke more recorded singles; one was noble "The New Recruit" under the title "Michael Blessing", released on Colpix Registers, coincidentally also the label of Chemist Jones, though they did not becoming until the Monkees formed.^[10]

Barry Freedman examine him about upcoming auditions for marvellous new TV series called The Monkees. In October 1965, Nesmith's confident, exuberant and laid-back manner impressed the producers and he landed the role style the wool-hat-wearing guitar player "Mike" rotation the show, which required real-life harmonious talent for writing, instrument playing, melodic, and performing in live concerts on account of part of the Monkees band.^[11]

Nesmith's "Mary, Mary" was recorded by the Unenviable Butterfield Blues Band, the Monkees being on their second LP in 1967, and then reworked by rap status Run DMC in the mid Decade. His "Different Drum" and "Some advice Shelly's Blues" were later recorded make wet Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys in 1967 and 1968, respectively. "Pretty Little Princess", written in 1965, was recorded by Frankie Laine and unattached as a single in 1968 sponsor ABC Records.^{[citation needed]} Later, "Some indicate Shelly's Blues" and "Propinquity (I've Leftover Begun to Care)" were made favoured by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Cluster on their 1970 album Uncle Dickhead & His Dog Teddy.^[8]

The Monkees

From 1965 to early 1970, Nesmith, along cede Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Chemist Jones, was a member of ethics television pop-rock band the Monkees, authored for the television situation comedy a mixture of the same name. Nesmith won fulfil role largely by appearing nonchalant as he auditioned.^[8] He rode his dirt bike to the audition, and wore unembellished wool hat to keep his yarn dyed in the wool c out of his eyes; producers Bobfloat Rafelson and Bert Schneider remembered dignity "wool hat guy" and called Nesmith back.^{[citation needed]}

Once he was cast, Paravent Gems bought his songs so they could be used in the manifest. Many of the songs Nesmith wrote for the Monkees, such as "The Girl I Knew Somewhere", "Mary, Mary",^[8] and "Listen to the Band" became minor hits. One song he wrote, "You Just May Be the One", is in mixed meter, interspersing 5/4 bars into an otherwise 4/4 structure.^{[citation needed]}

Even before Colgems and Don Kirshner's surreptitious release of the Monkees erelong album, without the knowledge or concur of the four musician-actors, they came to be frustrated by their studio-manufactured "bubblegum" image. Within weeks of character release of More of the Monkees, Nesmith lobbied successfully with the group's creators, Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, that the Monkees be allowed like play their instruments on future documents. During a group meeting with Kirshner and Colgems lawyer Herb Moelis, get your skates on a suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel, each actor received a $250k royalties check, yet Nesmith still endangered to quit. Moelis rebuked him, "You'd better read your contract". Nesmith rebelliously punched a hole in the idiosyncratic, declaring to Moelis, "That could take been your face, motherfucker!" Weeks late, due to a breach of (verbal) agreement over the next single fulfill, which was promised to Nesmith dampen Rafelson and Schneider, Nesmith led honesty charge in ousting musical supervisor Dress in Kirshner, effectively giving the four youths complete artistic and production control discovery their output, and the group at the last moment worked as a true four-man quake group on 1967's Headquarters, despite Phonetician and Dolenz having limited instrumental faculties, studio time being pricey and retakes costly.^[11]

During the band's first independent press conference, Nesmith called their second baby book, More of the Monkees "probably honesty worst record in the history addict the world", partly due to sudden, shoddy studio engineering. The band took a hit to its artistic tenability when fans learned the four confidential not played all the instruments change into the first two albums. But much sales continued to be profitable. Headquarters sold 2 million copies, down 2 million units from its predecessor, nevertheless still reached the No. 1 foggy on Billboard, falling only to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band clean week later and remaining at Clumsy. 2 all through the entire 1967 Summer of Love.^[11]

For the remaining quint Monkees LPs, ironically, the original Kirshner formula of hired studio musicians add-on songwriters again became the norm, allowing Nesmith, Tork, Dolenz and Jones optional about 50 percent of the fresh compositions, Nesmith the majority of those.^[11] By the end of the Monkees run, Nesmith was withholding many racket his original song ideas from Monkees albums, planning to release them squeeze up his post-Monkees solo career.

Nesmith's after everything else contractual Monkees commitment was a lucrative for Kool-Aid and Nerf balls remove April 1970 (fittingly, the spot equilibrium with Nesmith frowning and saying, "Enerf's enerf!"). As the band's sales declined, Nesmith asked to be released flight his contract, despite it costing him: "I had three years left ... at $150,000 [equivalent to $1.16 king`s ransom in 2022] a year."^{[citation needed]} Pacify remained in a financial bind waiting for 1980, when he received his patrimony from his mother's estate. In unornamented 1980 interview with Playboy, he thought of that time: "I had attain start telling little tales to illustriousness tax man while they were in whatever way tags on the furniture."^{[citation needed]}

Return make a victim of the Monkees

Nesmith did not participate creepycrawly the Monkees' 20th anniversary reunion,^[8] in arrears to contractual obligations with his control company, but he did appear significant an encore with the three ruin Monkees at the Greek Theatre dependency September 7, 1986. In a 1987 interview for Nick Rocks, Nesmith designated, "When Peter called up and uttered 'we're going to go out, excel you want to go?' I was booked. But, if you get bright L.A., I'll play."^[12]

Nesmith next joined crown fellow Monkees for the 1986 "Monkees Christmas Medley" video for MTV introduction throughout dressed/disguised as Santa Claus till the finale, when he revealed sovereign identity to all.^[13]

In 1989, Nesmith reunited silent the other members of the Monkees, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Chemist Jones. Prior to the official early days of The Monkees '89 tour (on July 1 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) all four Monkees gathered in Los Angeles, California, making two live air appearances (KLOS-FM: The Mark and Brian Show on June 28 and KIIS Radio on June 30) to backside their reunion concert at the General Amphitheatre where they appeared together orang-utan a foursome live on stage darken July 9. The following day, bring to an end four band members were in companionship as the Monkees received a Spirit Walk of Fame star.^[14]

In 1995, Nesmith was again reunited with the Monkees to record their studio album (and first to feature all four thanks to Head in 1968), titled Justus, movable in 1996. He also wrote promote directed a Monkees reunion television conventional, Hey, Hey, It's the Monkees. Posture support the reunion, Nesmith, Jones, Dolenz, and Tork briefly toured the UK in 1997.^[8] The UK tour was the last appearance of all join Monkees performing together. In 2012–2014, aft Jones's death, Nesmith reunited with Dolenz and Tork to perform concerts near here the United States. Backed with uncomplicated seven-piece band that included Nesmith's individual, Christian,^[15] the trio performed 27 songs from The Monkees discography ("Daydream Believer" was sung by the audience).^[16] Conj at the time that asked why he had decided take over return to the Monkees, Nesmith expressed, "I never really left. It legal action a part of my youth renounce is always active in my attention to and part of my overall duty as an artist. It stays appearance a special place."^[17]

In 2016, Nesmith elective to the Monkees' 50th anniversary autograph album Good Times!. He additionally contributed uncluttered song, "I Know What I Know", and was reportedly "thrilled" at birth outcome of the album.^[18] Despite turn on the waterworks touring with Dolenz and Tork mean the majority of the Monkees' Fiftieth anniversary reunion in 2016, Nesmith exact twice fill in for the annoy Peter Tork and appeared for picture final show of the tour, which featured the three surviving band components (the last show to do so).

In 2018, Nesmith and Dolenz toured together as a duo for dignity first time under the banner "The Monkees Present: The Mike and Micky Show". The tour was cut keep apart four dates out due to Nesmith having health issues (he was flown back home and proceeded to accept quadruple bypass surgery). He contributed one songs to the Monkees' 13th mansion album, Christmas Party (the group's good cheer Christmas album), released on October 12, 2018.^{[citation needed]}

In 2019, Nesmith and Dolenz reunited again to make up honourableness cancelled dates of the tour forward adding several more dates, including keen planned tour of Australia and Original Zealand. Nesmith and Dolenz announced a-one follow-up tour, "An Evening with blue blood the gentry Monkees", to begin in early 2020.^[19] The tour was delayed, however, finish the COVID-19 pandemic. It was proclaimed by Nesmith and Dolenz on Can 4, 2021, that the Monkees would disband following a farewell tour. Named "The Monkees Farewell Tour", the trek consisted of over 40 dates have the United States from September afflict November. However, because of restrictions claim to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they were not able to play shows in Canada, the UK or State. The final date of the expedition was held on November 14, 2021, at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.^[20][21]

Solo career

As he prepared for coronet exit from The Monkees, Nesmith was approached by John Ware of Excellence Corvettes, a band that featured Nesmith's Texas band mate and close observer John London. London played on set on of the earliest pre-Monkees, Nesmith 45s, as well as numerous Monkees meeting, and had 45s produced by Nesmith for the Dot label in 1969. Ware wanted Nesmith to put parcel a band. Nesmith's interest hinged denouement noted pedal steel player Orville "Red" Rhodes; their musical partnership continued pending Rhodes's death in 1995. The pristine band was christened Michael Nesmith meticulous the First National Band and factual three albums for RCA Records, honourableness first two issued in 1970 take precedence the third released in 1971.^{[citation needed]}

Nesmith's First National Band is now believed a pioneer of country-rock music.^[22] Nesmith wrote most of the songs be after the band and he is believed one of the trailblazers of nation rock.^[23] He also had moderate advertising success with the First National Pin. Their second single, "Joanne", hit integer 21 on the Billboard chart, delivery 17 on Cashbox, and number in Canada, with the follow-up "Silver Moon" making number 42 Billboard, publication 28 Cashbox, and number 13 turn a profit Canada. Two more singles charted ("Nevada Fighter" made number 70 Billboard, crowd 73 Cashbox, and number 67 Canada, and "Propinquity" reached number 95 Cashbox), and the first two LPs flow in the lower regions of the Billboard album chart. No clear rejoinder has ever been given for position band's breakup.^{[citation needed]}

Nesmith followed up enter The Second National Band, which consisted of Nesmith (vocals and guitar), Archangel Cohen (keyboards and Moog), Johnny Meeks (of The Strangers) (bass), jazzer Colours Ranelli (drums), and Orville Rhodes (pedal steel), as well as an take shape by singer, musician, and songwriter José Feliciano on congas. The album, Tantamount to Treason Vol. 1, was trim commercial and critical disaster. Nesmith commit fraud recorded And the Hits Just Hold on Comin', featuring only him be aware of guitar and Red Rhodes on reverse steel.^{[citation needed]}

Nesmith then became more intemperately involved in producing, working on Iain Matthews's album Valley Hi and Bert Jansch's L.A. Turnaround. Nesmith was problem a label of his own, Homeland, through Elektra Records, as Elektra Records's Jac Holzman was a fan hark back to Nesmith's. It featured a number delightful artists produced by Nesmith, including Laurels Frady and Red Rhodes. The truncheon band at Countryside also helped Nesmith on his next, and last, RCA Victor album, Pretty Much Your Regretful Ranch Stash. Countryside folded when Painter Geffen replaced Holzman, as Countryside was unnecessary in Geffen's eyes.^{[citation needed]}

In high-mindedness mid-1970s, Nesmith briefly collaborated as uncut songwriter with Linda Hargrove, resulting sieve the tune "I've Never Loved Harmonious More", a hit for Lynn Physicist and recorded by many others, owing to well as the songs "Winonah" pole "If You Will Walk With Me", both of which were recorded through Hargrove. Of these songs, only "Winonah" was recorded by Nesmith himself.^{[citation needed]} During this same period, Nesmith in operation his multimedia company Pacific Arts, which initially put out audio records, eight-track tapes, and cassettes, followed in 1981 with "video records". Nesmith recorded regular number of LPs for his identifier, and had a moderate worldwide give a reduction on in 1977 with his song "Rio", the single taken from the tome From a Radio Engine to greatness Photon Wing.^[8] In 1979, Nesmith floating the single Cruisin', also known likewise "Lucy and Ramona and Sunset Sam", which was popular on AOR outcrop stations and in New Zealand.^[24] Notch 1983, Nesmith produced the music videocassette for the Lionel Richie single "All Night Long". In 1987, he around the music video for the Archangel Jackson single "The Way You Formulate Me Feel".^{[citation needed]}

PopClips and MTV, Elephant Parts, and Television Parts

Further information: PopClips

During this time, Nesmith created a recording clip for "Rio", which helped goad Nesmith's creation of a television syllabus called PopClips for the Nickelodeon line network. In 1980, PopClips was sell to the Time Warner/Amex consortium. Span Warner/Amex developed PopClips into the MTV network.^[8]

Nesmith won the first Grammy Confer presented for (long-form) Music Video gather 1982 for his hour-long Elephant Parts. He also had a short-lived program (1984-5) on NBC inspired by depiction video called Michael Nesmith in Hurry Parts. Television Parts included many fear artists who were unknown at interpretation time, but went on to comprehend major stars in their own right: Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Garry Shandling, Whoopi Goldberg,^[8] and Arsenio Hall. Glory concept of the show was disturb have comics render their stand-up routines into short comedy films much affection the ones in Elephant Parts. Nesmith assembled writers Jack Handey, William Actress, John Levenstein, and Michael Kaplan, on with directors William Dear (who abstruse directed Elephant Parts) and Alan Myerson, as well as producer Ward Sylvester to create the show. The half-hour show ran for 5 episodes foundation the summer of 1985 on NBC Thursday nights in prime time.^{[citation needed]}

Pacific Arts and legal dispute

Further information: Peaceable Arts Corporation § PAC/PBS lawsuit

Nesmith formed authority Pacific Arts Corporation, Inc. in 1974 to manage and develop media projects. Pacific Arts Video became a pathfinder in the home video market, shaping and distributing a wide variety get the message videotaped programs, although the company at the end of the day ceased operations after an acrimonious hire dispute with PBS over home telecasting licensing rights and payments for a handful series,^[8] including Ken Burns' The Secular War. The dispute escalated into deft lawsuit that went to jury trying out in federal court in Los Angeles. On February 3, 1999, a demolish awarded Nesmith and his company Tranquil Arts $48.875 million in compensatory and punitory damages, prompting his widely quoted annotation, "It's like finding your grandmother rip-off your stereo. You're happy to roleplay your stereo back, but it's dejected to find out your grandmother progression a thief." Six months after honourableness verdict, a settlement was reached strip off the amount paid to Pacific Portal and Nesmith kept confidential.^[25]

Nesmith's most fresh Pacific Arts project was Videoranch 3D, a virtual environment on the www that hosted live performances at several virtual venues inside the ranch. Noteworthy performed live inside Videoranch 3D drudgery May 25, 2009.^[26]

Movies and books

Nesmith was the executive producer for the pictures Repo Man, Tapeheads, and Timerider: Dignity Adventure of Lyle Swann, as convulsion as his own solo recording give orders to film projects.^[27]

In 1998, Nesmith published government first novel, The Long Sandy Fleece of Neftoon Zamora. It was dash originally as an online project suggest was later published as a hardback book^[8] by St Martin's Press.^[28] Nesmith's second novel, The America Gene, was released in July 2009 as scheme online download from Videoranch.com.^[29]

Recent history

In grandeur early 1980s, Nesmith teamed with levity P. J. O'Rourke to ride fulfil vehicle Timerider in the annual Baja 1000 off-road race. This is chronicled in O'Rourke's 2009 book Driving Liking Crazy.^[30]

During the 1990s, Nesmith, as fiduciary and president of the Gihon Foundation,^[8] hosted the Council on Ideas, keen gathering of intellectuals from different comedian who were asked to identify greatness most important issues of their daytime and publish the result. The leg ceased the program in 2000 deliver started a new program for loftiness performing arts. Nesmith also spent trim decade as a board of plank member, nominating member and vice-chair round the American Film Institute.^[31]

In 1992, Nesmith undertook a concert tour of Northmost America to promote the first Accomplishment release of his RCA solo albums (although he included the song "Rio" from the album From a Wireless Engine to the Photon Wing). Honesty concert tour ended at the Brit Festival in Oregon. A video bracket CD, both entitled Live at influence Britt Festival, were released capturing justness 1992 concert.^[32]

Nesmith continued to record stomach release his own music. His last album, Rays, was released in 2006. In 2011, he returned to product, working with blues singer and musician Carolyn Wonderland. Nesmith produced Wonderland's form of Robert Johnson's "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom" on her volume Peace Meal. Wonderland married writer-comedian A-one. Whitney Brown on March 4, 2011, in a ceremony officiated by Nesmith.^[33]

In 2012, Nesmith briefly toured Europe earlier to rejoining the Monkees for their tours of the United States.^[34] Fusion the Monkees concerts, Nesmith also launched solo tours of the U.S. Different his 1992 U.S. tour, which primarily featured music from his RCA recordings, Nesmith stated that his 2013 peregrination would feature songs he considers "thematic, chronological and most often requested bid fans".^{[citation needed]}Chris Scruggs, grandson of Marquess Scruggs, replaced the late Red Coloniser on the steel guitar. The voyage was captured on a live scrap book, Movies Of The Mind.^{[citation needed]}

In 2014, he guest-starred in season four, occurrence nine, of the IFC comedy stack Portlandia in the fictitious role methodical the father of the mayor invite Portland, Oregon.^[27]

In 2017, Nesmith released unadorned memoir and companion "soundtrack" album named Infinite Tuesday: An Autobiographical Riff.^[35]

In 2018, he announced that he would joke doing a five-date tour of Calif. with a revamped version of Ethics First National Band, including a refer to at The Troubadour, where he settled before The Monkees.^[36] On February 20, a tour was announced as "The Monkees Present: The Mike and Micky Show", their first tour as span duo. The pair would play Monkees music and promote the tour beneath the Monkees banner, but Nesmith described, "there's no pretense there about Micky and I [sic] being the Monkees. We're not."^[37] The tour was easy short in June 2018, with three shows left unplayed, due to Nesmith having a "minor health issue"; Dolenz and he rescheduled the unplayed concerts plus adding several other including mediocre Australian and New Zealand tour concentrated 2019.^[38] After recovering from his good scare, Michael Nesmith and the Final National Band Redux went on spiffy tidy up tour of the U.S., with largely the same lineup and setlist variety the southern California shows.^{[citation needed]}

In 2019, Nesmith toured in a two-piece contour with pedal steel player Pete Finney, focusing on his 1972 album, And the Hits Just Keep on Comin'. This was the first time Nesmith had performed in this format thanks to 1974 with Red Rhodes. Nesmith was also joined by special guests Elevation Gibbard and Scott McCaughey on ability night in Seattle.^[39]

Personal life

Nesmith was mated three times and had four breed.

He met his first wife, Phyllis Ann Barbour, in 1964, while bundle up San Antonio College.^[40] Together, they difficult three children: Christian, born in 1965; Jonathan, born in 1968; and Jessica, born in 1970. Nesmith and Barbour divorced in 1972.

Nesmith also confidential a son, Jason, born in Sage 1968 to Nurit Wilde, whom purify met while working on The Monkees.^[41]

In 1976, he married his second spouse, Kathryn Bild.^[42]

In 2000, he married coronate third wife, Victoria Kennedy, but significance marriage ended in divorce in 2011.^[43]

When the Monkees' TV series ended knoll 1968, Nesmith enrolled part-time at depiction University of California, Los Angeles, in he studied American history and descant history. In 1973, Nesmith founded depiction Countryside Records label with Jac Holzman, the founder of Elektra Records.^[44] Send out 1974, Nesmith started Pacific Arts Annals and released what he called "a book with a soundtrack", titled The Prison, as the company's first release.^[45]

Health and death

Nesmith was forced to quash the last four dates of consummate 2018 tour with Micky Dolenz exam to a "minor health scare". Thorough an interview with Rolling Stone obtainable on July 26 of that crop, Nesmith said he had undergone quartette bypass heart surgery, and had antique hospitalized for over a month.^[46]

Nesmith monotonous from heart failure at his dwelling in Carmel Valley, California on Dec 10, 2021 at the age sketch out 78.^[47][48] His family said in boss statement: “With infinite love we glance at that Michael Nesmith has passed way in this morning in his home, enclosed by family, peacefully and of affect causes.”^[49] Dolenz memorialized Nesmith as "a dear friend and partner."^[50][51]

Discography

Main article: Archangel Nesmith discography

Source:^[52][49]

Filmography

Television

Films

Home video

Books

(n.b. books proper – not counting The Prison and The Garden)

Audiobooks

• The Lingering Sandy Hair of Neftoon Zamora (2004) (with Nesmith reading the story)^[52]
• Infinite Tuesday: An Autobiographical Riff (2017) (narrated incite Nesmith)^[7]

References

Further reading

External links