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United States Michael Nesmith was an American musician, songwriter, and actor, known as a member of The Monkees and for his pioneering work in country rock and music video production.
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Request A ShowMichael Nesmith's last contractual Monkees commitment was a commercial for Kool-Aid in April 1970.
Michael Nesmith's last contractual Monkees commitment was a commercial for Nerf balls in April 1970.
Nesmith's First National Band recorded three albums for RCA Records, with the first two issued in 1970 and the third in 1971.
Nesmith was given his own label, Countryside, through Elektra Records due to Jac Holzman's admiration for his work. Countryside featured artists produced by Nesmith, including Garland Frady and Red Rhodes.
Pacific Arts, Nesmith's multimedia company, had an acrimonious contract dispute with PBS over home video licensing rights and payments.
Nesmith created a television program called "PopClips" for the Nickelodeon cable network in 1980, which later inspired MTV.
In 1980, "PopClips" was sold to the Time Warner/Amex consortium, which then developed it into the MTV network.
Nesmith developed one of the first American television programs dedicated to music videos, "PopClips," and was approached to help develop the MTV network, which was based on his concept.
In 1983, Nesmith produced the music video for Lionel Richie's single "All Night Long."
In 1987, Nesmith produced the music video for Michael Jackson's single "The Way You Make Me Feel."
In 2014, Nesmith guest-starred in an episode of the IFC comedy series "Portlandia."
Robert Michael Nesmith was born in Houston, Texas, on December 30, 1942. His parents divorced in 1946, and he was raised by his mother, Bette Nesmith Graham, who later invented Liquid Paper. Nesmith did not graduate from high school, instead enlisting in the U.S. Air Force in 1960. He completed basic training and was trained as an aircraft mechanic, obtaining a General Educational Development certificate and receiving an honorable discharge in 1962. Following his military service, Nesmith pursued music, playing solo and in bands while attending San Antonio College, where he met John London and began a musical collaboration. He also wrote songs, including “Mary, Mary” and “Different Drum”. Nesmith moved to Los Angeles, performing in folk clubs and serving as the “Hootmaster” at The Troubadour. In 1965, he auditioned for a new TV series, “The Monkees,” securing a role as the guitar player, Mike.
Nesmith gained national recognition as a member of The Monkees from 1965 to 1970, alongside Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Davy Jones. Despite initial studio control over their music, Nesmith advocated for artistic freedom, leading to the band gaining control over their recordings. After leaving The Monkees, Nesmith continued his music career with the First National Band, releasing three albums between 1970 and 1971. Their single “Joanne” reached number 21 on the Billboard chart in 1970, and “Silver Moon” reached number 42. He later formed the Second National Band and released solo albums, earning recognition as a country rock pioneer. In 1974, Nesmith founded Pacific Arts, a multimedia company, and in 1977, his song “Rio” became an international hit. He produced “PopClips” for Nickelodeon in 1980, a program that was later sold to Time Warner/Amex and developed into MTV. In 1982, Nesmith won the first Grammy Award for Video of the Year for his hour-long comedy variety program, “Elephant Parts.” He also served as executive producer for films such as “Repo Man” (1984) and published several books, including his memoir “Infinite Tuesday: An Autobiographical Riff” (2017).
Nesmith reunited with The Monkees for various projects and tours throughout the years, including their 20th anniversary, the recording of their 1996 album “Justus,” and several tours until his final performance in 2021. He also continued his solo career, touring and releasing his final album, “Rays,” in 2005. Nesmith passed away from heart failure on December 10, 2021, at the age of 78.
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