MY MICHAEL NESMITH TRIBUTE
BORN: DECEMBER 30, 1942
BIRTHPLACE: HOUSTON, TEXAS
JUST WHAT DID HAPPEN TO THAT WOOL HAT, ANYWAY?
The tall, handsome and somewhat reluctant Monkee was born Robert Michael Nesmith.
The story of Mike's mother is an interesting one. The story goes that Bette Nesmith
was a notoriously bad typist, who was also very resourceful. She devised a way to cover up her typos. Mixing formulas at home, she often employed the young Michael and his friends to help her. Soon, she invented something that typists around the world have been ever indebted to her for- Liquid Paper! (or white-out, depending on where you are from)
Rumor has it that Michael took up the guitar when a firecracker exploded in his hand and he wanted to regain the use of it. When he was attending San Antonio College, Mike met John London and the two formed a duo. Soon after, Michael headed to Las Angeles where he recorded two singles for Colpix records. He read about the Monkees from the infamous ad that was placed in variety and got the part, beating out thousands of others.
HERE HE COMES...
Peter Tork, Michael Nesmith, David Jones and Micky Dolenz
Mike was the leader, the one who always seemed to have all the answers. He delieved his lines in a dead-pan, sarcastic kind of way, and always managed to make us laugh. From the start, Mike had problems with music supervisor Don Kirshner,
and eventually got Kirshner fired from the Monkees project. It is rumored that Mike once put his fist through a wall, and announced to a stunned Kirshner, "That could have been your head, MF!!" Mike then employed Chip Douglas of the Turtles to become the producer on the Monkees records. Though the new music the Monkees were putting out was arguably better stuff, the albums did not do as well commercially. After the Monkees ended, he formed the First National Band and put out three albums. Two of his songs, "Joanne," and "Silver Moon," hit the top ten. After that band split, he pursued a solo career. In 1976, Mike concieved of the music video. He formed the Pacific Arts company and concentrated on this new medium. "Rio" became one of the first music videos ever and a hit for Mike. The very first grammy ever given for a music video went to Michael for "Elephant Parts." Mike also helped develop MTV, but backed out of the project early on.
Recently, Michael teamed up with Dolenz, Jones and Tork to make the first new Monkees album to feature all four Monkees playing all the instruments since Headquarters. Justus. Mike also wrote and directed the ABC television special for the Monkees "Hey, Hey, we're the Monkees, " broadcast in Februaury 1997.
Michael joined Micky, Davy, and Peter for a tour of Europe in early 1997, but declined to tour the US that same year, opting instead to stay home and write for a new Monkees movie.
To read Michael's reply to a misguided critic regarding JUSTUS, and get some insight into the meaning of "Admiral Mike," and other songs from the album, Click HERE.
LINKS
VIDEORANCH
Fun
fan sites!
NEZGIRL'S
SHRINE OF GROOVINESS
E-Mail Michael at: nez@videoranch.com
THE
MICHAEL NESMITH HOMEPAGE
TOTAL
CONTROL: THE MICHAEL NESMITH STORY
To write to Michael:
Michael Nesmith,
Rt. 1, Box 133,
Santa Fe NM 87501
Email me
This page last updated November 7, 1998.