Michael Nesmith, an original member of the Monkees, has died of natural causes at the age of 78.
“With Infinite Love we announce that Michael Nesmith has passed away this morning in his home, surrounded by family, peacefully and of natural causes,” his family said in a statement released on Friday. “We ask that you respect our privacy at this time and we thank you for the love and light that all of you have shown him and us.”
While the Monkees first disbanded in 1971, other members along the band’s history made sure to always keep Nesmith on stage, even just in spirit.
“We always did Nez tunes, even when he wasn’t with us onstage, Peter [Tork] and David [Jones] and I,” Micky Dolenz said back in 2020. “We’d always do a lot of the Nez tunes. But having Nez out there with me, doing the tunes, has really been wonderful.”
Nesmith, despite ongoing health concerns, never intended to retire from performing live.
“I had that heart attack about three tours ago. I thought, ‘That was my farewell tour!'” Nesmith said at the end of 2019. “They took my heart out and put it through the washer and dryer and put it back in and it all works good again. I started thinking, ‘I’m healthy. I know how this music goes. I can play it well. I can sing it well. Go out there and do it.’ And that’s what we do. We’re coming to your town. And I’m going to play as long as I can. And when I can’t, I won’t.”
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