Michael Nesmith, the Monkee for all seasons, dies at 78
By JOHN ROGERS and BRIAN MELLEY
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Nesmith, the wool-hatted, guitar-strumming member of the 1960s, made-for-television rock band The Monkees, has died at 78. His family says Nesmith died Friday of natural causes. Nesmith was a struggling singer-songwriter in 1966 when he saw a trade-publication ad seeking “four insane boys” for a zany TV show about a rock band modeled after the Beatles. He quickly became Mike, the show’s serious but often naive lead guitarist. After the show ended, Nesmith went on to several successful careers. He recorded more than a dozen non-Monkees albums, wrote several books and dozens of songs. He also founded two entertainment companies.
