60 Facts About Michael Nesmith

Robert Michael Nesmith, often known as Mike Nesmith, was an American musician, songwriter, and actor.

Michael Nesmith was best known as a member of the pop rock band the Monkees and co-star of the TV series The Monkees.

Michael Nesmith often played a custom-built Gretsch 12-string electric with the Monkees and afterwards.

Michael Nesmith founded Pacific Arts, a multimedia production and distribution company, in 1974, through which he helped pioneer the music video format.

Michael Nesmith created one of the first American television programs dedicated to music videos, PopClips, which aired on Nickelodeon in 1980.

Michael Nesmith was asked to help produce and create MTV, but had prior commitments with his production company.

Michael Nesmith was an executive producer of the film Repo Man.

Michael Nesmith was an only child; his parents, Warren and Bette Nesmith, divorced when he was four.

Michael Nesmith's mother married Robert Graham in 1962, and they remained married until 1975.

Michael Nesmith took temporary jobs ranging from clerical work to graphic design, eventually attaining the position of executive secretary at Texas Bank and Trust.

When Michael Nesmith was 13, his mother invented the typewriter correction fluid later known commercially as Liquid Paper.

Michael Nesmith died a few months later at the age of 56.

Michael Nesmith attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas, where he participated in choral and drama activities, but enlisted in the US Air Force in 1960 before graduating.

Michael Nesmith completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, was trained as an aircraft mechanic at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, and was permanently stationed at Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base near Burns Flat, Oklahoma.

Michael Nesmith obtained a GED certificate and was honorably discharged in 1962.

Michael Nesmith enrolled in San Antonio College, where he met John London and began a musical collaboration.

Michael Nesmith began to write more songs and poetry, then he moved to Los Angeles and began singing in folk clubs around the city.

Michael Nesmith served as the "Hootmaster" for the Monday night hootenanny at The Troubadour, a West Hollywood nightclub that featured new artists.

Randy Sparks from the New Christy Minstrels offered Michael Nesmith a publishing deal for his songs.

Michael Nesmith began his recording career in 1963 by releasing a single on the Highness label.

Michael Nesmith followed this in 1965 with a one-off single released on Edan Records followed by two more recorded singles; one was titled "The New Recruit" under the name "Michael Blessing", released on Colpix Records, coincidentally the label of Davy Jones, though they did not meet until the Monkees formed.

In October 1965, Michael Nesmith landed the role as the wool hat-wearing guitar player "Mike" in the show, which required real-life musical talent for writing, instrument playing, singing, and performing in live concerts as part of the Monkees band.

From 1965 to early 1970, Michael Nesmith was a member of the television pop-rock band the Monkees, created for the television situation comedy of the same name.

Michael Nesmith won his role largely by appearing nonchalant when he auditioned.

Michael Nesmith rode his motorcycle to the audition, and wore a wool hat to keep his hair out of his eyes; producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider remembered the "wool hat guy" and called Nesmith back.

Michael Nesmith's last contractual Monkees commitment was a commercial for Kool-Aid and Nerf balls in April 1970.

Michael Nesmith did not participate in the Monkees' 20th anniversary reunion, due to contractual obligations with his production company, but he did appear during an encore with the three other Monkees at the Greek Theatre on September 7,1986.

Michael Nesmith, speaking about being part of The Monkees at the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star award in 1989.

Michael Nesmith appeared again in 1989 with the other members of the Monkees, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Davy Jones.

In 1995, Michael Nesmith was again reunited with the Monkees to record their studio album, titled Justus, released in 1996.

Michael Nesmith wrote and directed a Monkees television special, Hey, Hey, It's the Monkees.

In 2012,2013, and 2014, after Jones's death, Michael Nesmith reunited with Dolenz and Tork to perform concerts throughout the United States.

Michael Nesmith additionally contributed a song, "I Know What I Know", and was reportedly "thrilled" at the outcome of the album.

The tour was cut short four dates out due to Michael Nesmith having health issues.

Michael Nesmith contributed two songs to the Monkees' 13th studio album, Christmas Party, released on October 12,2018.

Michael Nesmith's interest hinged on noted pedal steel player Orville "Red" Rhodes; their musical partnership continued until Rhodes's death in 1995.

Michael Nesmith wrote most of the songs for the band and he, himself, is considered one of the trailblazers of country rock.

Michael Nesmith had moderate commercial success with the First National Band.

Michael Nesmith was given a label of his own, Countryside, through Elektra Records, as Elektra Records's Jac Holzman was a fan of Michael Nesmith's.

Michael Nesmith recorded a number of LPs for his label, and had a moderate worldwide hit in 1977 with his song "Rio", the single taken from the album From a Radio Engine to the Photon Wing.

In 1983, Michael Nesmith produced the music video for the Lionel Richie single "All Night Long".

Michael Nesmith won the first Grammy Award presented for Music Video in 1982 for his hour-long Elephant Parts.

Michael Nesmith had a short-lived series on NBC inspired by the video called Michael Nesmith in Television Parts.

Michael Nesmith formed the Pacific Arts Corporation, Inc in 1974 to manage and develop media projects.

Michael Nesmith performed live inside Videoranch 3D on May 25,2009.

Michael Nesmith was the executive producer for the films Repo Man, Tapeheads, and Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann, as well as his own solo recording and film projects.

In 1998, Michael Nesmith published his first novel, The Long Sandy Hair of Neftoon Zamora.

Michael Nesmith spent a decade as a board of trustees member, nominating member and vice-chair of the American Film Institute.

In 1992, Michael Nesmith undertook a concert tour of North America to promote the CD release of his RCA solo albums.

Michael Nesmith produced Wonderland's version of Robert Johnson's "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom" on her album Peace Meal.

In 2012, Michael Nesmith briefly toured Europe prior to rejoining the Monkees for their tours of the United States.

Intermixing the Monkees concerts, Michael Nesmith launched solo tours of the US Unlike his 1992 US tour, which predominantly featured music from his RCA recordings, Michael Nesmith stated that his 2013 tour would feature songs he considers "thematic, chronological and most often requested by fans".

In 2019, Michael Nesmith toured in a two-piece configuration with pedal steel player Pete Finney, focusing on his 1972 album, And the Hits Just Keep on Comin'.

Michael Nesmith was joined by special guests Ben Gibbard and Scott McCaughey on opening night in Seattle.

Michael Nesmith met his first wife, Phyllis Ann Barbour, in 1964, while at San Antonio College.

Michael Nesmith had a son, Jason, born in August 1968 to Nurit Wilde, whom he met while working on The Monkees.

In 1973, Michael Nesmith founded the Countryside Records label with Jac Holzman, the founder of Elektra Records.

In 1974, Michael Nesmith started Pacific Arts Records and released what he called "a book with a soundtrack", titled The Prison, as the company's first release.

Michael Nesmith was forced to cancel the last four dates of his 2018 tour with Micky Dolenz due to a "minor health scare".

Michael Nesmith died from heart failure at his home in Carmel Valley, California, on December 10,2021, at the age of 78.