Interview: Michael Nesmith

Michael Nesmith is best known for his time in The Monkees, a group whose music and television show offered a fun, zany, and sanitized take on the emerging youth culture in the 1960’s. Although the television show lasted only two years, it has remained popular and influential to the present day. The music was also hugely successful, with four of The Monkees’ albums and three of their singles hitting Number 1 in the U.S. charts.

Before The Monkees, Nesmith had written a number of songs including “Different Drum”, which was a hit for Linda Ronstadt. When The Monkees dissolved, he helped to shape the emerging country rock genre, starting with the 1970 album Magnetic South credited to Michael Nesmith & The First National Band. He continued in the country rock vein for a series of acclaimed albums in the 1970’s.

Nesmith later founded the Pacific Arts video production company, which released Repo Man and other movies, and he produced music videos including “All Night Long” for Lionel Richie and “The Way You Make Me Feel” for Michael Jackson.

This interview was for a preview article for noozhawk.com for Nesmith’s 10/2/19 performance at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara. It was done by phone on 9/10/19.